While England was not at war with Spain, Queen Elizabeth I gave the Sea Dogs legitimacy (in England) to plunder Spanish ships to maintain maritime dominance over trade passages. In this case, Sir John Hawkins, Sir Francis Drake, Sir Martin Frobisher and Sir Walter Raleigh (known collectively as the Sea Dogs) were a group commissioned by the queen to attack and loot the Spanish fleet. These private contractors would then pay a cut of their bounty back to the government. A privateer was an individual licensed to attack and raid shipping belonging to an enemy government, usually during a war. In the 15th Century, there was a thin line between piracy and a privateering. ![]() While mainly trading in textiles and sugar, there are accounts involving Hawkins and piracy. By his mid-twenties, Hawkins was already making voyages to many major ports such as the Canary Islands. He was also a prominent figure in the court of Henry VIII. His father, William Hawkins had visited the New World in 1527 and traded in Guinea and Brazil. Hawkins was born into a wealthy maritime family in Plymouth. He is known for his pivotal role in the maritime history of England and the rise of the global slave trade. Sir John Hawkins (1532–1595) was one of the most notable sailors and naval commanders of the sixteenth century. John Hawkins | Admiral, Privateer, Slave Trader
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