An introduction to American history, European beginnings . e had found was a part of the same conti-nent of which the Spanish had taken possession. Hebrought back nothing that tempted any one else tomake a voyage to those northern regions; so instead ofsailing across the Atlantic, English seamen of the earlydays of discovery went trading in the MediterraneanSea and sometimes down the coast of Africa. It wasnot until the time of Queen Elizabeth that they madebolder ventures. Sir John Hawkins. In the little village of Plymouth,in the southwestern part of England, there lived a familyby the name
An introduction to American history, European beginnings . e had found was a part of the same conti-nent of which the Spanish had taken possession. Hebrought back nothing that tempted any one else tomake a voyage to those northern regions; so instead ofsailing across the Atlantic, English seamen of the earlydays of discovery went trading in the MediterraneanSea and sometimes down the coast of Africa. It wasnot until the time of Queen Elizabeth that they madebolder ventures. Sir John Hawkins. In the little village of Plymouth,in the southwestern part of England, there lived a familyby the name of Hawkins. The father was a well-knowntrader who had made as many as three trips to Brazil, 1 See p. 234. THE ELIZABETHAN AGE 311 crossing from Africa to exchange negroes captured on theAfrican coast for sugar and other products. His son, whowas to become the famous Sir John Hawkins of QueenEUzabeths reign, heard many a tale from his father ofhis adventures in Africa, and when he was but a lad heresolved that he too would follow the fortunes of the English Seamans Home at Clovelly He made his first voyage on an English trading shipthat sailed to Spain and the Canary Islands. Here heheard much about the Spanish possessions in the NewWorld from the sailors on the Spanish and Portugueseships that came into the same harbors. Among otherthings he learnefl that the natives of the West Indies 312 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN HISTORY were rapidly dying under the hardships they sufferedfrom their Spanish masters, and that the gold and silvermines and the great plantations would soon be lyingidle for want of slaves to work thern. All this made young John Hawkins resolve to bravethe danger of carrying a cargo of negroes to the WestIndies. Even though Spain allowed no foreign trade inthese lands, and though it would mean the risk of his lifeto venture there, he believed that the Spanish colonistswere in such pressing need that they would disobeyorders and gladly buy his slaves. Accordin
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