Circumnavigation of Francis Drake around South America

I chose to explore Francis Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe mostly because, my favorite artist is Drake, so the name stuck out to me. Beyond that reference, this voyage covered vast stretches of what is now South America and parts of North America, Africa, and Asia. Drakes voyage took almost four years and demonstrated many kinds of geographic knowledge and navigational skills.

The historical map I worked with, Tierra Nova from the David Rumsey Map Collection, reflects the geographic knowledge, navigational skill, and cartographic expertise of the late 16th century. While it doesn’t capture every detail of Drake’s route, it shows the general idea of his travels along the South American coast, highlighting both known and unknown regions of the time. The map’s level of detail shows how explorers relied on careful observation, celestial navigation, and often incomplete reports and maps from previous travelers to create charts that would guide future voyages.

Using digital tools to georeference this historical map and plot Drake’s voyage with accurate geographic coordinates makes his journey more understandable. By overlaying historical voyages onto modern maps, people can see exactly where he sailed and how challenging the journey must have been, without needing to sail the oceans themselves. At the same time, this digital presentation can hide the realities of the voyage: the constant threats of storms, disease, etc., as well as the physical and emotional pain on the crew. A map can make the voyage seem neat and simple, when in reality it was dangerous and unpredictable.

In my opinion, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and other digital mapping tools have transformed the way we visualize and understand human interaction with the physical world, much like Sara Caputo’s concept of “tracks on the ocean.” These technologies allow us to explore historical voyages with clarity and precision, showing patterns of movement, trade, and exploration across continents and oceans. While we can never fully experience the uncertainty faced by explorers like Drake, GIS helps bridge that gap, giving us a way to engage with history digitally.