20 points
How was Sir Francis Drake able to plunder the Spanish treasure ships on
the west coast of South America? *
He had the help of pirates at sea.
He commanded a fleet of five ships.
After surprising a Spanish ship, Drake seized everything, including sails, so that the
Spanish could not follow him.
All of the above.
After leading two successful expeditions to the West Indies, Drake came to the attention of Queen Elizabeth I, who granted him a privateer's commission, effectively giving him the right to plunder Spanish ports in the Caribbean.