Sir John Hawkins

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Sir John Hawkins

English naval commander

Also known as: Sir John Hawkyns

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Jan 1, 2025 • Article History

Quick Facts

Hawkins also spelled:: Hawkyns

Born:: 1532, Plymouth, Devon, Eng.

Died:: Nov. 12, 1595, at sea off Puerto Rico (aged 63)

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Sir John Hawkins (born 1532, Plymouth, Devon, Eng.—died Nov. 12, 1595, at sea off Puerto Rico) was an English naval administrator and commander, one of the foremost seamen of 16th-century England and the chief architect of the Elizabethan navy. A kinsman of Sir Francis Drake, Hawkins began his career as a merchant in the African trade and soon became the first English slave trader. By carrying slaves from Guinea, in West Africa, to the Spanish West Indies, he provoked conflict with the Spaniards, who did not allow unauthorized foreigners to trade with their colonies. Hawkins’ first slave-trading voyage, in 1562–63, ...(100 of 392 words)

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