Please do read Francis Drake’s Voyages before coming to the discussion session on Friday. Here you have some key themes through which you might read the text linking it with the issues pointed out during the lectures:
* How does Drake describe the natives? Would you argue that a sense of European superiority is dominant in Drake’s account?
* How are the Spanish people and their presence in America represented? What might be the reason behind Drake’s negative attitude vis-à-vis the Spaniards?
* What could you tell about the dynamics of colonial enterprise in the sixteenth century with reference to the text? To what extent are the European states directly involved in “discovering”, subordinating, and exploiting the colonies? In this respect, who is Drake? What is the mission of his ship? Are there any comparable figures in the Ottoman Empire?
* It was pointed out in the lectures that European economies evolved into mercantilism in the sixteenth century. What role do precious metals (silver and gold, or bullion) play in such an economic system? How would you link this with the diary of Francis Drake?
* How would you explain the difference between the colonial conquests (or, overseas empires) and conventional conquests (or, traditional empires)?
