Drake's capture of Santo Domingo in 1586 marked the first major English offensive action of the Anglo-Spanish War in the New World.
Key Facts
- Battle date
- 1 January 1586
- English departure date
- 1 February 1586
- Ransom paid
- 25,000 ducats
- Occupation duration
- Over one month
- English commander
- Francis Drake
- Spanish governor
- Cristóbal de Ovalle
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the outbreak of the Anglo-Spanish War, England sought to strike Spanish power in the Americas. Francis Drake organized a Great Expedition intended as a preemptive raid on Spanish New World holdings, targeting key colonial cities to weaken Spain's imperial resources and treasury.
On 1 January 1586, English forces under Francis Drake assaulted and captured the Spanish colonial city of Santo Domingo on Hispaniola, defended by Governor Cristóbal de Ovalle. The English soldiers and sailors overcame the city's defenses and occupied it, seizing considerable plunder in the process.
English forces occupied Santo Domingo for more than a month, looting the city and extracting a ransom of 25,000 ducats from its Spanish inhabitants before withdrawing on 1 February 1586. The raid demonstrated England's capacity to strike deep into Spanish colonial territory and embarrassed the Spanish Crown.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Francis Drake.
Side B
1 belligerent
Cristóbal de Ovalle.