Elizabethan naval expeditions relied primarily on private financing rather than the Crown

Evidence

The Crown provided less than half of the funds that created Drake’s expeditions. All Elizabethan naval commanders were more or less dependent upon private finance, and had to ensure a financial return if they wanted similar backing in the future. — John Sugden, Sir Francis Drake, 880

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — John Sugden, Sir Francis Drake, 880
• XREF: connects to: London merchants and the queen each contributed equal tonnage to Drake’s fleet — John Sugden, Sir Francis Drake, 855; Elizabethan government gross income was under half a million pounds annually — John Sugden, Sir Francis Drake, 851; Privateering remained the typical form of naval warfare under Elizabeth I — John Sugden, Sir Francis Drake, 1329

Broader Connections

• Privateering remained the typical form of naval warfare under Elizabeth I #corroborates (0.75) — John Sugden, Sir Francis Drake, 1329