George Anson

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George Anson

1697-1762

English explorer who circumnavigated the world in the early 1740s while leading a group of British warships during war against Spain. Anson's mission was primarily military in nature, designed to harass Spanish shipping in the Pacific. His squadron returned to England with nearly £1 million in treasure, the largest haul ever returned by an English privateer. Anson's voyage was also among the last of its kind.

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