Sir Walter Raleigh

Sir Walter Raleigh was one of the most famous explorers in the U.K, soldier, and writer. At age 17, he fought with the French Huguenots and later studied at Oxford. He became a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I after serving in her army in Ireland. He was knighted in 1585, and within two years became Captain of the Queen's Guard.

He was instrumental in the English colonization of North America, having been granted a royal charter that allowed him to organize the first English colonies in Virginia. Although these colonial experiments were a disaster, resulting in the so-called “Lost Colony” of Roanoke Island, they paved the way for future English settlements.

An early supporter of colonizing North America, Raleigh sought to establish a colony, but the queen forbids him to leave her service. Between 1585 and 1588, he invested in a number of expeditions across the Atlantic, attempting to establish a colony near Roanoke, on the coast of what is now North Carolina, and name it “Virginia” in honor of the virgin queen, Elizabeth. Accused of treason by King James I, Raleigh was imprisoned and eventually put to death.

Born: January 22, 1552
Died: October 29, 1618,

Nationality: England