Sir Walter Raleigh was an English explorer who played a central role in the Age of Exploration. Today, he is best remembered for his efforts to establish English colonies in North America. In fact, he was an important force behind British advances during the Age of Exploration and his ventures, particularly the Roanoke expeditions, laid the groundwork for England’s later successes in North America. At the time, England was competing with other nations, such as Spain and Portugal, for overseas colonies.
SIR WALTER RALEIGH – EARLY LIFE
Sir Walter Raleigh was born around the year 1554, although his exact date of birth is unknown. Raleigh grew up in a privileged home in Devon and was the youngest of 5 sons, 3 of which were half-brothers as they had a different father. Raleigh’s family were Protestants and they had a number of close calls during the reign of Queen Mary 1st who was Roman Catholic. One of the closest, and most notable of these incidences was where Raleigh’s father had to hide in a tower in order to avoid execution. As a result, his early life was shaped by the religious and political turbulence of post-Reformation England.
Raleigh first gained military experience fighting with the Huguenots (French Protestants) in France. In fact, Raleigh served with the Huguenots during the French Civil War and left Devon for France in 1569. Upon returning to Britain, Raleigh enrolled as an undergraduate at Oxford University, however he did not complete his course and left after only one year.
In 1579 Raleigh went to Ireland and led the British forces at the Siege of Smerwick. Following the rebellion in Ireland, Raleigh was awarded 40,000 acres of Irish land. As a result of this, he became one of the most important land owners in the region. However, he struggled to find anyone willing to settle on the land. Regardless, his loyalty and charisma brought him to the attention of Queen Elizabeth I, and by the early 1580s, he had become a favorite at court. This gave him access to gaining titles, wealth, and influence.
SIR WALTER RALEIGH – AGE OF EXPLORATION
As stated above, Sir Walter Raleigh was a significant figure during the Age of Exploration and played a key role in English exploration and colonization, especially in North America. In 1584, he received a royal charter from Queen Elizabeth I to explore, colonize, and govern any unclaimed lands in the New World, so long as they were not already under the control of another Christian monarch. In return, the Queen asked that he give her 1/5th of any gold and silver that was mined in the area. He was given a 7-year timescale for this agreement. During the 7 years he went on a number of different expeditions. Importantly, Raleigh was instrumental in the English colonization of North America, and paved the way for future English settlements within Virginia.
Raleigh’s most famous project was the attempt to establish a permanent English colony in North America, known as the Roanoke Colony. He never personally sailed on these expeditions, but he organized and financed them. In 1584, Raleigh sent an English voyage that explored the coast of modern-day North Carolina and claimed the land for England, naming it Virginia. Then, in 1585, a group of colonists led by Sir Richard Grenville and Ralph Lane attempted a settlement on Roanoke Island, but it failed due to conflict with local Native Americans and a lack of supplies.
Regardless, in 1587, Raleigh sent a second expedition led by John White that established another colony at Roanoke. White returned to England for supplies, but when he came back in 1590, the colony had vanished, leaving only the word ‘CROATOAN’ carved into a post. This became known as the Lost Colony and this infamous case has puzzled historians for centuries, due to the lack of knowledge on what actually occurred.
Despite these failures, Raleigh’s efforts were significant as the first serious English attempt to settle in the New World. Though no permanent colony took root at Roanoke, it set the stage for the later, more successful settlement at Jamestown in 1607.
SIR WALTER RALEIGH – LATER LIFE AND DEATH
Sir Walter Raleigh heard of a new opportunity in South America and sailed to discover the ‘City of Gold’ of th4 famed ‘El Dorado’. In fact, he wrote a historical account of the voyage called ‘The Discovery of Guiana’, which was published in 1596. While the book was considered to be a historical account of the voyage, it should be noted that historians also consider some of the work to be exaggeration. There was a tremendous amount of excitement in Europe in regards to the voyages of the explorers, and Raleigh likely exaggerated some of his claims to excite European audiences and monarchs.
At this time, Raleigh was also an influential political figure. As a member of Parliament and advisor to the Queen, he advocated for naval power, Protestant alliances, and English expansion abroad. However, Raleigh’s fortunes worsened after Queen Elizabeth’s death in 1603. Under King James I, who favored peace with Spain, Raleigh lost his influence. Furthermore, he was accused of participating in a supposed conspiracy to remove James I from the throne. As a result, Raleigh was imprisoned in the Tower of London for a period of 13 years.
Raleigh was released in 1616 and was sent to lead another expedition to South America. He was in search of the city of ‘El Dorado’, and was under strict orders not to fight against the Spanish. The voyage was a failure, and Raleigh’s men clashed with Spanish forces. As a result, when Raleigh returned to England he was then arrested and executed as an attempt to appease the Spanish. Sir Walter Raleigh died on October 29th, 1618.
SIR WALTER RALEIGH – SIGNIFICANCE
As mentioned previously, Sir Walter Raleigh was an important figure in the time of the Age of Exploration. He was particularly significant to the efforts of the British, in regards to explorations in the New World. In fact, Raleigh was the driving force behind England’s first colonial attempts in North America.
In addition to being known as an explorer, Raleigh is also famed for being a writer, poet and a spy. He is also credited for popularizing tobacco use in England. As a result of all of his influences, he is now thought to be one of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era.
