Sir Walter Raleigh 1552?–1618
English Adventurer
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English adventurer. He was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I. When he told her of his interest in colonizing the Americas, the queen gave him permission to explore and settle. This meant that Raleigh was the only person who was allowed to start a colony. He sent an expedition to North America and claimed the land from Florida to North Carolina for England. The land was named Virginia.
The colonists of this first settlement returned to England when supplies grew scarce. Raleigh's colony failed, but the expedition brought England potatoes and tobacco from Virginia.
Raleigh then organized another expedition to start another colony in Virginia called Roanoke. That colony was mysteriously abandoned, causing it to become known as the Lost Colony.
Though his colonies were not successful, Raleigh never stopped trying new adventures. He traveled twice to what is now Venezuela in search of Eldorado, a legendary city of gold. Though he did not find it, Raleigh's expeditions encouraged later English exploration in the Americas.
Critical Thinking
Why do you think Raleigh's efforts to colonize North America encouraged later exploration of the continent?