Walter Raleigh
| Sir Walter Raleigh | |
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 Raleigh in 1588 |
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| Died | 29 October 1618 (aged 65) London, England |
| Occupation | Writer, poet, soldier, courtier, explorer |
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| Signature |  |
Sir Walter Raleigh (c. 1554–29 October 1618) was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, spy, and explorer. He helped make tobacco popular in England, especially among people in the royal court.[1]
Raleigh was born to a Protestant family in Devon, the son of Walter Raleigh and Catherine Champernowne.
In 1594, Raleigh heard of a "City of Gold" in South America and sailed to find it, writing an exaggerated story of his trip in a book. This book made people believe in the legend of "El Dorado". After Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, Raleigh was put in prison because he was accused of trying to overthrow King James I, who did not like Raleigh. In 1616, he was released to go look for El Dorado again. This was unsuccessful, and Raleigh's men attacked a Spanish outpost. He returned to England. The Spanish were upset, so to calm them, England arrested Raleigh and executed him by beheading on 29 October, 1618.
References[change]
- ↑ "BBC - History - Historic Figures: Walter Raleigh (c.1552 - 1618)". bbc.co.uk. 2011 [last update]. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/raleigh_walter.shtml. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
