Walter Raleigh
~1552–1618 · English (Devon) · Elizabethan Era
Known for: Explorer, courtier, and writer who established the first English colony in North America and popularized tobacco in England
Raleigh was the quintessential Elizabethan—soldier, sailor, explorer, poet, scientist, and courtier. He was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I and organized expeditions to Virginia (naming it after the 'Virgin Queen') and Guiana, searching for El Dorado.
Under James I, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London for 13 years for alleged treason, where he wrote a massive History of the World. Released for one final expedition to Guiana, he violated the king's orders and was executed at age 66. His final words before the executioner were legendary.
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