Sir Walter Raleigh Research Paper

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Sir Walter Raleigh was born around 1552 in Hayes Barton, Devon (Thomson 1). Raleigh was the youngest of five sons to Catherine Champermowne and Walter Raleigh. He grew up in a farmhouse near the village of East Budleigh in Devon (Biography). Walter Raleigh, Sir Walter Raleigh’s father, was married three times. His son, Raleigh, was the child of Catherine. Catherine, Raleigh’s mother, had three sons, John, Humphery, and Adrian Gilbert, by her first marriage. She was a widow of Ortho Gilbert, John, Humphery, and Adrian’s father. Catherine married again to Walter Raleigh, to which she had Sir Walter Raleigh (NNDB). Raleigh attended Oriel College in 1572. He studied law at Middle Temple law college (Biography). Sir Walter Raleigh established a …show more content…
Raleigh fought in the service of Queen Elizabeth I between 1579 and 1583 in Ireland. He established English and Scottish Protestants in Munster. During this time, he rose quickly in the queen’s court and became one of her favorites. He was appointed captain of the queen’s guard, which was his highest office in court (Biography). In 1578, Raleigh went on an expedition with his half-brother, Sir Humphrey Gilbert. They went on a ship called the Falcon in search of the Northwest Passage. The expedition was put to a halt due to privateering and piracy. The Falcon was defeated by …show more content…
Raleigh explored multiple times across the Atlantic between 1585 and 1588. He attempted to establish a colony near Roanoke Island and named it “Virginia.” The name “Virginia” comes from Elizabeth, the “Virgin Queen.” Complications on the island caused some of the colonists to return to England. They did, however, bring back potatoes and tobacco. In 1590, they returned to the island, but found no trace of the colony. The colony is now remembered as the “Lost Colony of Roanoke Island” (Biography). Along with being an explorer, Raleigh was also a writer. Raleigh formed a literary club called The Areopagus, with the help of several friends. Raleigh wrote and published pieces on various political questions and historical events. Some of his work included treaties on war, essays on England’s relation with Spain, and an account of the 1587 battle with the Spanish and Cadiz (Critical Essays Enotes). In 1614, Raleigh wrote History of the World. He wrote it while he was imprisoned which was a standard reference in England and the American colonies for a century after it was published. It influenced political and religious thought throughout the seventeenth century. Around 1592, Raleigh wrote Ocean to Cynthia. It was undiscovered until the 1870s and confirmed his poetic abilities that were praised by his friends. It was also an expression of frustration and anger of his imprisonment.
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Sir Walter Raleigh was a soldier, English explorer, and a writer. He was born about 1552 in Devonshire, England. At age 17 he fought with the French Huguenots and then later studied at Oxford. He became a favorite of Queen Elizabeth after serving in her army in Ireland. He became knighted in 1585 and then after 2 years he became captain of the Queen's guard. He sailed for Queen Elizabeth and England. Sir Walter Raleigh years of explorations were: 1578 - with his half-brother, Sir Humphrey Gilbert…

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