Birth Place: Devonshire, England 
NC Residence: Roanoke Island
Region: Coastal
Birth Date: (1552-1618)
Discipline: Explorer
Accomplishments:

• English Soldier
• Explorer
• Courtier
• Writer/Poet

Biographical Information: (outline)

• 1552- Sir Walter Raleigh was born in England.
• 1572- He was an undergraduate at Oxford.
• 1578- He sailed to the Americas for the first time igniting plans to colonize later.
• 1580- He was a soldier in a rebellion in Ireland.
• 1581- Sir Walter Raleigh became a favorite of Queen Elizabeth at court, six foot charmer (womanizer).
• 1583- He was granted a wine monopoly.
• 1585- He became Governor of Jersey.  He was also knighted.
• 1587- He was appointed captain of the Queen's guard.
• 1592- Sir Walter Raleigh secretly married one of the Queen's maids, Bessie Throckmorton, falling from the Queen's favor.
• 1595- He sailed to South America searching for gold.
• 1602- Raleigh was framed in a plot against the throne and sentenced to death.
• 1603- Queen Elizabeth died and James I took the throne.
• 1603- Raleigh was imprisoned in the Tower of London by James I for 13 years, when he wrote most of his poems and books.
• 1616- James I released Raleigh to sail to South America in search of gold.  He was unsuccessful and his son was killed.
• 1618- He was beheaded on October 29th.  (His head was embalmed and given to his wife who carried it with her 29 years until her death.

"What is our life? A play of passion"

What is our life? A play of passion,
Our mirth the music of division;
Our mothers' wombs the tiring-houses be
Where we are dressed for this short comedy;
Heaven the judicious, sharp spectator is
That sits and marks still who doth act amiss;
Our graves that hide us from the searching sun
Are like drawn curtains when the play is done:
Thus march we, playing, to our latest rest,
Only we die in earnest, that's no jest.

http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/ralegh.htm
http://www.who2.com/sirwalterraleigh.html
http://www.lib.unc.edu/ncc/raleigh.html
http://incompetech.com/authors/sirwalter/
http://www.rjgeib.com/thoughts/dust/dust.html
http://www.britishexplorers.com/woodbury/raleigh.html,