Sir Walter Raleigh (c. 1554–1618) was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, spy, and explorer. He helped make tobacco popular in England, especially among people in the royal court.

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. He explored North Carolina all the way down to Florida.This book made people believe in the legend of "El Dorado". A