Sir Walter Raleigh is Executed
Sir Walter Raleigh. Almost everyone is familiar with the name. Maybe you can even picture the man, with his old-timer Van Dyke. But who was he, what did he do, and why was he executed? Was he a good guy or a bad guy?
Today is October 29, 2017, and on this date, 299 years back, in 1618, Sir Walter Raleigh was executed for treason.
Sir Walter Raleigh was one of the most prominent citizens of the Elizabethan Era. A Protestant, Raleigh developed an intense hatred of Catholics as a child due to Queen Mary I’s persecution of Protestants. This animosity drove Raleigh to join the French Huguenots in their fight against the Catholic monarchy in France. Following his service there, he returned to England to attend Oxford for a single year.
Raleigh attained prominence following his service in Ireland, helping to suppress Irish Rebellions against English Rule. He was awarded 40,000 acres of Irish land, and as an Irish landlord he ascended to the highest levels of high society.
In 1584, Queen Elizabeth I granted Raleigh a charter to explore the new world. Though he never made the trip himself, Raleigh bankrolled the expedition that founded the Roanoke Colony, which would mysteriously vanish several years later. In fact, Raleigh never visited North America at all. Preferring to focus his personal efforts on finding El Dorado in South America.
Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth shared a complicated relationship. They got along well, and were strong political allies, often vying for the same, or complementary, goals. However, when Raleigh married one of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting in secret, the had a severe falling out. Over time, their alliance was renewed.
In 1603, Elizabeth died, and the English crown passed to King James I of England and VI of Scotland. The union of the crowns, one man ruling two separate sovereign nations, did not sit well with many in England, including Raleigh. He engaged in the Main Plot, a conspiracy to depose the new king and replace him with his cousin Arabella.
The plot was unsuccessful and Raleigh (among others) was arrested for his involvement and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Tried and found guilty of treason, Raleigh should have been executed then, but King James spared his life. It was an act of magnanimity to gain favor in England. He remained imprisoned until 1616, when James officially pardoned him.
The next year, Raleigh again sailed for South America in search of El Dorado. During this expedition, his men engaged with some Spanish colonists, and massacred them. Raleigh was not directly involved in the incident, but as a commander was responsible. This international incident between the English and the Spanish forced James’ hand, and he reinstated Raleigh’s death sentence to settle the matter.
Raleigh was beheaded on October 29, 1618, outside the Palace of Westminster. At the time of his death, Raleigh was resigned to his fate, and accounts of his words on the day give the impression that he was world-weary and ready to go.
Popularly, his execution was deemed a travesty of justice. He was still held in high regard, and even the extent of his involvement in the Main Plot was hotly contested.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to check back tomorrow for an embarrassing military blunder from the Napoleonic Wars.
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