6. The first Roanoke expedition
In 1584, before he became Sir Walter Raleigh, the adventurer obtained permission from Her Majesty to explore the North American coast for a suitable site of a permanent English settlement in North America. Raleigh, unwilling to leave London due to the intrigue which could damage his position during a long absence, dispatched an expedition tasked with examining the Outer Banks region of the Atlantic coastline, which from reports he believed to be an ideal location from which to launch raids against the Spanish. When he received favorable reports as a result of the expedition he arranged for a second voyage to North America, to establish a permanent colony, though for reasons similar to those earlier he declined to surrender his position in court by going himself.
