Raleigh's El Dorado expedition

Raleigh's El Dorado Expedition
Part of the Anglo-Spanish War
Map from 1599, made as a result of the expedition showing the supposed Lake Parime with Manoa on its northeastern shore
Date February – August 1595 Location Atlantic, Trinidad and Orinoco river Result English victory
Belligerents
Spain	England
Commanders and leaders
Antonio de Berrío	Walter Raleigh

Raleigh's El Dorado expedition, also known as Raleigh's first voyage to Guiana, was an English military and exploratory expedition led by Sir Walter Raleigh that took place during the Anglo-Spanish War in 1595.^[1] The expedition set out in February 1595 to explore the Orinoco River on the northeast tip of South America in an attempt to find the fabled city of El Dorado.^[2]

Raleigh first captured the Spanish settlement of San José de Oruña on the colony of Trinidad, along with the Governor Antonio de Berrío, who had been looking for El Dorado since the 1580s. After questioning De Berrío, Raleigh and the English held the place and used it as a base for their exploration.^[3] Despite the presence of a Spanish force shadowing him, Raleigh successfully navigated the river and inlets, penetrating some 400 miles (640 km) into the Guiana highlands.^[4]

No gold or lost city was ever found; however, Raleigh returned to England and subsequently exaggerated his account.^[5] Still, the expedition resulted in an important alliance with the natives of the region, which would have a lasting impact on future colonization of the area.^[2]