Richard Hakluyt was born in Hertfordshire, England, in about 1552. After an education at Westminster School and Oxford University, he became a lecturer in geography at Christ College, Oxford. Hakluyt took a keen interest in education and was the first to advocate the use of globes in schools.

Hakluyt visited North America and when he returned he published several books on exploration including Discourse Concerning Western Discoveries (1584) and The Principal Navigations, Voyages and Discoveries of the English Nation (1589). Richard Hakluyt died in 1616.