The Lost Colony of Roanoke is one of the most notorious and oldest mysteries in American history. In 1585, settlers attempted to create the first permanent English colony in the New World, and they chose the island of Roanoke, off the coast of modern-day North Carolina. This 1585 settlement was the first attempt to settle Roanoke. This was not the “Lost Colony” that we know of today. In the first attempt, English settlers were led by Ralph Lane. The settlers arrived seeking gold and taking advantage of the natural resources that the New World had to offer. The Spanish had already spent several decades extracting wealth from the New World, and other European powers looked to explore and settle areas of the Americas as well. The first attempt at settling Roanoke failed. The settlers quickly faced very tough conditions and had hostile relations with the local Native Americans. They abandoned the colony in 1586 and headed back to England.

In 1587, a second English expedition was sent, but this time the settlers planned to settle in the Cheseapeake region, not Roanoke. The expedition would be led by Governor John White. The captain of the ship, Simon Fernandes, took them to Roanoke instead of the intended destination of the Chesapeake Bay. This second attempt at a permanent colony at Roanoke would end up becoming known as “The Lost Colony.” The colonists quickly faced a lack of supplies, quarrels with the local Native Americans, and even a possible drought.

The roughly 115 colonists pleaded with John White to head back to England and bring back more supplies. John White forced the colonists to put their request in writing. John White reluctantly agreed to head back to England for more supplies in 1587. However, while John White was in England, the Spanish Armada attacked England in 1588 and Queen Elizabeth required all English ships available to stay and defend England. Because of this conflict with Spain, John White did not make it back to Roanoke until 1590.

When White returned to Roanoke, he found the colony completed deserted. White found the word “CROATOAN” carved onto a palisade of their fort, which White assumed meant that the colonists had travelled to Croatoan Island to the south. The colonists were to draw an iron cross if they had been under duress but there was no such symbol. There was no evidence of violence or a struggle, no dead bodies, nothing left behind that would give clues as to what happened to them. The boats that had been docked at Roanoke were gone.

John White attempted to travel to Croatoan Island, but rough seas forced him off track and he decided to head back to England. Later attempts to find the colonists produced similar results. Sir Walter Raleigh later claimed to look for the colonists but also stated that rough seas prevented him from landing on the island of Croatoan.

The fate of the colonists remains unknown to this day. Various theories have been proposed to explain their disappearance. The leading theory is that they did go to Croatoan Island, now called Hatteras island, and assimilated with the local Native tribes. One tribe in particular was known as the Croatan and perhaps the colonists decided to live among the Natives. Others believe that the colonists attempted to take thier boats back to England and got lost at sea. Others believe they travelled to the Chesapeake Bay, the original planned location for the colony. Other theories suggest that the colonists were killed or abducted by Native Americans. There are even theories that they could have been attacked or abducted by the Spanish.

Efforts to solve the mystery have continued over the centuries, but no definitive answer has been found as there has been no concrete evidence left behind. Ongoing excavations continue at the site.

The Lost Colony of Roanoke remains an intriguing and unsolved chapter in early American history. It serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by early European settlers in the New World and the mysteries that still captivate our imagination. The English settlers at Roanoke were the first English settlers in the New World. Virginia Dare, the first English baby born in the Americas, along with the other Roanoke settlers have been cast as foundational characters in American culture and folklore. Their sacrifices lived on with the English settlers that followed them at Jamestown, Virginia, just north of the Roanoke colony, settled in 1607.

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