Background
The first colony England had established on Roanoke Island collapsed after only a year. England attempted to create a second settlement two years later; this was before Plymouth and even before Jamestown (Drye, 2004). In August 1587, over 100 men, women, and children crossed the Atlantic Ocean from England to Roanoke Island (Coleman, 2000, p.10). Roanoke is a small island on North Carolina’s coast where the first English settlement was established in America (Horwitz, 2008, p. 304).
The colony did not have enough supplies such as seeds, clothing, and tools to get though the winter. Since John White was the governor of the new colony, he hesitantly agreed to travel back to England to retrieve what the colony needed (Coleman, 2000, p.13). It took John White over a year to finally make it back to Roanoke Island because of several delays. When he tried to go back to the first time, his ship was robbed if its supplies by a French ship requiring him return to England to replenish (Coleman, 2000, p.14). Then, the second time England went to war with the Spanish Armada and all the ships were used for battle (Coleman, 2000, p.17).
It was not until August 18, 1590 that John White returned (Stick, 1983, p. 211). Upon John White’s arrival to Roanoke he discovered that the settlement was deserted: “…weeds and vines were sprouting where houses had once stood (Horn, 2010).” There were no clues as to where the colonist had disappeared to. Although John White did find the word “CRO” carved on a tree and “Croatoan” carved onto a post (Coleman, 2000, p.18). Roanoke Colony settlers called present day Hatteras Island, which is an island near Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, “Croatoan Island.” A friendly Native American tribe lived there. The connection gave John White reason to believe that the colonists had moved to Croatoan Island. He would never be sure because he was unable to travel there because of a horrible hurricane (Coleman, 2000, p.18).
Since John White was not able to find out what happened to the Roanoke colonist’s explorers, historians, archaeologists, and researchers have theorized about what actually happened to the Roanoke Colony. The History Channel provides a video that briefly explains the background of the Lost Colony and it also offers part of a theory about what possibly happened to them.
The colony did not have enough supplies such as seeds, clothing, and tools to get though the winter. Since John White was the governor of the new colony, he hesitantly agreed to travel back to England to retrieve what the colony needed (Coleman, 2000, p.13). It took John White over a year to finally make it back to Roanoke Island because of several delays. When he tried to go back to the first time, his ship was robbed if its supplies by a French ship requiring him return to England to replenish (Coleman, 2000, p.14). Then, the second time England went to war with the Spanish Armada and all the ships were used for battle (Coleman, 2000, p.17).
It was not until August 18, 1590 that John White returned (Stick, 1983, p. 211). Upon John White’s arrival to Roanoke he discovered that the settlement was deserted: “…weeds and vines were sprouting where houses had once stood (Horn, 2010).” There were no clues as to where the colonist had disappeared to. Although John White did find the word “CRO” carved on a tree and “Croatoan” carved onto a post (Coleman, 2000, p.18). Roanoke Colony settlers called present day Hatteras Island, which is an island near Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, “Croatoan Island.” A friendly Native American tribe lived there. The connection gave John White reason to believe that the colonists had moved to Croatoan Island. He would never be sure because he was unable to travel there because of a horrible hurricane (Coleman, 2000, p.18).
Since John White was not able to find out what happened to the Roanoke colonist’s explorers, historians, archaeologists, and researchers have theorized about what actually happened to the Roanoke Colony. The History Channel provides a video that briefly explains the background of the Lost Colony and it also offers part of a theory about what possibly happened to them.