Background Story

In the 1580's, Queen Elizabeth wanted a colony to be set up in the New World. She asked a man by the name of Sir Walter Raleigh (Raleigh, North Carolina...get it?) to work on the logistics. By 1585, Raleigh had sent a few English explorers to Roanoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina, to develop relationships with the Croatan Indians. The Croatans had been living there for hundreds of years. The explorers even brought back two natives, Manteo and Wancheese to Europe so Raleigh could learn more about the land.

After a few return trips to Roanoke Island, the presence of Raleigh's men on Roanoke Island began to anger the Croatans. After a disagreement about a silver cup being "stolen" from the Englishmen, they attacked a nearby native village, killing many of the Croatans who lived there. Relations quickly went from good to bad. By 1587, a hornet's nest awaited any new English settlers who would later attempt to settle on Roanoke.

In July of 1587, 115 men, women and children arrived off the coast of Roanoke Island. This was England's first attempt at setting up a colony in America. Their instructions were to check on the other English explorers who had been at war there with the Natives. After reaching the shore, nothing except a skeleton on the beach was found. The captain of the ship, ordered the colonists off and told them to set up a colony there, instead of the Chesapeake Bay area farther north, where they originally intended to go.

The colonists asked their leader, Governor John White, to return to England and ask for more supplies and help in setting up their colony. By late 1587, White set off for England, leaving behind the colonists who included his daughter Eleanor Dare, and his granddaughter Virginia Dare, the first person of English decent to ever be born on American soil. White's plans were to be gone only for a few months. But when he returned to England, Queen Elizabeth was at war with Spain and preparing for the arrival of the Spanish Armada. White was not allowed to return to Roanoke for 3 years. Upon his arrival back in Roanoke in 1590, he found no sign of the 115 colonists! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LOST COLONY OF ROANOKE?