The Lost Colony of Roanoke

In 1587, 117 English colonists settled on Roanoke Island in present-day North Carolina. When supply ships returned in 1590, the colony had vanished. The only clue was a single word carved in a tree: “CROATOAN.” The colonists were never found.

The Colony

Governor John White established the colony in July 1587. Among the settlers were his daughter Eleanor and her husband Ananias Dare. Virginia Dare, born that August, was the first English child born in America.

The Departure

White left for England to gather supplies, planning to return within months. War with Spain and other delays kept him away for three years. When he finally returned in August 1590, the colony was gone.

The Evidence

The colonists’ homes had been dismantled, not burned. Personal possessions and the colony’s boats were missing. A post was carved with “CROATOAN,” the name of a nearby island inhabited by friendly natives. A tree bore the letters “CRO.”

The Theories

The colonists may have integrated with native tribes. They may have been killed by hostile natives or Spanish forces. They may have attempted to sail away and been lost at sea. Disease, drought, or other catastrophe may have struck.

The Searches

White could not search Croatoan Island due to a storm. Subsequent expeditions found no trace of the colonists. Genetic studies have sought evidence of English ancestry in regional native populations with inconclusive results.

Assessment

The Lost Colony represents America’s oldest unsolved mystery. Whatever happened to those 117 people, including Virginia Dare, they vanished from history, leaving only a single carved word as their epitaph.