The Colony Was Founded Over 400 Years Ago
The Roanoke colony was one of the first colonies established by the colonisers on the New World.
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The first settlement was established in 1585 in what is now Dare County, North Carolina, on the US coastline.
Sir Walter Raleigh Stakes His Claim
The colony was established by a detachment made by Raleigh, who would be knighted after the set of expeditions.
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He was told by Queen Elizabeth I that he had to establish a colony by 1591, or he would lose his ‘right of colonization’.
A Base for Privateers
When Raleigh was tasked with establishing a colony, it was hoped that he might create what could become a base for privateers.
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Privateers were private, sea-borne militia that were used by states to requisition supplies. Many turned to piracy after their state contracts ran out.
Colony May Have Been Cursed From the Start
The initial colonizing force was made up of seven ships and one of their number, the Tiger, hit a shoal and sunk, taking its supplies with it.
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Low on supplies, the colony was forced to reduce its planned size to around 100 men, and came to rely on the generosity of natives.
Spain Response to Privateering Isolates Community Further
In response to British privateers seizing goods from treasure-laden Spanish vessels, the Spanish ships began seizing supplies from the British fleet.
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With an exacerbation of their supply issue, the community became even more isolated.
Scuffles With the Native Population
There were several scuffles with the native population and the colony, with both sides losing men, including an Englishman killed with a wooden sword.
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This led to the initial abandonment of the colony, before Raleigh’s men returned to reiterate his stake on the land.
The Lost Colony
In 1590, after 3 years of isolation due to the Spanish Armada, Raleigh finally arranged for one of his men to return to Roanoke. But when they returned, nobody was there.
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The colony had disappeared, and all that was left was a message engraved on a wooden wall: CROATOAN.
A Coded Message for the Returning Fleet?
The engraved message may have been left by the colony for their returning co-colonizers.
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They may have fled to the nearby Croatoan Island. But during the search, an anchor was lost, and a storm came in, and the mission had to be abandoned.
Wiped Out or Assimilated?
Alternative theories in the centuries since have suggested that the Spanish or a group of natives may have led a secretive attack. However, there were no traces of battle.
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This leaves as perhaps the most compelling explanation that the colonists simply integrated into native society. Regardless of what happened to them, they were never seen again.