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Roanoke Colony Mystery the Coldest Case of American History the Roanoke Island Colony Was the first English Settlement in the New World

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Roanoke Colony Mystery the Coldest Case of American History the Roanoke Island Colony Was the first English Settlement in the New World Roanoke Colony Mystery The coldest case of American history The Roanoke Island colony was the first English settlement in the New World. It was founded by English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh in August 1585. The small colony was founded on an island of the eastern coast of North America. It would have been the first permanent English colony in the New World, had the settlers not disappeared due to unknown circumstances. The lost colony of Roanoke is one of the most notorious mysteries in American history. The cryptic clues left by the settlers at the abandoned settlement and the lack of any concrete evidence make it the focus of wild speculation and theories. Settling on Roanoke Island had failed in 1584 and 1585. A third colony led by John White returned in 1587. The first and second colonists were troubled by a lack of supplies and bad relations with the local Native Americans. While waiting for a resupply mission, the colonists decided to abandon the colony and return to England. 118 returning colonists in 1857 continued to have difculty. John White left for England to request resources and manpower. He returned three years later only to find the settlement empty. 118 men, John White women and children vanished from the colony. What do you think happened to the 118 men , women and children that were left living at Roanoke Island? The Return In 1585,John White, the governor of the new colony left Roanoke Island to return to England. He was to gather a fresh load of supplies and return the following year. But as he arrived to England, a major naval war broke out between England and Spain, and Queen Elizabeth I called on every available ship to confront the Spanish Armada. In August 1590, White finally returned to Roanoke, where he had left his wife and daughter and his infant granddaughter (Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the Americas) along with 118 other colonists. On arriving, the crewmen sounded the familiar tunes on trumpets to alert the colonists, but not a single human figure came to greet them. John White found the settlement deserted, weeds and vines growing where houses once stood. The houses had been removed and the colony's cannon was gone. Buried chests were found, containing some of the colonists' possessions. All evidence suggested a planned and orderly withdrawal. A tree was discovered with the letters CRO cut into the bark. On a post to the stockade, the word "CROATOAN" was carved into the wood. This evidence gave White a reason to believe that the colonists had left for the Croatoan Island 50 miles to the south. It was inhabited by friendly Manteo Indians. After a storm forced the crew to return to their ships, White convinced two captains to sail to Croatoan Island the next morning to search for the lost colonists. But one ship lost her anchor and almost ran aground while the captain of the other ship convinced White to head for the Caribbean instead. John White never returned to Roanoke. He died three years later. 2 Why would the colonists leave Roanoke Island? Evidence shows it was an organized departure. Why would they have left some of their valuables buried in chests? Do you think they left to settle with the Indians? Fate of the Colonists John White had asked his colonists to carve the name of the location where they could be found if they had to leave the island. He also asked them to carve a cross if they were in distress. No cross was found. White was never able to confirm if the colonists made it to Croatoan. Consequently, no one is certain of the fate that befell the English settlers of Roanoke Island. Over the years, there have been many theories and hypotheses put forth to help try to explain this long- standing mystery. Theories: 1. The colonists were absorbed into local Indian populations or captured as slaves. The most popular theory that the colonists left Roanoke to seek shelter with other Indian tribes. They had good relations with the Croatoan Indians. In the years following the disappearance, there was documented sightings of Europeans and their influence. Jamestown settler Francis Nelson in 1607 John White's sketch of the documented four men that came from Roanoke living Roanoke area c. 1585 among the Iroquois tribe. In the early 1600s to middle 1700s, European colonists claimed to have met gray- eyed Indians who claimed to have been descended from white settlers. In 1696, French Protestants left records of meeting blond-haired, blue-eyed Indians soon after their arrival along the Tar River. There is another theory suggesting the colonists joined with the Croatoans and relocated inland along the Alligator River, slightly inland from Roanoke Island. An archeological site of settlements, including burial grounds, have been discovered there. The cofns at the burial grounds have Christian markings on them. There is no historical record of a settlement in this area. 3 Do you think it is possible that the colonist went and lived peacefully with the Croatoan Indians? Do you think the colonists met another fate with the Indians? 2. The colonists were murdered by Indians. In 1607, Captain John Smith tried to uncover what happened at Roanoke. He claimed that Chief Powhatan told him that he killed the people of the colony to retaliate against them for living with another tribe that refused to ally with him. Allegedly, Powhatan showed Smith items he took from Roanoke to support his story, including a musket barrel and a brass mortar and pestle. Powhatan claimed that he ordered the killings because there was a prophecy that he would be conquered and overthrown by people from that area. Historians and anthropologists dispute this story because there were never any bodies or archaeological evidence found to support his claim. Chief Powhatan 3. The colonists were murdered by the Spanish. Another possible theory is the Spanish murdered the settlers. England and Spain were in the middle of a war when the Roanoke disappeared. At the time of the disappearance, there were Spanish troops present in Florida. One reason why Spain and England were at war was over the colonization of the Americas. The Spanish troops could have secretly traveled north and eliminated the English colony. They were known to attack forts located in South Carolina and Florida throughout the 16th century. 4. Cannibalism. There are two theories about cannibalism: the Roanoke settlers were the victims of cannibals, or the settlers resorted to cannibalism to survive. Other Native American tribes living near Roanoke were hostile to outsiders and the Croatoans. No bodies were found at the settlement, but that does not mean anything. If cannibals attacked the settlers, they would have had time to dispose of the bodies. John White was gone for three years. No evidence has been found that any Indian tribes in the area were cannibals. This theory began when in 1609, the settlement in Jonestown, Virginia, had to resort to cannibalism to stay alive. It is possible that the people of Roanoke had to as well. 4. Disease. The Roanoke colonists may have possibly encountered New World diseases that they had no immunity to fight. They could have caught a good old- fashioned plague. Local tribes mentioned that there were internal conflicts within Roanoke Colony before everyone disappeared. Could this be the answer? The healthy settlers would have wanted to get rid of the sick. The healthy could have split up into smaller groups and left the colony in hopes of not being afected. The only question would be: what happened to the sick? 5. The colonists split up and went their separate ways. This theory claims that a small group of colonists packed up, carved their message and moved to the Croatoan Island. Meanwhile, the main group went to live with the Chesapeake Indians, either at Chesepiooc or the principal town of Skicoak. They may have Intermarried and raised families while waiting the return of John White. Anthropologists do not believe that Croatoan had enough resources to support the entire colony. The majority favored to move to the southern shore of the Chesapeake Bay, where they had originally planned to settle. Which theory do you believe was the fate of the Roanoke settlers? Is there another theory you have as to what might have happened to them? Evidence of the Lost Settlers Investigations into the fate of the "lost colony" of Roanoke have continued over the centuries, but no one has come up with a satisfactory answer. A secret clue on a centuries old watercolor map made by John White could have solved the 400-year old puzzle. In 2012, the British Museum took a closer look of Governor John White's map. Using 21st-century image techniques, they found hidden markings, apparently drawn by an invisible ink, that revealed a "fort- like image" concealed on the map. It was likely an inland fort where colonist may have settled after abandoning the coast. What do you think about the secrets on the map made by John White? Why do you think it took so long to discover the secrets? Discovery of Site X The hidden image found on the map led to a search of the fort structure. Keeping the location hidden, archaeologists have been digging small swathes of land and finding artifacts that may have been used by the settlers after they fled the colony. They have strong evidence that indicates that Roanoke colonists were there. Objects discovered: high volume of Elizabethan artifacts such as a food-storage jar known as a baluster, fragments of pottery (made south of London) and a metal hook used to stretch animal hide.
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