In 1587 Governor John White led about 115 settlers across the Atlantic to build a town. Their sponsor was Sir Walter Raleigh. Earlier outposts had been garrisons of soldiers. This one was different. White brought 17 women and nine children, and the plan was a self-sustaining community, the City of Raleigh. They meant to settle on a bay to the north, which had a better harbor and richer soil. But on July 22 the ship stopped at Roanoke Island, to check on soldiers left there earlier. The pilot refused to carry anyone farther and forced the settlers ashore. They found a single skeleton. Within three years, every one of them would vanish.
The Lost Colony of Roanoke
In 1587, 115 settlers landed on Roanoke. When their governor returned in 1590, he found the word CROATOAN on a post.
Chapter 1
A Town, Not a Fort
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Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Lost Colony of Roanoke?
It was a settlement of about 115 men, women and children led by Governor John White, founded on Roanoke Island in 1587. When White returned in 1590 after a three-year delay, the settlers were gone. The word CROATOAN was carved on a post at the entrance.
Why did John White take so long to return to Roanoke?
White sailed for help in August 1587, but he was trapped in England by the escalating war with Spain. In 1588, the threat of the Spanish Armada led Queen Elizabeth to order all ships to stay in port, and he could not return until 1590.
What happened to the Roanoke colonists?
No one knows for certain. The carved word CROATOAN suggests a planned move, and no distress cross was found. Later reports, including one from William Strachey in 1612, claim survivors lived inland, but they are disputed and unproven.
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