Settled in 1607, Jamestown was the first successful permanent English settlement in the Americas, but it wasn't their first attempt. In 1585, under the reign of Elizabeth I, the British tried to establish the Roanoke Colony on modern-day North Carolina. Sir Walter Raleigh, a favorite of the Queen, obtained her permission to establish the new colony in 1584. Elizabeth was interested in the riches the colony could provide. But it also allowed England to establish a base in the Americas, making it easier for English privateers to attack Spanish ships, in a time when Spain was a superpower.
Before sending the first colonists in April 9th 1585, Raleigh sent two expeditions to explore the place where they would settle, and they decided that Roanoke Island was suitable for their settlement. So in 1585 a fleet of 5 ships and 2 pinnaces with 600 men set sail, under the command of Sir Richard Grenville. Later that year, Grenville departed to England to report on their progress and to get more supplies for the colony, leaving behind a little over 100 men under the leadership of Ralph Lane. Lane decided to move the colony to the Chesapeake Bay, abandoning Roanoke, where the natives were hostile to the colonists. But due to the lack of provisions, Lane and his colonists left for England when a ship commanded by Sir Francis Drake arrived. A few weeks later, Grenville arrived in the colony, but found no one there. He returned to England leaving behind 15 men with provisions for a year.
In May 1587, a group of over 100 colonists led by John White sailed to Roanoke, and when they arrived they found the colony in ruins, with no one alive. Nevertheless, the colonists decided to settle and rebuild it. A few months later, White returned to England, he was supposed to return a year later with more supplies. However, he was delayed and only returned in 1590, only to find that all colonists (including his daughter and granddaughter) had disappeared. All they found was the word "CROATOAN" (the name of another island and its tribe) carved into a post.
What happened to those colonists remains a mystery until today. One of the theories suggests that the colonists were simply killed by the natives. However, no remainders of the colony were ever found (either corpses or objects). Others believe that they were assimilated by different tribes. The true fate of these colonists remains a mystery, one of the first mysteries in American history.
Before sending the first colonists in April 9th 1585, Raleigh sent two expeditions to explore the place where they would settle, and they decided that Roanoke Island was suitable for their settlement. So in 1585 a fleet of 5 ships and 2 pinnaces with 600 men set sail, under the command of Sir Richard Grenville. Later that year, Grenville departed to England to report on their progress and to get more supplies for the colony, leaving behind a little over 100 men under the leadership of Ralph Lane. Lane decided to move the colony to the Chesapeake Bay, abandoning Roanoke, where the natives were hostile to the colonists. But due to the lack of provisions, Lane and his colonists left for England when a ship commanded by Sir Francis Drake arrived. A few weeks later, Grenville arrived in the colony, but found no one there. He returned to England leaving behind 15 men with provisions for a year.
In May 1587, a group of over 100 colonists led by John White sailed to Roanoke, and when they arrived they found the colony in ruins, with no one alive. Nevertheless, the colonists decided to settle and rebuild it. A few months later, White returned to England, he was supposed to return a year later with more supplies. However, he was delayed and only returned in 1590, only to find that all colonists (including his daughter and granddaughter) had disappeared. All they found was the word "CROATOAN" (the name of another island and its tribe) carved into a post.
What happened to those colonists remains a mystery until today. One of the theories suggests that the colonists were simply killed by the natives. However, no remainders of the colony were ever found (either corpses or objects). Others believe that they were assimilated by different tribes. The true fate of these colonists remains a mystery, one of the first mysteries in American history.
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