Roanoke Colony

Roanoke Colony – Oldest Unexplained Mysteries of America

The heritages of one of the oldest unexplained mysteries of America is said to be traced to August 1587 wherein a team of around 115 English immigrants had come to Roanoke Islands which is off the coast of the present day North Carolina. Later in the year, it had been planned that the governor of the new Colony, John White would sail back to England to collect a fresh stock of supplies.

However, as he arrived, a major naval war took place between England and Spain and Queen Elizabeth I called on every existing ship to oppose the great Spanish Armada. White eventually returned to Roanoke in August, 1590 where he had left his wife and daughter, his infant granddaughter – the first English child born in the Americas, Virginia Dare, together with the other three immigrants three years ago.

On his return, he found no trace of the colony or its inhabitants with only a few clues as to what could have occurred apart from only a word `Croatoan’ which had been carved onto a wooden post. Investigations into the fate of the `Lost Colony’ of Roanoke had continued for centuries, though no satisfactory results came up.

`Croatoan’ – Home to Native American Tribe

The name `Croatoan’ had been given to the island south of Roanoke which had been a home to a Native American tribe of the same name and possibly the colonist then had been killed or even abducted by the Native Americans.

 Other theories state that they could have attempted to navigate back to England on their way and may have been lost at sea or they could have met with a bloody end at the hands of the Spaniards who had trooped up from Florida or they could have moved further inland and may have been immersed into a friendly tribe.

Towards 2007, attempts were made in gathering and analysing DNA from the local families to figure out if they had been related to the Roanoke immigrants, local Native American tribes or both. In spite of the mystery, it tends to be one thing to be grateful for which is the lessons learned at Roanoke that could have assisted the next group of English immigrants.

These would have found their own colony seventeen years thereafter just a short distance at Jamestown towards the north.

Notion Regarding Deserts Varies

The immigrants that had arrived in 1587 had vanished in 1590 with only two clues, one of which was the words `Croatoan’ that had been carved on the fort’s gatepost and `Cro’ which had been etched into a tree. Notions regarding the desertion tend to range from an overwhelming disease to a violent rampage by local Native American tribes.

 Earlier digs provided some information and artifacts from the original colonists though very little on what could have happened to them. Due to advances in technologies together with a cover-up on a map, the researchers have been making progress in identifying what could have occurred to the lost colony of Roanoke Island.

The lost colonists are said to be the third group of English arrivals on Roanoke Island, in North Carolina, that had settled near the present day town of Manteo. In 1584, the first group had arrived who came to explore and map the land for the future groups. The second group had arrived in 1585 and had been charged with a military and a scientific mission. However, the trip of the second group had not been peaceful.