Roanoke Colony
The 1587 'Lost Colony' of Roanoke Island, where 115 English settlers vanished, leaving only the word 'Croatoan' carved into a palisade.
OVERVIEW
The Roanoke Colony was the first English settlement in the New World, established on Roanoke Island (present-day North Carolina) in 1587 under Governor John White. White returned to England for supplies but was delayed for three years by the Anglo-Spanish War. When he returned in 1590, the colony was abandoned with no sign of the 115 settlers. The only clues were the word 'CROATOAN' carved into a post and 'CRO' carved into a tree. The houses had been dismantled, suggesting planned departure rather than attack. The fate of the colonists remains one of history's greatest mysteries.
KNOWN FACTS
The word 'Croatoan' was the name of a known friendly tribe on Hatteras Island
Archaeological excavations on Hatteras Island found European artifacts from the period
Indian oral traditions describe 'white people' living among tribes inland
The dismantled houses suggest planned orderly relocation, not attack
John White was unable to search Croatoan due to a storm
CLAIMS
The colonists integrated with the Croatoan tribe on Hatteras Island
The colony was attacked and killed by rival Native American tribes
The settlers moved inland and were absorbed into various tribes
The colony was destroyed by Spanish forces from Florida
The settlers were killed or enslaved by a rival English expedition
EVIDENCE FOR
The word 'Croatoan' was the name of a known friendly tribe on Hatteras Island
Archaeological excavations on Hatteras Island found European artifacts from the period
Indian oral traditions describe 'white people' living among tribes inland
The dismantled houses suggest planned orderly relocation, not attack
John White was unable to search Croatoan due to a storm
EVIDENCE AGAINST
No definitive archaeological proof of the colonists' fate has been found
John White's search was cut short by weather and crew mutiny
The 'Croatoan' carving could have been a distress signal or misleading clue
Some European artifacts found inland could have been traded, not brought by colonists
DNA studies have not conclusively proven European ancestry in local tribes
OPEN QUESTIONS
No open questions recorded.
SOURCES
TIMELINE
Roanoke Colony established with 115 settlers
White leaves for England to get supplies
White returns; colony is abandoned
Archaeological finds on Hatteras Island