The Mystery of the Lost Colony

956 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Interactions between colonists and native americans

For centuries the disappearance of the Roanoke colonists has been one of the great mysteries in the historical community. Within the span of three years, 120 colonists disappeared from an English colony on Roanoke Island, a small piece of land off the coast of North Carolina. The evidence left behind barely gives us a clue as to what could have happened to the entire colony. With the testimony of John White, the leader of the colony that left the settlement to get more supplies, and what little evidence there is, there have been many theories as to what actually caused the disappearance.

When trying to make a logical conclusion about the disappearance of the 120 inhabitants of the colony at Roanoke, there are many factors to consider. Examples include issues like betrayal, past voyages, alliances, and starvation. One must not only look at the facts but also at the opinions of the educated individuals who have studied this situation. Previous trips to the island must be thoroughly examined as well as what was occurring in England at the time. Interactions between the nearby Native American tribes and the colony may give us some insight as to where the colonists went while thoroughly examining the key people involved may help as well.

In the 16th century, the English who were not accustomed to being friendly with the Native Americans, living on the fruit of the land, or having to fight for their lives must have had an incredibly hard time staying alive at all. One can only deduce that after the first couple of weeks, the colonists of Roanoke sorely wanted to go back to their homeland. The knowledge that this would have been the first English colony in America leads the public to believe that something must have occurred to caus...

... middle of paper ...

... 2012. .

Miller, Lee. Roanoke: The Mystery of the Lost Colony. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction, 2007. Print.

"NPS Historical Handbook: Fort Raleigh (Contents)." U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America. Web. 16 Feb. 2012. .

"The Roanoke Colony." East Buchanan Community Schools. Web. 16 Feb. 2012. .

"Roanoke: The Lost Colony - Part 2 - Page: 3." Suite101 Popular Archive | Suite101.com. Web. 16 Feb. 2012. .

"The Settlement at Roanoke. A Timeline. Durham University Library." A World Top 100 University - Durham University. Web. 16 Feb. 2012. .

Show More
Related

  • Charles Mann America Found And Lost Summary

    531 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Four centuries ago, the English didn’t discover a new world--they created one,” asserts Charles Mann in his article, America, Found and Lost. The article describes the arrival of Jamestown settlers from across the Atlantic Ocean in 1607. They arrived in Virginia to acquire land, gold, and silver. But the Europeans were also fixed on finding a path to Asia. At this time time, Powhatan ruled the empire of Tsenacomoco. He had tripled the size of the city over three decades, and the population was at 14,000 people. The English brought with them a whole host of species that dramatically altered the landscape of the Chesapeake Region. Some were intentional, like tobacco. Others, such as honeybees, worms, and disease had an unintended but profound impact on the environment, changing its indigenous people forever.

    Read More

  • John White: The Lost Colony Of Roanoke

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    Though nobody really knows what happened to the colonists, pPeople have made some pretty believable theories to the mystery of Roanoke. We may never know what happened to the colonists ,but we can alway imagine what could’ve happened to the Colonists of

    Read More

  • Love And Hate In Jamestown by David A. Price

    1630 Words  | 4 Pages

    As a young child many of us are raised to be familiar with the Pocahontas and John Smith story. Whether it was in a Disney movie or at a school play that one first learned of Jamestown, students want to believe that this romantic relationship really did occur. As one ages, one becomes aware of the dichotomy between fact and fiction. This is brilliantly explained in David A. Price's, Love and Hate in Jamestown. Price describes a more robust account of events that really did take place in the poorly run, miserable, yet evolving settlement of Jamestown, Virginia; and engulfs and edifies the story marketed by Disney and others for young audiences. Price reveals countless facts from original documents about the history of Jamestown and other fledgling colonies, John Smith, and Smith's relationship with Pocahontas. He develops a more compelling read than does the typical high school text book and writes intriguingly which propels the reader, to continue on to the successive chapters in the early history of Virginia.

    Read More

  • Jamestown Project

    1367 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Jamestown Project discusses the monumental landmark, the colony of Jamestown, was in Atlantic History. The story of Jamestown is told in a much more authentic, elaborate style than our textbooks has presented. As Kupperman points out, Jamestown was not only important to United State’s history but also to British history. From the motivations to the lasting effects, she gives an accurate account of all components involved in Jamestown. Also, there is a chapter devoted to the Native American experience, which shows a non-Western view of events. The book is written in a format that is easily read but also compacted with information. More importantly she puts Jamestown in its right place in United State’s and British history, as the foundation of colonial United States and the British Empire.

    Read More

  • Slavery and Freedom: The American Paradox by Edmund Morgan

    1667 Words  | 4 Pages

    Smith, John. "Settlement Of Jamestown - 1607." The National Center for Public Policy Research. http://www.nationalcenter.org/SettlementofJamestown

    Read More

  • The Abandoned Colony by Karen Ordahl Kupperman

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    Summary: This book starts well before Roanoke was founded. It detailed how, at the time, England was not a superpower. Spain and France were the most dominant of the European countries, but internal conflicts in France made it weak, while Spain was getting extremely wealthy off of Indians and the Aztecs. England saw this as an opportunity to expand into the New World, and had Walter Raleigh head the trip. The main goals of the colony were to expanding their efforts of privateering, with a sustainable colony as an after thought. It was initial devised as a way to intercept merchant ships more effectively from other countries (mainly Spain) and be a short-term base of operations. Most if not all of the men brought over had only military experience, so they struggled with building proper housing, getting clean water, and growing crops. Ultimately, conflict erupted when the Indians grew weary of giving such a large amount of supplies to the colonists, and many high ranking officials died on the Indian side. The settlement was abandoned due to lack of supplies. After this unsuccessful attempt, John White lead another group intended to be a permanent settlement to Roanoke, and the prototype of plantations he u...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Edward Waterhouse

    979 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Declaration in 1622 is a piece of history that will forever be debated. It was written by Edward Waterhouse who was a prominent Virginia official. In a Declaration in 1622, he describes his first-hand accounts of English genocide and the relationship between the Powhatan and settlers. The point of this paper is to claim that Waterhouse’s portrayal is realistic due to his factual perspective of the time period on the contrasting aspects of the Powhatan and settlers. Diving into Edwards historical accounts can show the hardships of the settlers, the varying characteristics of both groups, the importance of tobacco, and the demonization of Native Americans. The characteristics will conclude the factually sound delineation of Edward Waterhouse.

    Read More

  • Why did the colonists of Jamestown die?

    1171 Words  | 3 Pages

    A fleet of English ships arrived in the spring of 1607 at the Chesapeake Bay to start an English settlement in an effort to proselytize Christianity and find a trade route to China. These ships carried in excess of 100 passengers who had been granted King James I’s permission to go to the new world. This expedition was funded by a wealthy group of English Aristocrats hoping they could get a return on their investment. The men on the ships knew of the dangers they would experience whether it be the Spanish warships attacking or the Native Americans ambushing the colony. The colonists wanted to avoid a fate similar to that of Roanoke Island, the previous English settlement in the New World where all of the colonists mysterious disappeared. The Chesapeake area was heavily inhabited by over 15,000 Indians living near the James River. After their arrival the English settlers built a fort on an island they called James Island which would eventually become Jamestown. Originally, 110 settlers came to Jamestown but only 40 of them survived until the next year. A resupply ship arrived that prevented the colony from collapsing but hardship soon followed for the next two years when Captain John Smith, the leader of the colony was sent back to England. Following his departure, two-thirds of the colonist died during the winter. This did not hinder the rising popularity of Jamestown because an abundance of young English settlers kept coming. They were primarily poor and the new world was a way for them to work off their debt so they could begin a new life with their own piece of land. Those who did come with money hoped to become successful growing tobacco but the majority of those who came found no prosperity because around 80% of the people...

    Read More

  • What Challenges did Explorers and Colonists Face in what Became North America from the 1580's to the 1630's

    1284 Words  | 3 Pages

    The first settlement was built by the English and consisted of 117 men, women, and children on Roanoke Island; which is off the coast of North Carolina. Within three years all of the colonists had disappeared leaving no trace of what happened to them. Analysis of tree rings has shown that Roanoke Island had the worst three-year drought in the past 800 years during the time they settled and disappeared. This is just one of the many challenges that colonists faced.

    Read More

  • Colonial America

    2490 Words  | 5 Pages

    Raleigh inherited the right to establish an English colony from his half-brother. He arrived in the land north of Florida with two vessels and discovered the island to be rich in resources. The following year, after going back and being knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his efforts, Raleigh returned to Roanoke Island with seven vessels and one hundred colonists. The colony of Roanoke was established under the authority of Ralph Lane after Sir Richard Grenville, who had transported colonists to the island returned to Britain for supplies. However, the colonists were ill-prepared and were often deceived by and attacked. They encountered many difficulties and suffered from a lack of food.

    Read More

  • Salem Witch Trials Essay

    597 Words  | 2 Pages

    More than two hundred years have gone by since the discovery of the new world. People of with all types of backgrounds and problems came flocking over the ocean to start anew. Jamestown, Virginia and Salem, Massachusetts, were very early settlements, and perhaps two of the most known names of colonies. Jamestown was known for many things, including Bacon’s Rebellion. And Salem was known for one reason, the Salem Witch Trials. These two pieces of history reflect the tensions of the unstable society and of their beliefs.

    Read More

  • The Causes of the American Revolution

    1691 Words  | 4 Pages

    Taylor, Alan American Colonies: The Settling of North America, New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2001. pg. 1685-1730

    Read More

  • A Storm Of Witchcraft Summary

    844 Words  | 2 Pages

    The author of A Storm of Witchcraft, Emerson W. Baker is a well known historian, archaeologist, and professor at Salem State University. In addition to receiving a Ph.D. in History from the College of William and Mary, an M.A. in History from University of Maine, and a B.A. in History from Bates College, Baker has also received many commendations and awards for his work. Among those awards, he has earned a membership in the Colonial Society of Massachusetts and was honored with the Maine Historical Society’s Neil Allen Award. Baker has also been the Chairman of Salem State University’s Archaeological Advisory Committee since 1990, and he has been the Chair for Maine Cultural Affairs Council since 2000. Baker has also written four other books, Devil of Great Island, New England Knight, American Beginnings, and Clarke & Lake Co.

    Read More

  • The Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson

    1716 Words  | 4 Pages

    In “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson,” Mary Rowlandson, a Puritan mother from Lancaster, Massachusetts, recounts the invasion of her town by Indians in 1676 during “King Philip’s War,” when the Indians attempted to regain their tribal lands. She describes the period of time where she is held under captivity by the Indians, and the dire circumstances under which she lives. During these terrible weeks, Mary Rowlandson deals with the death of her youngest child, the absence of her Christian family and friends, the terrible conditions that she must survive, and her struggle to maintain her faith in God. She also learns how to cope with the Indians amongst whom she lives, which causes her attitude towards them to undergo several changes. At first, she is utterly appalled by their lifestyle and actions, but as time passes she grows dependent upon them, and by the end of her captivity, she almost admires their ability to survive the harshest times with a very minimal amount of possessions and resources. Despite her growing awe of the Indian lifestyle, her attitude towards them always maintains a view that they are the “enemy.”

    Read More

  • The Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson

    1372 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson is a personal account, written by Mary Rowlandson in 1682, of what life in captivity was like. Her narrative of her captivity by Indians became popular in both American and English literature. Mary Rowlandson basically lost everything by an Indian attack on her town Lancaster, Massachusetts in 1675; where she is then held prisoner and spends eleven weeks with the Wampanoag Indians as they travel to safety. What made this piece so popular in both England and America was not only because of the great narrative skill used be Mary Rowlandson, but also the intriguing personality shown by the complicated character who has a struggle in recognizing her identity. The reoccurring idea of food and the word remove, used as metaphors throughout the narrative, could be observed to lead to Mary Rowlandson’s repression of anger, depression, and realization of change throughout her journey and more so at the end of it.

    Read More

More about The Mystery of the Lost Colony

Open Document