August 1587, modern-day North Carolina. 115 settlers arrive on Roanoke Island and establish a settlement there, with the goal of being the first long-term English outpost in the Americas. That would’ve been enough to put them in the history books.
But little did those people know, that they would soon become the subjects of arguably one of the greatest mysteries in American history.
Less than a year after the town’s establishment, its new mayor, John White, decided to head back to England for more supplies. He left behind his family, including a grandchild. Fun fact - just in case you ever get on jeopardy some day - that grandchild, Virginia Dare, was the first English child born in the Americas! Anyway, John White sailed back to England, but his ride home was repurposed to help repel a minor, largest-naval-invasion-in-European-history called the Spanish Armada. Queen Elizabeth I and England won somehow, but that’s another story. Once the war was over, ships could be used for civilian uses again, and after three years White finally made it back to Roanoke.
He found it empty.
Not a single Roanoke resident remained, and the only clue was two mysterious carvings in wood. One, on the colony fort wall, read CROATOAN. The other, on a tree, simply said CRO. So, what on Earth happened? Historians aren’t quite sure, but there’s a pretty compelling theory - with a few big flaws.
Croatoan Island
There is actually an island near Roanoke called Croatoan (now named Hatteras), so naturally that is the prime suspect. John White wanted to search for the settlers there, but bad weather turned them away. Croatoan island was home to a Native American tribe, so considering the tension between those tribes and colonizers claiming their ancestral land it is very possible that a conflict resulted in the killing or capture of every… Roanokian? Roanokan? Roanoke? However, archaeological examinations of the Roanoke site does not provide any evidence of a struggle.
In 1937, there was what looked like foolproof evidence that an attack by Native Americans brought down the Roanoke settlement. The “Dare Stones” were unearthed, 48 in total, supposedly carved by John White’s daughter, Eleanor Dare. They detailed at length the fate of Roanoke at the hands of a Native American tribe. Over time, more and more stones were donated from various people, and all were certified by a well-respected historian. Ironclad proof, right?
Nope.
In 1941, evidence began to arise that the stones were fake. Soon afterward, everyone who had endorsed the stones’ authenticity renounced their statements. Only one has possible merit, and it announces the death of Elanor’s husband and daughter. It’s being examined by Brenau University - which still has the other stones in their library - since the rock’s geology suggests it might not have been forged. However, I wouldn’t bet much on it.
Now What?
Where do we go from here? Historians and archaeologists aren’t sure. There’s no further evidence, no more clues. It seems as though the mystery of Roanoke may never be solved.
But, just for fun, what do you think happened?
Sources
https://www.history.com/news/what-happened-to-the-lost-colony-of-roanoke
https://www.britannica.com/story/the-lost-colony-of-roanoke