The disappeared colony of Roanoke. Croatan - the mystery of the missing colony Legend of the missing colony

There were several attempts to organize a colony: the first group of colonists left the island due to the poor situation; 400 more colonists who arrived as support for the first group, seeing the abandoned settlement, went back to England, only 15 people remained. The second group, numbering more than a hundred, is considered missing. Its leader, White, who went to England for help, did not find the colonists upon his return, but the word “Cro” (probably the initial letters of Croatoan) was scratched on the palisade post.

The popular story of the "vanishing colony", closely associated with the neighboring Croatoan Indian Tribe, has been the basis of numerous works of fiction and films. The most common belief is that the colonists were captured by local hostile tribes, or were taken from the island by the Spaniards.

Background

In 1584, Raleigh sent an expedition to explore the coast of North America to find a suitable location. The expedition was led by Philip Armades and Arthur Warlow, who soon brought back specimens of flora and fauna (including potatoes) and two natives. The land explored by Armades and Warlow was named Virginia in honor of Elizabeth (“the Virgin Queen”).

The queen, touched, gave Rayleigh permission to colonize. Elizabeth I's decree specified that Raleigh had 10 years to establish a colony in North America, otherwise he would lose his right to colonize. Raleigh and Elizabeth I organized this enterprise, realizing that it would open the way to the riches of the New World and serve as the basis for raids on the Spanish fleet.

First group of settlers

In April 1585, the first colonial expedition consisting entirely of men was sent. Many of them were veteran soldiers who had fought in the war to establish English influence in Ireland. The leader of the settlers, Sir Richard Granville, was ordered to further explore the area and return back to England with a report on the success of the operation.

On July 29, the expedition arrived on the shores of America. The founding of the colony was initially delayed, perhaps because most of the colonists' food supplies were destroyed when the lead ship crashed in shallow water. After initial reconnaissance of the mainland coast and local Indian settlements, the British accused the natives of the village of Aquacogok of stealing the silver cup. The village was destroyed and burned along with the tribal leader.

Despite this incident and the lack of food, Granville decided to leave Ralph Lane and about 75 men to establish an English colony on the northern tip of Roanoke Island, promising to return in April 1586 with more men and fresh materials.

By April 1586, Lane had organized an expedition to explore the Roanoke River and possibly find the legendary "fountain of youth." However, relations with neighboring tribes were so damaged that the Indians attacked the expedition led by Lane. In response to this, the colonists attacked the central Aboriginal village, where they killed their leader Winjin.

As April passed, Granville's fleet was still missing; the colony struggled to survive due to food shortages and conflicts. Fortunately, in June, Sir Francis Drake's expedition sailed past Roanoke, returning home from a successful trip to the Caribbean. Drake invited the colonists to sail with him to England, they agreed.

Granville's auxiliary fleet arrived two weeks after the colonists sailed with Drake. Finding an abandoned colony, Granville decided to return to England, leaving only 15 people on the island to maintain the English presence and Raleigh's rights to colonize Virginia.

Second group

In 1587, Raleigh sent a second group of colonists. This group of 121 people was led by John White, an artist and friend of Raley's. The new colonists were tasked with finding the 15 men left behind in Roanoke and settled further north in the Chesapeake Bay region; however, no traces of them were found, except for the bones (remains) of a single person. One local tribe still friendly to the English, the Croatan on present-day Hutter Island, reported that the men were attacked, but nine survived and sailed to their coast in a boat.

Settlers landed on Roanoke Island on July 22, 1587. On August 18, White's daughter gave birth to the first English child born in America, Virginia Dare. Before her birth, White reconnected with the Croatan tribe, and attempted to mend fences with the tribe that had been attacked by Ralph Lane the year before. The offended tribes refused to meet with the new colonists. Shortly thereafter, a colonist named George Howe was killed by the natives while crabbing alone in Albimail Sound. Knowing what happened during Ralph Lane's stay, the colonists, fearing for their lives, convinced the head of the colony, White, to return to England to explain the situation in the colony and ask for help. At the time White was sent to England, there were 116 colonists left on the island - 115 men and women and one girl (Virginia Dare).

Crossing the Atlantic at the end of the year was a risky undertaking. Emergency plans for the fleet were carried out with delays, caused by the refusal of the captains to sail back during the winter. White's attempt to return to Roanoke was thwarted by the insufficient size of the court and the greed of the captains. Because of the war with Spain, White was unable to return to Roanoke with help for two years.

The fate of the disappeared colony

The main hypothesis regarding the fate of the lost colony is that the settlers scattered across the area and were absorbed by local tribes.

Tuscarora

In Roy Johnson's book The Vanished Colony in Facts and Legends" says:

The evidence that some of the Lost Colonists were still living around 1610 in the area of Tuscaroa is impressive. A map of the interior of what is now North Carolina, drawn in 1608 by Jamestown settler Francis Nelson, is the most eloquent evidence of this. This document called the "Map of Zuniga" states "there are 4 men dressed as if they came from Roanoke" still living in the town of Pakerukinik, apparently Iroquois land on the Nisi River. This is also supported by reports in 1609 in London of Englishmen from Roanoke Island living under the leadership of Chief "Jeponokan" apparently at Pakerukinika. Jeponokan held "four men, two boys" and "one young girl" (Virginia Dare?) from Roanoke as copper miners.

On February 10, 1885, Representative Hamilton McMillan helped pass the "Croatan Bill" which officially designated the Indian population around Robison County as Croatan. Two days later, on February 12, 1885, the Fyteville Observer published an article about the origins of the Robison Indians. Here is an excerpt from it:

According to them, tradition says that the people whom we call the Croatan Indians (though they do not recognize this name, and say that they were Tuscaroras) were always friendly to the whites; and finding them destitute of provisions and despairing of ever receiving help from England, they were persuaded to leave the island, and go inland. They gradually moved further from their original place, and settled in the town of Robeson, the center of the county."

Persona terrain

Similar legends claim that the Native Americans of Person in North Carolina are descendants of English colonists from Roanoke Island. Indeed, when subsequent settlers encountered these Indians, they noted that these Native Americans already spoke English and had a Christian religion. But many discount these coincidences and classify the settlers of the Person area as an offshoot of the Saponi tribe.

Chesepian

Others hypothesize that this colony moved entirely and was later destroyed. When Captain John Smith and the Jamestown colonists settled in Virginia in 1607, one of their main tasks was to locate the Roanoke colonists. The local population told Smith about people living in the vicinity of Jamestown who dress and live like the English.

Chief Wahansunakok (better known as Chief Powhatan) told Smith that he was the one who destroyed the Roanoke colony because they lived with the Chesepian tribe and refused to join their tribes. To confirm his words, Powhatan demonstrated several English-made iron tools. No bodies were found, although there were reports of an Indian burial mound at Pine Beach (now Norfolk), where the Chesepian village of Scioak may have been located.

In fiction

In 1937, American playwright Paul Green wrote the play Lost Colony (play) about Roanoke.
According to Philip Farmer's science fiction novel Deir ( Dare), the inhabitants of the colony were abducted by aliens and taken to one of the planets in the system

roanoke

city in the southeastern United States, pcs. Virginia. 223 thousand inhabitants (1990, with suburbs). Chemical, tire, textile, car assembly, food industries.

roanoke

ROANOKE is a river in the eastern United States. 725 km, basin area approx. 25 thousand km2. Flows into the Atlantic approx. Average water flow 230 m3/s. Navigable in the lower reaches.

Roanoke

Roanoke Colony, also known as " Lost Colony" - an English colony on the island of the same name in Dare County (now North Carolina, USA), founded by Sir Walter Raleigh under Queen Elizabeth I in order to create the first permanent English settlement in North America.

The popular story of the "vanishing colony", closely associated with the neighboring Croatoan Indian tribe, has been the basis of numerous works of fiction and films. The most common belief is that the colonists were captured by local hostile tribes, or were taken from the island by the Spaniards.

Roanoke (disambiguation)

Roanoke was an English colony in present-day North Carolina.
Roanoke is an island in North Carolina.
Roanoke is a river in the USA.
Roanoke

Roanoke (river)

Roanoke- a river in the eastern United States.

The length of the river is estimated to be between 660 and 725 km. The difference in meaning arises from the fact that the upper reaches are sometimes treated as a separate river Staunton River. The basin area is about 25 thousand km².

The source of the river is on the slopes of the Blue Mountains (Appalachian system) in Virginia. Further, the river flows in a southeast direction, crossing the state border with North Carolina, flowing into Albemarle Bay of the Atlantic Ocean. There are several large lakes and reservoirs on the river. In the lower reaches the river is navigable for small ships.

Historically, the river is known for the fact that the early colonies of England were located in its basin: Roanoke, Virginia, Carolina.

Roanoke County, Virginia

Roanoke County located in the USA, Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 92,376 people. It was formed on March 30, 1838, and was named after the Roanoke River in Virginia.

Roanoke (Virginia)

Roanoke is an independent city located in the Roanoke Metropolitan Area and the tenth largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Roanoke is also part of the Roanoke Region of Virginia and is the largest city in the Roanoke Plain. Roanoke borders and is surrounded by the city of Salem and the town of Vinton, but is administratively separate from them and is part of Roanoke County. According to the 2000 census, the city had a population of 94,911. The city is bisected by the Roanoke River. Roanoke is the commercial and cultural center of most of the surrounding areas of Virginia and southern West Virginia.

The U.S. Census Bureau includes the counties of Botetourt, Franklin, Craig, Roanoke, and the cities of Salem and Roanoke in the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of the statistical area according to the last 4 censuses is:

1970: 199 629
1980: 220 393
1990: 224 477
2000: 235 932
2005: 292 983
2008: 298 694

The 2000 data does not include Franklin (estimated 50,345 by 2005) and Craig (estimated 5,154 by 2005) counties. The Census Bureau then added them to the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is the fourth largest in Virginia (after Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and Greater Richmond) and the largest in the western half of the state. It is currently ranked 201st out of all 363 metropolitan statistical areas in the United States. The population of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area (VA MSA) grew from 288,471 in 2000 to 298,694 in 2008, an increase of 3.54%. By 2020, the district's population is expected to reach 324,882 people, or an increase of 12.62% compared to 2000.

Roanoke (island)

Roanoke- an island in Dare County off the coast of North Carolina (USA). Length - 12 km, width - 3 km, island area - 46.48 km². Roanoke Island is located between mainland North Carolina and the Outer Banks barrier island chain. In the north it is washed by Albemarle Sound. Known for the "vanishing colony" of Roanoke and as the site of the Battle of Roanoke Island in February 1862.

Examples of the use of the word roanoke in literature.

When the Earthlings discovered that the Daerians were descendants of a lost colony Roanoke and other similar settlements forcibly relocated here, it was their turn to be amazed.

Explore the Outer Banks and visit Pamlico Sound, Albemarle Sound and Island Roanoke, the British returned to the mouth of the Thames two months later, bringing with them two Indians, potatoes and tobacco.

The following year, Walter Raleigh, determined to establish a Roanoke colony, sent his half-brother Richard Greenville to Hatteras, who was given command of five ships.

Literally the next day after Drake's ships left Albemarle Bay for the island Roanoke Greenville's supply ships arrived, sent by Walter Raleigh.

The English Channel battle with the Invincible Armada delayed his return to the island Roanoke until August 1590

It is known that before leaving the island, White agreed with the colonists that if for any reason they were forced to leave Roanoke and move to another place, then on one tree they will carve the name of their new place of residence, and if they are forced to leave the island due to oppression from the Indians, then in addition they will carve a cross on the tree under the name of the new place of colony.

Finally settle on the island Roanoke The British were able only in 1663.

On the island Roanoke The British raised livestock, fished, farmed, and boiled blubber from washed-up whales.

Here on the island Roanoke, Edward Teach repaired his ships, held wild orgies and buried his treasures.

I felt kind of strange, imagining what Mr. Kaiser would think of me, but Roanoke- this is not a shelter, not Eden, and not North Carolina.

Despite a strong storm, this flotilla reached Pimlico Sound on January 24 to capture the island. Roanoke and take possession of the North Carolina coast.

I would like Mars to become one big island Roanoke and everyone could return home.

They disappear without leaving behind significant traces, any distinct, as, for example, in the camps Roanoke and Vinland.

And another famous disappearance took place - an entire colony of settlers on the island Roanoke off the coast of North Carolina.

We warn everyone that this article contains spoilers for the second episode "American Horror Story: Roanoke", chapter 2.

Several months of silence and secrets and now, September 14, American Horror Story finally revealed the theme that was hiding behind the giant question mark - Roanoke.

New season of the anthology Ryan Murphy impossible to compare with any previous one. I think that many of you felt like you were in some kind of documentary telling about a crime that actually happened, which moves from the past to the present and vice versa.

The story, which is "inspired by real events," revolves around a couple who... Shelmy and Matt Miller who moved into a haunted mansion in North Carolina. Lily Rabe and Andre Holland play a couple who tell a story, and Sarah Paulson and Cuba Gooding Jr. play the role of a couple in the reconstruction of events. Plays Matt's sister Lee Adina Porter in interviews, and covers events Angela Bassett. Kathy Bates and Wes Bentley appear as the spirits of the Roanoke colony, which in the 16th century for unknown reasons disappeared along with all its inhabitants.

The second episode continued in docu-series format and introduced us to a special guest star Lady Gaga as another spirit of Roanoke. Despite the ghosts, the couple cannot leave the house, because all their fortune is invested in it.

Recently, journalists spoke with the head of marketing for the FX channel Stephanie Gibbons, which is one of the few who knows what direction the series will go next and what Murphy has in store for us in the future. Now, we want to combine the information that we knew and that we received so that your and our theories, dear readers, develop in the right direction.

Actors who returned to us

The season's main cast was confirmed in the premiere episode. Sarah Paulson, Lily Rabe, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates and Wes Bentley appeared in the episode, with Evan Peters and Cheyenne Jackson still on the way.

When Denis O'Hare appeared in the second episode, it immediately became clear that he was the man from the videotape of the premiere episode. OHare plays Dr. Elias Cunningham, a university professor who moves into Shelby and Matt's home after 1988 to investigate a Charles Manson-style crime involving the previous residents, two sisters who went from nurses to killers.

As for Lady Gaga, she was not included in the credits of the first episode, but was added as a “guest star” in the second. In an interview, Gaga described her new character:

She's very down to earth. This will sound very strange, especially after you see her, but she really is quite ordinary.

We are still waiting to return Finn Wittrock, Matt Bomer and Leslie Georgean, who confirmed their return to the series before the premiere.

New faces

Ryan Murphy decided to make a gift for the audience and invited Cuba Gooding Jr. to "American Horror Story."

Gooding Jr. was nominated for an Emmy for his role in "American Crime Story", where the actor portrayed O. J. Simpson. Earlier, the actor shared his impressions of appearing in the series:

When Ryan calls and says to you, "Hey, can you do this? Is this something you'd like to do?" you're going to say yes, no matter what.

Gooding is also thrilled to be reunited on stage with American Crime Story co-star Sarah Paulson. The actor is glad that they can now be in scenes together, whereas previously, their scenes alternated and they were rarely seen together.

Andre Holland and Adina Porter are two new recruits who have been cast in major roles this season. Another new face is Cher's son, Chaz Bono, who plays one of the village neighbors.

Most likely, we will also be expected to arrive Jacob Artist(“Glee”), who previously posted a photo with the script for “American Horror Story” on his Instagram. However, a little later the post was deleted.

Season theme

As part of the marketing campaign for the mysterious sixth season, FX, led by Stephanie Gibbons, published 26 trailers that teased us with all sorts of variations on the theme of the sixth season. The channel confirmed that one of them is real, and all the others are “ducks”.

The truth is out there somewhere, we guarantee you. It's like a needle in a haystack or a small pebble in your shoe. He's tiny, but you definitely notice his presence. This is exactly the result we sought.

American Horror Story fans from all over the world began sharing their theories and speculations, some of which, following photos purportedly from the season's set, led to the theme of The Lost Colony. In them we saw a tree carved with the word "Croatoan", a reference to Roanoke, a 16th century colony where hundreds of people disappeared without a trace.

And indeed, the premiere turned out to be a docudrama that has to do with Roanoke. This is a show-within-a-show story. After the premiere episode aired and the theme was exposed, the franchise's ratings skyrocketed.

Shelby and Matt's story begins similar to the first season, "House Killer". After Matt was attacked by a gang and nearly died, Shelby suffered a miscarriage. The couple moved from Los Angeles to an abandoned estate, where, for unknown reasons, ghosts began to bother them. Witches glowing like ghosts wandered the corridors, and teeth fell from the sky. We also saw a wandering pig man.

In the second episode, it turned out that not only is there a poltergeist in the house, the forests are also haunted. Even more, they serve as something of a portal for the evil spirits of Roanoke.

However, it is worth noting that the spirits of Roanoke are not the only ones who inhabit the estate. A mysterious girl in the woods guides Shelby and Matt to a cage where they discover a hideout and a videotape that explains the appearance of nurses who appeared to both Lee and Matt. The episode continues to dig further into "My Roanoke Nightmare" by ending on an unfinished note.

Mythology

As we wrote earlier, this isn't the first time the Roanoke theme has been brought up in American Horror Story.

During the first season of Murder House, Billy Dean Howard (Paulson) tells Violet (Taissa Farmiga) about the Roanoke Colony when it asks for help driving ghosts out of its home.

It is difficult to expel a spirit, but it is quite possible. The most successful case of exile, as far as I know, happened when America was called the new world. In 1590, on the coast of North Carolina, the entire Roanoke colony - all 117 men, women and children - suddenly died. It became known as a ghost colony because the spirits of the inhabitants remained here. They persecuted the indigenous tribes that lived in the surrounding areas, killing indiscriminately. The elder knew what to do. He cast a banishing spell. First, he collected all the personal belongings of the dead colonists. Then they burned them. Ghosts appeared before them, summoned by their talismans. But to prevent the ghost from causing them further harm, the elder composed a curse that would erase the ghosts from the face of the earth. He spoke only one word. This is the word that was discovered in the abandoned colony: "Croatoan".

The only thing Murphy told reporters was that the sixth season will be the glue that will tie all the previous and subsequent seasons together.

We're putting a lot of effort into laying out the bait for you, and you'll see it explode in seasons seven and eight (which haven't been officially announced yet). This series can be developed and moved further and further, it has its own internal mythology. I'll keep doing it until I run out of ideas.

There are many cases of mysterious disappearances in history, but as numerous and strange as what happened with the colony on Roanoke Island (The Roanoke Colony, also known as the “Lost Colony” or Lost Colony), no longer occurs. More than four hundred years ago, more than a hundred people disappeared there completely without a trace. Many have tried to explain this mystery, but so far to no avail.

The first colonists

Roanoke Island first became interesting to English colonists in 1584. Queen Elizabeth I of England decided to conduct a campaign whose goal was to develop new territories in North America. Sir Walter Raleigh was entrusted with this issue. Elizabeth I's decree specified that Walter had 10 years to establish a colony in North America, otherwise he would lose his right to colonize. Walter and Elizabeth I organized this enterprise, realizing that it would open the way to the riches of the New World, and the new colony would serve as a naval base for attacks on the fleet and American colonies of Spain.

Sir Walter Raleigh (1554 – 1618)

Sir Walter Raleigh, a distinguished English nobleman, at the personal request of the queen, attempted to found such a colony. In 1584, Sir Walter sent an expedition to Roanoke Island to explore the site. The first colonial expedition consisted entirely of men. Many of them were veteran soldiers who had fought in the war to establish English influence in Ireland. The expedition included two Indians - Manteo and Vanches. Their presence was required as trackers and diplomats, able to find a common language with the local population. And the leader of the settlers, Sir Richard Grenville, was ordered to further explore the area and return back to England with a report on the success of the operation.

Walter Reilly reached the east coast of America and established a colony, which he named Virginia (from the English "virgin", which translates as "virgin") in honor of Queen Elizabeth I, who was known to be a virgin. The territory of Virginia extended from modern Pennsylvania to the Carolinas. Roanoke Island was located close to the mainland, surrounded by a bay and seemed quite suitable for life, as well as a very advantageous fortification, capable of resisting the Spaniards and pirates.

After familiarizing themselves with the area, a positive report was sent to the queen, and on April 9, 1585, the first colonists, with a total of 108 people, were sent there.

At first everything went well. The local population greeted them quite good-naturedly, and when the harsh winters came, the Indians even helped them by teaching them how to make dams and fish. But the British turned out to be ungrateful and, when a silver cup disappeared from one of the boats, Sir Richard Grenville burned the Indian village along with their leader, at the same time destroying the corn crops. After which the good-natured population turned into enemies of the colonialists.

Despite this incident and the shortage of food (the supply boat was wrecked on the reefs), Granville decided to entrust Ralph Lane with the creation of an English colony on the northern tip of Roanoke Island, promising to bring more men and fresh materials in April 1586.

After the incident, the British constantly had to be on alert, expecting an attack. Eventually, after living on the island through winter and spring, the settlers decided to return to England. Opportunity soon presented itself: the famous English pirate Francis Drake made an unexpected stop on Roanoke Island in June 1586, returning from raids on Spanish colonies in the New World. He agreed to take the people on his ships and take them to England. Thus, in June 1586, almost all the colonists left Roanoke Island.

Just a few weeks after the departure of the first colonists, a new group of brave men of 15 people landed on Roanoke Island to maintain the English presence and Walter Reilly's rights to colonize Virginia. The newly minted colonists were given supplies, and Sir Richard Grenville ordered them to hold their positions until reinforcements arrived from England, after which his ship departed.

The first 15 people disappeared without a trace

A year later, another group of settlers was sent to the island, which was supposed to organize a camp on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. On April 26, 1587, three ships carrying 117 future settlers, including women and children, sailed from Portsmouth.

The group of settlers was led by John White, who had already been to the island as part of a previous expedition. On the new expedition, John was appointed governor of the colony and was faced with the task of re-founding the colony on the shores of the bay. Among the passengers was White's daughter, Eleanor. She was married to a man named Ananais Dare and was expecting a child.

On July 22, 1587, the ships approached Roanoke Island. John White was going to pick up the colonists left there a year ago. Fearing pirate attacks, the sailors refused to sail directly into the bay itself and landed the group at the site of the old settlement. But the island greeted them with silence. To the surprise of the arriving colonists, out of 15 people who lived there for a whole year, they found only one. Or rather, his remains. The fortifications were destroyed and the houses were overgrown with ivy.

Representatives of the local Croatan tribe, who lived on modern Hutter Island and were still friendly to the British, reported that the colonists were attacked, but 9 of them survived and sailed to their coast in a boat.

This seemed like an unkind sign, but nevertheless, new colonists landed on the island. Here they were to spend their entire lives, so from now on this unfamiliar island and foreign country were to become their new homeland. It was decided to build a new fort in a new place - in the depths of the island.

On July 19, 1587, 27 days after the colonists landed, a girl named Virginia Dare was born on the island. She was the granddaughter of John White and the first English child born on American soil. She can be considered America's first citizen.

Birth of Virginia Dare

Having settled in a new place, the settlers quickly realized that to survive on the island in winter they needed much more things and supplies than they had brought with them. They needed tools to build houses, more weapons and gunpowder to defend themselves, food to survive the winter and other equally vital things. At the end of July it was already too late to sow and grow anything, because in a month autumn would begin, and then a harsh winter was on the way. There was no hope for help from the Indians: they left the island, frightened and offended by the behavior of the British who had arrived earlier.

Then John White decided to set sail for England to bring everything he needed and continue the development of the colony. Perhaps he had no other choice. He left one of the three ships for the settlers with the intention of moving groups north to the Chesapeake Bay, leaving only 25 men on Roanoke so that upon White's return they would show him the way to a new settlement.

Since Indian attacks on the colony were carried out periodically, John agreed that in case of emergency, those remaining could go to another place, but at the same time it was necessary to leave a sign in a visible place saying where exactly they had gone. If they were in danger or had to leave the island to escape, then in addition to the name of the new place of the colony, they had to cut out a cross.

After this, John White left the island, promising to return and bring everything needed in six to eight months. He sailed to England, and the settlers remained to live in a new place. They probably often went to the shore and looked into the distance: did the silhouettes of ships appear on the horizon? After all, John White promised to return in six months!

117 people disappeared into thin air

On August 17, 1590, almost three years after the English ships left Roanoke, John White returned. The ships dropped anchor off the island separating Albemarle Sound from the Atlantic Ocean, and two boats immediately rushed to the shore.

But as if an evil fate had met the people: the first boat was overturned by a breaking wave, and the captain and six sailors drowned. John White decided not to pay attention to such omens - he had no doubt that the colonists were waiting for him on the island. However, once on Roanoke, John discovered that there was no one there.

The island turned out to be deserted. All that remained were things, jewelry and tools. 117 people, including John White's little granddaughter, disappeared without a trace, along with all their livestock and domestic animals. After some time, the sailors managed to find the word “Croatoan” scratched on the tree, but there was no cross under it. This meant only one thing - the settlers left on their own.

Upon returning to the island, John White found only the ruins of the settlement

It is still unknown what happened to the people. Were they killed? They were captured by the Indians and taken inland? Or maybe they voluntarily went to the Indians in order to survive?

The newly appointed governor and sailors searched the entire island. But they only found the palisade that surrounded the site of the former settlement, and the remains of the British fortifications. The houses were intact and no boats or weapons were found. The sailors did not find any remains or burials of white people. During a second search of the island, five chests with the governor’s belongings were found in one of the ditches, which he left behind during his hasty departure from the island.

An inconsolable John White died in 1593. His legacy, among other things, were wonderful watercolor drawings, thanks to which we can imagine the Indians, the life and customs of that era.

So what actually happened? And what did the word "Croatoan" mean?

Version with neighboring island

80 kilometers south of Roanoke Island there is Croatoan Island, at that time inhabited by Indians. Perhaps settlers were there. In order to check this, John White wanted to sail there immediately. However, the weather turned bad and the Hopewell ship lost its anchor and began to drift out to sea. Because of this, White was never able to make it the short distance to Croatoan. He had to immediately set a course for England and on October 24 he returned to Plymouth.

Croatoan and Roanoac Islands on an old map

This coincidence of circumstances does not mean that the settlers were abandoned to their fate - the British sent rescue expeditions to the island. English ships repeatedly visited Roanoke Island itself, explored the surrounding islands (including Croatoan), and also explored the lands on the mainland, trying to find at least some traces of the colonists. But they could not find anything.

In total, four search expeditions were sent to the North American island of Roanoke in 1590. The last large-scale expedition, sent to Croatoan at the end of 1590, was under the command of Walter Raleigh himself. But again, not a drop of blood, not a strand of hair or a piece of torn clothing was found, which would indicate an enemy attack! Interestingly, pets also disappeared along with people - the soldiers did not find a single dog or chicken. The surrounding forests were carefully explored in search of fresh graves, but not a single corpse was found.

The tribe of local Croatoan Indians in those days still treated whites well, but just in case, their village on the neighboring island was also searched. However, this did not give any results.

Desperate to find any trace of the settlers, Walter Reilly sent a dispatch to Queen Elizabeth I that said:

They couldn't just disappear without leaving even a trace. The devil took them.

Later, Walter Reilly continued to look for settlers, but on his own initiative. He dug up all the earth on the site of the village and only after 14 years stopped his unsuccessful search. None of the 117 members of the expedition - men, women and children who remained on Roanoke Island in 1587 - were ever seen again. Their disappearance without a trace is still considered one of the main mysteries in human history.

Mystical version

A curious fact is that the word “Croatoan” did not only mean an island. In fact, the island itself was named after a local deity, who was worshiped by all the tribes living in the area. According to their belief, the “Croatoan,” or “Reaper of Souls,” is an incorporeal creature that lives among people and even inhabits some of them.

The Indians said that they brought food to God on the sacrificial altar: the priests sat in a circle and watched as the food slowly disappeared into the air. Once a year, Croatoan was sent an “assistant” - a strong warrior: he was placed in a locked hut with an altar, but by morning the warrior disappeared.

According to legend, as a result of conflicts and skirmishes between settlers and local Indians, as well as possible opposition to religious rites, the shaman of the tribe placed a curse on the settlers, calling on the god Croatoan to brutally deal with them.

It is assumed that this deity is directly related to the disappearance of the first groups of colonizers. After all, if the cause of the disappearance was a natural or physical phenomenon, then it would most likely have repeated itself over the past years. However, in the city of Monteo, built on Roanoke Island, nothing like this ever happened again. Every year a huge number of tourists come to the island, who could easily become victims of the same unknown force, but no more mass disappearances have been recorded.

Other versions of disappearances

There are several theories regarding the fate of the missing colonists, but none have yet been documented.

1. Sacrifice

The Indians worshiped the god Croatoan, from whose name the name of the tribe and the island neighboring Roanoke comes. It is possible that there was a case of mass hallucination on the island, which was arranged by a shaman of an Indian tribe, and then the white settlers were simply sacrificed to the god Croatan.

By the way, the recognized master of horror, writer Stephen King, also did not stand aside: according to his version, set out in the novel “Storm of the Century,” the residents of the village disappeared because they did not want to voluntarily give one of their children to the devil’s messenger.

2. The settlers drowned

As you know, the future colonists sailed to Virginia on three ships. The governor returned to England in two, leaving one ship on Roanoke. It is believed that the settlers, desperate for help, sailed to England by ship, but were caught in a storm and drowned.

Is this possible? There were no experienced sailors among the colonists. It seems doubtful that the migrants with women and children would decide to cross the ocean on their own.

3. The colonists were killed by the Spaniards

England was going to colonize the American coast. The Spanish crown had its own plans for these lands and in those days was England's number one enemy. The Spaniards, of course, were well aware of the location where the new settlement was founded and sought to prevent the emergence of a colony.

In 1586, the famous English pirate Francis Drake sacked San Autustin in Florida, the northernmost Spanish settlement in the Americas. Heading home, he sailed north along the American coast. The Spanish governor heard rumors that the British were building a fort in the north, and perhaps even wanted to found a colony. The governor did not know that Francis Drake had only stopped in Virginia and picked up the distressed colonists from Roanoke. The Spaniard probably did not know about the second group of settlers left on Roanoke by White in 1587. However, in June 1588, he sent a small ship to investigate. After exploring the Chesapeake Bay, the Spaniards came across Roanoke Island. And although they saw neither settlers nor fortifications there, they still had orders to destroy the colony at the first opportunity.

However, they didn't. All ships located in the West Indies, including those preparing to sail to Roanoke, were chartered to transport home the treasures of the Spanish colonies - gold and silver looted from the Indians. The Spanish expedition from the West Indies to North America was first postponed and then cancelled. Thus, the Spaniards are not to blame for the disappearance of the colony.

4. Epidemic

The entire population of Roanoke Island could have died from an unknown disease.

Quite an absurd theory. An outbreak of epidemic, of course, could have happened, but then where did the bodies of the dead go? No bodies or burials were later discovered.

5. Indian attack

The second most popular and very convincing version. But there is also an argument against this: there was no cross on the trees where the settlers left signs, which would mean that they had to flee Roanoke and escape danger.

Of course, we can assume that the attack was sudden and people simply did not have time to cut out the symbol. But White, who arrived on the island in 1590, found neither corpses nor burnt buildings. Thus, there is no evidence to suggest that the settlers were victims of Indian attack.

6. Assimilation

Croatoan or Hatteras is not only the name of the island, but also the name of an Indian tribe, one of many that previously inhabited the territory of modern North Carolina. Historian John Lawson spoke with representatives of this tribe in 1709, and this is what he wrote down:

The Hatteras Indians either lived on Roanoke Island at that time or frequently visited it. They say that several of their ancestors were white people. We are convinced of the truth of this by the gray color of the eyes, which is often found among these Indians, but more so among no others. They are extremely proud of their kinship with the English and are ready to render them all kinds of friendly services.

There are additional facts that speak in favor of Lawson's version. The names of some of the Hatteras Indians echo those of the Roanoke Island colonists, and their language bears clear traces of the influence of the English language as it existed four centuries ago. Perhaps the colonists could not withstand the harsh living conditions, turned to the Hatteras Indians for help and eventually assimilated.

But there are also questions here. For example, why did the colonists leave instructions on the island for their move to one place, but they themselves sailed in a completely different direction? Or why didn't they take the governor's personal belongings? Not enough space? Why didn't they come back for them?

Let's say that the British left Roanoke Island. But where did they go then? There should have been traces of their new settlement somewhere - houses, tools, weapons, boats, books, household items? But in almost four hundred years that have passed since then, no one has ever found these traces anywhere. The colony disappeared without a trace...

Roanoke Island today

In 1937, the United States issued a commemorative 5-cent stamp dedicated to the 350th anniversary of Virginia Dare, the first white colonist born in America, namely on Roanoke Island.

Modern Roanoke Island is a tourist destination. Crowds of tourists come to look at that same tree with a carved inscription. True, as historical sources say, the words on the tree have already changed three times. In a testimony from 1670, nun Emily Vane writes that the words “Evil is inevitable” were visible on the bark. Others believe that the original words were almost completely burned out on the orders of the expedition commander, Walter Reilly, who believed that “one of the names of Satan” was encrypted in the message on the bark, and as a result, only individual letters of the message were preserved.

There is a park on the island where a monument was erected in honor of Queen Elizabeth I, who sent the first group of colonizers.

The island hosts annual costume festivals in memory of the first settlers, which attracts many visitors.

Tourists are eagerly buying souvenirs and baseball caps with the inscription “Where have the people gone?” But the answer to this question will never be received.

Materials used from the site iksinfo.ru and blogs

Roanoke was one of the first British colonies in America. It was supposed to become a symbol of British domination in the New World, to show the superiority of the British monarchy to the whole world... The mystery of the disappearance of an entire colony of settlers from Roanoke Island still remains unresolved. “They couldn’t just disappear without leaving even a trace. “Perhaps the devil took them,” the commander of the English search party later said. Some people associate the mysterious disappearance of more than 117 people with the bloody deity of the Indians - Croatoan .

In this story, we will be transported to 1586, to the lands of a wild and unexplored continent, to come face to face with the horror that has lain dormant for centuries in its depths...

In fact, the Roanoke Colony was not the first English settlement in the New World. Shortly before the expansion began in 1578, Queen Elizabeth, with the support of influential nobles, led by royal secretary Francis Walsingham, sent the famous navigator and participant in the Irish campaign, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, to America. He was the brother of the future founder of the colony, Walter Raleigh. His expedition included five ships and over two hundred crew members. According to the terms of the treaty, Gilbert was supposed to establish a colony on the northern coast of the mainland within six years, but Fortune was not favorable to him. The first expedition did not take place due to unfavorable weather conditions. The second was a crushing fiasco.
On August 5, 1583, Humphrey Gilbert finally achieved his cherished goal. Arriving on the island of Newfoundland, he discovered fishing vessels of the British, Portuguese and French in St. John's Bay. The presence of the allies did not prevent the vain navigator from declaring himself governor of the island in the name of the queen. Gilbert demanded to be recognized as the rightful owner of the new lands and obliged the fishermen to pay tribute. Bad soil, disease and strife between the colonists soon forced the conqueror to return to his homeland.
He never managed to cross the ocean. Near the Azores, Gilbert's ship developed a leak and sank along with its crew.

An unsuccessful attempt to colonize North America and the loss of his brother did not stop Walter Raleigh. On April 27, 1584, he equipped a new ship to explore the east coast. This expedition was led by Philip Armades and Arthur Warlow. They were the first Europeans to discover the infamous island.

On July 13, 1584, the British landed on Roanoke and for several weeks explored the area, visiting neighboring islands and the mainland. The pioneers returned to England with samples of flora and fauna, and also brought with them two aborigines - Monteo (1) and Vanquise. Both Indians voluntarily agreed to sail to England, and were presented to Queen Elizabeth at court.
Hoping to gain favor with Her Majesty, Raleigh named North America Virginia (2). A detailed report was compiled especially for the queen about fertile lands, vast forests and friendly Indians, ready to help the first settlers in everything. Information about the riches of the New World, exaggerated to the point of absurdity, impressed trading companies. Elizabeth also liked the brave navigator. For outstanding services to the crown, he was awarded the title of knight. Having received a place at court, Raleigh raised the necessary funds for the first expedition. Having become the queen's favorite, he easily persuaded her patroness to sign an order, under the rights of which he was allowed to freely create colonies in the New World for ten years.
Thus, we can consider that the British's first acquaintance with terra incognita was successful.

With the first blood, Grenville became drunk with power. On his orders, the soldiers began to capture the leaders of Virginia, promising to release them in exchange for information. Robberies and murders became more frequent. Soon smoke rose over several more villages. Gradually, relations between the conquerors and the natives deteriorated so much that even previously hostile tribes began to unite against the invaders. The British were driven out of the mainland with axes and arrows. By that time, Grenville had already stocked up on enough food and collected the necessary information, so he sailed away without delay.

It was decided to establish a temporary colony on the northern tip of Roanoke Island. On August 17, 1585, Captain Ralph Lane, artist John White, Indian Monteo and about 75 heavily armed soldiers landed there. Fort Raleigh was founded, dozens of houses were erected, and a deep ditch was dug around the stockade, which they planned to fill with water. It was a real fortress. At that time, the Secotan Indians lived on the island. Such a neighborhood was not part of the colonists’ plans, and the Indians soon had to leave the island. Convinced of the safety of his compatriots, Grenville sailed to England, promising to return in April of the following year with reinforcements and building materials.

Left to his own devices, Ralph Lane decided to resume his military campaign against the people of Virginia. By April 1586, he had undertaken several expeditions to the mainland to explore the mouth of the Roanoke River. In fact, Lane was looking for gold or, as some sources claim, the fountain of eternal youth, which was once hunted by the conquistador Ponce de Leon. The naive captain, of course, did not find any fountain, but he did find a large village of Sekotans.

On his orders, the soldiers suddenly attacked the village and began to kill everyone who tried to resist. Taking advantage of the confusion, Lane and the sergeants broke into the leader's hut and took him and his son hostage. These events were witnessed by John White and Monteo. The invasion ended with the natives rushing at the British in a large force. In response, the colonists burned the village and then beheaded the high-ranking hostages.

Since then, the colonists lived in constant fear. It didn't take long for Ralph Lane to realize what a mistake he had made. Thousands of Indians were out for their blood. There could be no talk of any trade or negotiations. They did not have ships on which they could return to England. If attacked, the fort's walls remained their only defense against the Virginia hordes.
By the end of April Grenville had not arrived. Supplies have run out. There was little game on Roanoke. Famine forced people to dig up roots and catch crabs. The Indians did not allow them to leave the island for supplies. In fact, Roanoke was besieged, but the enemy did not try to attack, deciding to starve out the dangerous enemy.
An accident saved the colonists from starvation. In June, Sir Francis Drake's fleet sailed past the island. The English pirate agreed to deliver his compatriots to their homeland, however, to do this he had to throw overboard a hundred captive black slaves.

Grenville arrived two weeks after the colonists sailed. Finding an empty fort, and unaware of the war with the Secotans, he sailed to his homeland, leaving 15 soldiers on the island to preserve Walter Raleigh's rights to colonize Virginia.

The result of the first expedition was disastrous. Many settlements were destroyed. Civilians killed. Rumors of British atrocities spread like fire throughout the continent. By June, almost all of Virginia was blazing with the fire of hatred. Grenville and Lane achieved no success at all in foreign lands, narrowing English possessions to the size of Roanoke. The expedition was not properly prepared, and its leaders were not diplomatic. These were the same veterans, the pride of the crown, for whom murder was the norm. In Ireland, at Smerwick, they did not hesitate to slaughter two hundred captured Spaniards and Italians. The Indians should not have expected mercy from such butchers.

Second expedition (1587 - 1588).

In 1587, Walter Raleigh sent a second group of 150 colonists from Portsmouth on three ships. Bearing in mind the failure of the previous expedition, the investors acted wisely and decided to appoint a sensible person and preferably not a soldier to the post of governor. The new leader of the colonists was Walter Raleigh's friend, artist John White. He was to take the garrison from Roanoke Island and then establish a settlement near the Chesapeake Bay.

This time, few entrepreneurs agreed to waste their money. Half as many soldiers went to the New World, and supplies were limited. The bulk of the settlers were now artisans, farmers, fishermen and hunters. Many sailed with relatives and friends. Some had families. Monteo also returned to America with the colonists. Despite the outrages of Grenville and Captain Lane, he developed friendly relations with the British.
It is worth noting that sending a hundred unarmed men into the lion's den was not the best idea on Raleigh's part. The second expedition was of a peacekeeping nature, but how to explain this to the Indians, whose hands were itching to scalp the guests.

The ships approached Roanoke on July 22, 1587. The colonists fired several salvos from falconets, but no one came ashore. Then White sent a detachment of soldiers to reconnoiter. In the depths of the island, in a vast clearing, the British discovered Fort Raleigh. The outpost was abandoned. They did not find any traces of the inhabitants, except for the remains of one person. Some buildings were destroyed by bad weather. The houses were overgrown with grass. Everything indicated that the garrison had left the fortress many months ago.
On July 23, the colonists combed the island, but found no traces of the missing soldiers. White had no choice but to cross to the mainland and begin founding a colony. An unpleasant surprise awaited him here.

One of the investors of the expedition, Captain Simon Fernandez (it was through his efforts that Grenville's ship crashed two years ago), announced that he was landing the colonists on Roanoke! Even the fact that Fernandez was a lessee of the ships did not give him the right to change the terms of the contract.

An unscheduled landing meant downtime for at least a year. At that time, there was a severe drought off the coast of Virginia, and the ships, again due to Fernandez, arrived too late for the colonists to plow and sow the fields. There was no game for so many people on a piece of land eight miles long. The fate of the colony was sealed.
In shame, the colonists did not dare to sail to England, and John White had to give the order to unload. People returned to the fort, began to build houses and cultivate gardens. A pier for boats was built on the shore. The fishermen began to catch fish, for which all hope now remained. It seemed that nothing worse than this could happen. Back then, White could not have imagined that their problems were just beginning.

On July 28, one of White's assistants, a fisherman named George Howe, sailed alone to catch crabs. Soon the colonist was found dead on one of the sandbanks surrounding the coast of Virginia. Suspecting Indians from Croatoan Island were attacking, White sent a detachment of soldiers led by Monteo to them.
The Croatoans greeted their fellow tribesman cordially, swore allegiance to the British and promised to supply them with food. From them, the colonists learned that the fisherman was killed by the Sekotans, residents of the villages burned by Ralph Lane. Among the attackers was Vanquiz. Returning to his homeland, he became a sworn enemy of the British. According to the Croatoans, the garrison of Fort Raleigh also fell prey to angry tribes. Judging by the brutality with which George Howe was killed, this might be true.

The threat from Virginians gradually grew. White could not control the hordes of Indians with thirty soldiers at his disposal. It was necessary to protect compatriots, and attack was considered the best way of defense at that time. Negotiations with the Sekotans did not bring results, and then John White decided to attack one of the coastal villages.
On August 9, the plan was carried out. Hoping to intimidate the arrogant savages, the governor thereby made an unforgivable mistake. The soldiers actually attacked the village and mortally frightened its inhabitants, but in the heat of battle they accidentally killed a group of friendly Indians from Croatoan. Having learned about the death of their fellow tribesmen, they categorically refused to deal with the British. So relations with the Croatoans were completely ruined, and only Monteo remained on the side of the colonists.

At the end of the summer, a significant event occurred in Roanoke. All this time, White’s pregnant daughter Eleanor was with White on the island. She was married to London stonemason Ananias Dare. On August 18, Eleanor gave birth to a girl, Virginia Dare, who became the first English child born in America.

Autumn was approaching. There was less and less food left on the island. On August 22, fearing for their lives, the colonists begged John White to return to England for help. Fernandez's ships waited a whole month for a fair wind. The treacherous privateer could have transported people to the mainland ten times, but never did anything. But now White had every right to return to his homeland and fix everything.

The day before departure, the governor secretly removed three chests of personal belongings from the house and buried them in a trench near the fort, hoping to retrieve them upon his return. That same day, he appointed his son-in-law Ananias to the position of vice-governor.

Having completed the final preparations, the governor turned to the inhabitants of the fort with a request: “If you are in danger and are forced to leave the island, carve a Maltese cross on a tree so that I know about your trouble.” The colonists, in turn, promised that they would carve above the cross the name of the place where they could be found. If supplies ran out before White returned, the British would use pinnaces (5) and sloops to move to the mainland to the Chesapeake Bay. There they will find a place to settle, and then leave a group of soldiers on Roanoke to show the governor the way to the new colony. This was the plan of action. White promised to return by spring with supplies and soldiers.

On August 28, the day of departure, 90 men, the Indian Monteo, 17 women and 11 children remained on the island, among whom was the newborn Virginia Dare. No one has seen them since then.

As governor, John White was head and shoulders above his predecessors, but did not go far from them. All conquerors, be they British, Portuguese or Spanish, felt like masters in the New World, relying solely on tactics, threats and force of arms. John White, artist and actor, cannot be called a man without culture and lack of common sense, but he was not created for such a position and, when faced with problems, he did not find anything better than to act according to the Grenville principle. The fate of the colony would have been different if there had been a reasonable and decisive leader at the head of the English campaign. Hernan Cortes, for example, despite all the cruelties that are attributed to him, and which he actually committed, always kept his word, knew how to forgive and had such generosity that even his enemies submitted to him.

In the period between 1588 - 1589.

Florida Governor Pedro Menendez heard rumors that the British wanted to establish a colony in the north. For the Spanish treasury, such a proximity could result in large losses, so in June 1588 he sent a patrol ship under the command of Vincent Gonzalez for reconnaissance.
Having explored the Chesapeake Bay, on the way back the Spaniards passed near Roanoke. On the shore they noticed a pier and several barrels, but did not see any settlers or fortifications. In those years there was still a severe drought there. If we add to this the lack of food and the aggression of the natives, then the colonists could keep their word and move to the mainland.
The report provided by Gonzalez is an important link and the last true fact regarding the fate of the Roanoke colonists. It follows from it that the British disappeared before August 1588, having lived on the island for less than a year.

Third expedition (1590).

In the spring of 1588, John White attempted to return to Roanoke by renting two small ships from London privateers. He partially succeeded. The ships actually went to sea, but the idea failed when Spanish merchant ships appeared on the horizon. The greedy privateers verbally terminated the treaty and attacked the enemy. Having loaded the holds with booty, they returned to England, leaving White with no destiny. The ex-governor's next attempts to return to his daughter were thwarted by the war with Spain.

After the defeat of the Invincible Armada, the waterways around England were cleared and White was allowed to sail to the New World. In the depths of his soul, the governor understood that it was too late and his position was now nothing more than a mockery. The British were physically unable to survive on the island for three years without food and protection. As history shows, White was not far from the truth.
On August 17, 1590, three ships rented from the London privateer John Watts approached the shores of Virginia (7). On his granddaughter's third birthday, White returned to Roanoke. During the landing, as in 1585, there were casualties. The first boat was capsized by a wave and seven sailors drowned. With great difficulty, White persuaded the superstitious captains to lower the boats. Late in the evening, nineteen people in two boats moored to the shore. It was already dark and the landing was too far from the pier. White and his men tried to make their way deep into the island and attract the attention of the colonists with songs and shots, but then agreed that it would be better to spend the night on the shore in boats.

On the morning of August 18, the British entered the fort. As expected, it turned out to be empty. All buildings and fortifications were carefully dismantled (most likely for further transportation). Only the stockade remained standing. Not a single item was found, which is often forgotten or lost in the event of an attack. Everything indicated that the inhabitants of the fort had carefully prepared for their departure. A search was organized, but no traces of the colonists were found. There were no signs of struggle or battle. The pinnace and sloops disappeared from the pier. The chests White buried three years ago before setting sail were destroyed by bad weather.

The only clue that could shed light on the fate of the colonists was a message carved by someone on a tree not far from the fort. The word is 'Croatoan'. Another clue was the letters of what was supposed to be the same word, 'Cro', carved into a tree near the shore. Also, two buried skeletons were found near the fort (too few for hundreds of people dying of hunger).
Since the Maltese cross was not found, White suggested that the settlers voluntarily moved to Croatoan Island, located 45 miles south of Roanoke. Perhaps Monteo was able to come to an agreement with his fellow tribesmen and they accepted the British into their home. White wanted to sail there, but the captains refused. A storm was coming. In his letters, White wrote that a strong fan almost capsized one of the escort ships. The entire western coast of Virginia was littered with shoals. The most experienced pilots would not have been able to stay in deep water in such a wind. It is not surprising that no one agreed to risk their lives in pursuit of the ghost.

As a result, the third expedition turned out to be the shortest and most pointless. The captains hastened to take the ships out to the open sea. Soon John White sailed away forever, never knowing what happened to his family.

Disappeared colony.

The disappearance of 118 people without a trace gave rise to a series of superstitions and myths. It is not known for certain what actually happened to the colonists. One thing is clear: they could not die of hunger, die at the hands of the Indians, or try to sail to England on boats. All this looks more than ridiculous and does not fit in with the real facts. It's safe to say that they left the island and moved to Croatoan and then to the mainland. The scenario of such events is confirmed by the report of the English captain John Smith (8).
On May 14, 1607, Smith and other colonists landed on the Virginia coast and successfully founded the settlement of Jamestown. A raid was made on Croatoan Island. By that time there were no Indians on it anymore. In 1610, a map drawn up by settlers indicated that a group of white men had been seen in the Tuscarora area. With them was a young girl, quite possibly Virginia Dare. This confirms White's theory that the English reached the island of Croatoan, and from there, driven by drought or enemies, they moved to the mainland with the Monteo tribe. Most historians adhere to a similar version.

Another previously mentioned hypothesis was presented by American historian Lee Miller. Miller believes that Francis Walsingham, the sworn enemy of Sir Walter Raleigh, is to blame for the death of the colonists. For these purposes, he could use Simon Fernandez, who owed him his life. A year later, thugs could sail to Roanoke and kill the British, and then make it look like the colonists had disappeared. However, it is worth considering how he managed to pull off such a grandiose scam in the 16th century and not leave any evidence. It is quite possible that Walsingham played a role in the death of the colonists, but it consisted only in the fact that Fernandez, on his orders, landed the British on Roanoke, thereby complicating their life. One way or another, the legend about the mystical disappearance of people gives way to real facts.

By the way Diary of Sir Walter Raleigh

Let's look at several versions, and then don't forget to tell us which one is the most convincing for you. :)

1.Sacrifice
The Indians worshiped the god Croatan - this is where the name of both their tribe and the island adjacent to Roanoke comes from, where they lived. The name itself was translated as “Reaper of Souls.” It was believed that he always lived among them, but was invisible and could inhabit any body at will. The Indians said that they brought food to God on the sacrificial altar: the priests sat in a circle and watched as the food slowly disappeared into the air. Once a year, Croatan was sent an “assistant” - a strong warrior: he was placed in a locked hut with an altar, but by morning the warrior disappeared.
Is it possible that there was a case of mass hallucination on the island, which was arranged by a shaman of an Indian tribe, and then the sacrifice of white settlers to the god Croatan?
(By the way, the recognized master of horror writer Stephen King also did not stand aside: according to his version, set out in the novel “Storm of the Century,” the residents of the village disappeared because they did not want to voluntarily give one of their children to the devil’s messenger).

2.The settlers drowned
As you know, the future colonists sailed to Virginia on three ships. The governor returned to England in two, leaving one ship on Roanoke. It is believed that the settlers, desperate for help, sailed to England by ship, but were caught in a storm and drowned.
Is this possible? There were no experienced sailors among the colonists. It seems doubtful that 119 people, including women and children, would have decided to cross the ocean.

3.Colonists were killed by the Spaniards
England was going to colonize the American coast. Spain, its number one enemy, knew very well the place where the settlement would be founded, and sought to prevent the establishment of a colony there.
In 1586, the famous English pirate Francis Drake sacked San Autustin, Florida, the northernmost Spanish settlement in the Americas, and sailed north along the coast on his way home. The Spanish governor heard rumors that the British were building a fort in the north, and perhaps even wanted to found a colony. The governor, of course, did not know that Drake had only made a stop in Virginia and picked up the colonists in distress from Roanoke. The Spaniard probably did not know about the second group of settlers left on Roanoke by White in 1587. However, in June 1588, he sent a small ship to investigate. After exploring the Chesapeake Bay, the Spaniards came across Roanoke and, although they saw neither settlers nor fortifications, were ordered to destroy the colony at the first opportunity.
However, they didn't. All ships located in the West Indies, including those preparing to sail to Roanoke, were chartered to transport home the treasures of the Spanish colonies - gold and silver looted from the Indians. The Spanish expedition from the West Indies to North America was first postponed and then cancelled. Thus, the Spaniards are not to blame for the disappearance of the colony.

4. Epidemic
The entire population of Roanoke Island died from an unknown disease.
Quite an absurd theory. An outbreak of epidemic, of course, could have happened, but then where did the bodies of the dead go? No burials were found.

5.Indian attack
The second most popular (and very convincing) version.
But there is also a discrepancy here: there was no cross on the trees where the settlers left signs, which would mean that they had to flee Roanoke to escape danger.
One can, of course, assume that the attack was sudden and the people did not have time to cut out the symbol, but White, who arrived on the island in 1590, found neither corpses nor burnt buildings. Thus, there is no evidence to suggest that the settlers were victims of Indian attack.

6. Assimilation
Krotan, or Hatteras, is the name of the island
But it is also the name of an Indian tribe, one of many that previously inhabited the territory of modern North Carolina.
Historian John Lawson spoke with representatives of this tribe in 1709, and this is what he wrote down: “The Hatteras Indians either lived at that time on Roanoke Island or often visited it. They say that several of their ancestors were white people. We are also convinced of the truth of this by the gray color of the eyes, which is often found among these Indians, but more so among no others. They are extremely proud of their kinship with the English and are ready to render them all kinds of friendly services."
There are additional facts that speak in favor of Lawson's version. The names of some of the Hatteras Indians echo those of the Roanoke Island colonists, and their language bears clear traces of the influence of the English language as it existed four centuries ago.

Relatively recently, when studying the circumstances of the death of settlers of another English colony - Jamestown - it was possible to shed light on the fate of the disappeared colonists of Roanoke.

In 1607, 104 English settlers founded the Jamestown colony in Virginia, and a year later only 38 of them remained alive.
Many colonists died of starvation, and the survivors became cannibals. For a long time, researchers could not understand why the life of the English in Jamestown was so dramatic, because there were plenty of food sources all around.

Dennis Blanton of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg (Virginia, USA) believes that the settlers in Jamestown were unlucky: they arrived in North America during one of the worst droughts in the history of this continent.

The settlers were killed by a severe drought!

Studying the diaries of John Smith and other colonists, Blanton identified some episodes from the texts that other researchers had not paid attention to. Thus, one of the settlers wrote that the Indian leader turned to the English with a request to beg rain from the English gods, since the Indian gods did not respond to spells. John Smith reported that the Indians complained to the colonists about the poor corn harvest and did not want to sell them their grain.
Many modern historians were very skeptical about the fact of crop failure among the Indians recorded in the diaries, believing that they were simply deceiving the colonists, but Dennis Blanton thought differently. All that remained was to support this opinion with significant evidence. As the American magazine Discovery wrote, the researcher came up with the idea of turning to dendrochronology. An expert in this field, David Stahl and his colleagues from the University of Arkansas, recreated a picture of the climate in Virginia over the past 800 years.
As you know, trees grow a new layer of wood every year, but they develop much better in rainy years than in dry years. By analyzing the width of tree rings, you can determine how much rain fell in a given area year after year. Climate change in Blanton's area of interest was studied using data on the growth of thousand-year-old swamp cypress trees in Virginia and North Carolina.
Although the scientist did not expect much from these studies, the result exceeded all expectations. It turned out that in 1606-1612 there was a severe drought in Virginia. There is no doubt that as a result of the drought, famine and disease began in the colony, and relations with the Indians deteriorated due to the scarcity of food supplies. It is not surprising that 63% of the colonists died in Jamestown within a year.

It is curious that traces of an even more severe drought were discovered through trees in the years 1587-1589, this period coincided with the mysterious disappearance of the colony on Roanoke Island. Perhaps the colonists tried to move to Croatoan Island in the hope of help from Indians friendly to Europeans. However, with such a drought, local residents could not afford to support extra mouths.

The colonists, no doubt, died one after another from hunger and disease, so the survivors, seeing no other way out, could take the risk of sailing back to England on the small ships they had. It is possible that the exhausted crew simply died along the way, and the ships turned into “flying Dutchmen” wandering the ocean with the dead on board. Ships with half-dead people could sink during a storm. And the colonists simply had no chance to survive in their new homeland at that time.

Roanoke is now a tourist destination. A crowd of tourists come to look at that very tree with a carved inscription (however, as historical sources say, the words have already changed three times. In a certificate from 1670, nun Emily Vane writes that on the bark the words “Evil is inevitable”, but now it’s just an inscription Others believe that the original words were almost completely burned out by order of the expedition commander - Reilly believed that “one of the names of Satan” was encrypted in the message on the bark: only individual letters were preserved).
Souvenirs and baseball caps with the inscription “Where have the people gone?” are quickly sold out.

Link to the article from which this copy was made -