On this day in 1585, Ralph Lane, under the direction of Sir Walter Raleigh, founded the first English colony in North America on Roanoke Island in what is now North Carolina. Lane’s colony was troubled by a lack of supplies and poor relations with some of the local Native American tribes. A resupply mission by Sir Richard Grenville was delayed, so Lane abandoned the colony and returned to England with Sir Francis Drake in 1586. Grenville arrived two weeks later and also returned home, leaving behind a small detachment to protect Raleigh’s claim.
In 1590, John White returned to the colony with supplies, but found it abandoned. The cryptic word “CROATOAN” was found carved into the palisade, which White interpreted to mean that the colonists had relocated to Croatoan Island. Before he could follow this lead, rough seas and a lost anchor forced the mission to return to England.
The fate of the approximately 112–121 colonists remains unknown. Speculation that they had assimilated with nearby Native American communities appears in writings as early as 1605. Investigations by the Jamestown colonists produced reports that the Roanoke settlers had been massacred, and there were stories of people with European features being seen in Native American villages, but no conclusive evidence was found.
Nominative Determinism…
Unfortunate juxtaposition…
Did hair look much better back then?
Thanks, Bob…
Today is the birthday, in 1944, of Michelle Gilliam, from American folk rock vocal group The Mamas & the Papas who had the 1965 hit ‘California Dreamin”, the 1966 US No.1 single ‘Monday Monday’ and the 1967 hit ‘Dedicated to the One I Love’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUr5_QVPCAI
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