John White: The Lost Colony Of Roanoke

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Usually, when a group of people disappear without a trace, it’s from a horror story. However, the lost colony of Roanoke isn’t just a spooky tale. It hasn’t yet been proven what happened to the colonists, but there are many theories about their death. None of these theories are very likely. Although many people believe that the lost colony of Roanoke was killed by natives, disease, or natural disaster, it can be shown that the colony members left to join Native American groups. In 1587, over one hundred people settled on Roanoke Island, one of the first English settlements in America. The leader of the settlement was John White. Among these colonists was Virginia Dare, John White’s granddaughter, who was the first European born in America. …show more content…
What is most likely to have happened is that the colonists joined different Native American tribes, including the Croatoan tribe, and had tried to leave a message for John White if he were to return. “In the early eighteenth century, Croatans living on Hatteras Island claimed they used to live on Roanoke and were descendants from the English colony. Their version of events – although cloudy from being passed down by generations – is the colony was forced to disperse due to food shortages and constant fights with hostile Indian tribes” (Roanoke). In addition, “all of the structures from the colony had been dismantled, suggesting that the departure of the colonists was not hurried. The lack of bodies or burial grounds seemed to indicate there was no battle, either” (Roanoke). This indicates that there were no signs of struggle when the colonists left, so it is unlikely that they were killed. Also, if they were killed, it is unlikely that no bodies would be found to this day. They clearly had enough time to dismantle their buildings, and because no bodies were ever found, it is probable that they continued their life …show more content…
The artifacts played a role in discovering what happened to the settlers. These findings surprised historians when they took a closer look. “Two independent teams have found archaeological remains suggesting that at least some of the Roanoke colonists might have survived and split into two groups, each of which assimilated itself into a different Native American community” (Pruitt). What was discovered was supplies from Europe along with the natives’ supplies. Also, “in addition to these intriguing objects, the Cape Creek site yielded an iron bar and a large copper ingot (or block), both found buried in layers of earth that appear to date to the late 1500s. Native Americans lacked such metallurgical technology, so they are believed to be European in origin” (Pruitt). The natives would not be able to gain access to these items unless they had a source, like an English colony joining them. This proves that what really happened to the settlers is that they joined nearby
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