The Lost Colony of Roanoke: America's Greatest Disappearance
In 1587, more than one hundred English settlers arrived on a small island off the coast of present-day North Carolina with a single goal: to establish England's first permanent colony in the New World. Three years later, every single one of them had vanished. There were no bodies. No signs of battle. No evidence of what had happened. Only a single word remained carved into a wooden post: CROATOAN More than four centuries later, the Lost Colony of Roanoke remains one of history's greatest unsolved mysteries. England's Dream Of A New World During the late sixteenth century, England was eager to challenge Spain's growing dominance in the Americas. The expedition was sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh, who hoped to establish a permanent English settlement across the Atlantic. Roanoke Island was selected as the ideal location. Unlike previous military expeditions, this colony was intended to become a thriving community. Men, women and children crossed the ocean carrying supplie...