Beech Tree News Network

The Mystery of Roanoke-  One of the biggest mysteries in American history is the disappearance of the Roanoke colony in modern-day North Carolina. In 1584, Sir Walter Raleigh sent an expedition which explored Roanoke Island and the surrounding region. Raleigh named the area “Virginia” in honor of Queen Elizabeth, who was known as the “Virgin Queen.” Afterward, in 1587, Sir Walter Raleigh sent John White with a party of one hundred settlers to build a settlement on the Chesapeake Bay. Instead, they settled on Roanoke Island. After being in the colony one month, White left for England to purchase more supplies. When he returned to England, John White found that England was engaged in a war with Spain and would not be able to transport him back to Roanoke for some time. After being delayed several years in England, John White returned to Roanoke Island in 1590 and discovered that the entire colony had vanished. The only clues left behind were a few relics and the word “Croatan” carved on a tree. The fate of the Roanoke colony remains a mystery to this day.