It Was Not the First Time

Hey Folks,

Thought we could touch on the Roanoke Fiasco today.  Most people assume that those "pilgrims" in 1620, little settlers that they were, happened to make the first attempt to stay in the Virginia Territory.  Well, that's just wrong. 

In 1587, John White led the second English party to the area, and they planted themselves in what is now Roanoke, Dare County, NC (remember, the colony in its entirety covered a huge territory).  But these men and women were in trouble from day one.  Previous visitors had attacked the Croatan neighbors, who didn't exactly break out the welcome wagon this time around.  One bright spot came in August, when Eleanor Dare, daughter of White, gave birth to the first English child of record in America.  She named her Virginia, so originality was not her strong suit, but Elizabeth was the Virgin Queen (hmmm) at the time. 

Well, because their search for gold (yep) and their affairs with the natives of the area were failing tremendously, White returned to England unusually later that same year.  Then the Spanish-Anglo War and the Armada got in his way, preventing a safe return--for three more years.  When he finally arrived in Roanoke, the governor found that, quite literally, no one was home.  While barricades, cabins, and make-shift shelters stood as he'd left them, there was no sign of life.  Nor did he locate any clues to confirm what had happened.  Was it disease, starvation, raid, all of these?  The only questionable evidence White came upon was the word "Croatan" carved into a tree trunk.

So, here's the great mystery.  Where did these 100 plus English invaders go?  Did they die?  Did the survivors relocate to Croatan Island?  Did the natives wipe them out or take them captive and leave a calling card?  Did they go willingly?  Did they vanish for a combination of these reasons?

And little Virginia Dare would have turned three the very day of her grandfather's reappearance.  Had she survived?  The answer is most obviously no.  But even today in NC and Virginia, her loss fascinates both locals and tourists.  For many decades, people claimed to spot Croatan descendants with blue eyes, therefore giving rise to the legend that she was reared by and married to the natives, producing a line of "white Indians."  For their part, the people who had tried originally to live in peace with the English came to tell stories of the blue-eyed deer, believing that the child had becme a totem to ensure her own survival.

At any rate, for those of you who learned that the "pilgrims" came over in 1620 on the Mayflower, you now understand that they were greeted by others who spoke English--and for a very good reason.

Here's to Virginia Dare and hoping she roams the Carolina woods still.

Have a great day!

VK