Introduction

In November of 1587, a report reached London claiming Sir Walter Raleigh's expedition to land English settlers in America had foundered. The colony on Roanoke Island off of the coast of North Carolina -- 115 men, women, and children -- had disappeared without a trace. For four hundred years, the question of what became of the doomed settlers has remained unanswered. Where did they go? What really happened? Why were they on Roanoke Island in the first place, as that was not their destination? Using her consummate skills as an anthropologist and ethno historian, Lee Miller casts new light on the previously inexplicable puzzle of Roanoke, unraveling a thrilling web of deceit that can be traced back to the inner circle of Queen Elizabeth's government to finally solve the lasting mystery of the Lost Colony. What theories have been suggested that have remained in tact throughout the centuries? What new developments have taken place in the last decade that keep the detectives hot on the chase of solving one of the world's greatest mysteries? [Taken directly from the overview of Lee Miller's book, Roanoke: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Colony].

Assignment

What happened to the first English colony in North America is a question that has vexed researchers since the word "Croatoan" was found carved on a tree in 1590. Miller, an anthropologist and editor of From the Heart: Voices of the American Indian (LJ 4/1/95 ), purports to solve this mystery. Using a limited number of primary sources and a significant amount of circumstantial evidence, she blames the colony's disappearance on treachery and murder she traces to the court of Elizabeth I. Conspiracy theorists should find much to savor in this convoluted story, which includes palace intrigues, cultural misunderstandings, and gray-eyed Native Americans. While the author's deductions are conceivable, there simply isn't enough evidence to support definitively the conclusions that are presented here. [Taken directly from the Library Journal review of Lee Miller's book, Roanoke: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Colony].

You are to summarize the events that lead to the mysterious disappearance of the English colony known as Roanoke. Outline the key figures in this historical drama, as well as the theories that are most widely accepted about the fate of the “Lost Colony.” Briefly touch on the current developments in this still popular historical mystery.

Published Sources

Karen Ordahl Kupperman. Roanoke: The Abandoned Colony. 2001.

Lee Miller. Roanoke: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Colony. 2001.  

Internet Sources

http://www.nps.gov/archive/fora/roanokerev.htm

http://www.lost-colony.com

http://www.jhu.edu/~jhumag/1101web/roanoke.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/03/0302_040302_lostcolony.html

http://usparks.about.com/cs/parkhistory/a/virginiadare.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/04/980428075409.htm

http://www.virtualjamestown.org/images/white_debry_html/jamestown.html