1. The first English attempt to settle in North America, Roanoke Island remains one of the most mysterious incidents of early American history
The first attempt at founding a permanent English settlement in North America, the colony at Roanoke Island was established in 1585 in modern-day Dare County, North Carolina. Suffering immediate setbacks, in no small part due to hostile relations with local natives, the endeavor was swiftly abandoned before a second attempt launched two years later. Landing in July 1587, John White led 115 colonists in settling the previously abandoned site on Roanoke Island. Experiencing precisely the same problems as before, White sailed for England to beg assistance and salvation for the fledgling colony.
Despite garnering sufficient backing for a relief fleet, the Spanish Armada the following year diverted attention and delayed White’s return to his family. During his absence, his granddaughter, Virginia Dare, became the first English-born child in the Americas. Finally reaching Roanoke again in 1590, no trace of the friends and family he had left behind could be found. A single clue – the word “Croatoan” carved into a nearby fence-post – provided little comfort or explanation. It remains unclear precisely what happened to the settlers, with suggestions ranging from total extermination at the hands of natives to relocation, and even potentially assimilation into native communities.