Lost Colony is the name given to a settlement established in 1587 on
Roanoke Island
off the coast of what is now North Carolina. The colony
is called lost because no one knows what happened to its people or
where they went.
The Lost Colony was England’s second colony in America. The first had
been established on Roanoke Island by a group of 108 men sent to the
island in 1585 by the English soldier and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh.
But
this expedition was not successful.
In May 1587
Raleigh sent another group of colonists to America
settle on the shores of Chesapeake Bay. These colonists became the lost
colonists. They were led by John White
an Englishman who had been a
member of the first colony. When the colony landed
it consisted of 117
people—91 men
17 women
August 18
White’s daughter
girl. Named Virginia Dare
the baby was the first English child born in
America. Later in August
White returned to England for supplies War between England and Spain prevented White from returning to
Roanoke Island until August 1590. By the time he arrived
the colony
had been abandoned. The only traces of the colonists were the letters
CRO carved on one tree and the word Croatoan carved on another.
The Croatoan
or Hatteras
an island south of Roanoke Island. Although the colonists had intended
to go north by land to Chesapeake Bay
White decided to see if they had
gone to live with the Croatoans. However
a storm and the lateness of
the season forced White and his expedition to abandon their search and
