The Mystery of Roanoke

Ten-year-old Robert Ellis could hardly believe it. It was July 1587. And finally Robert and his father were here: America! Back home in England, most people had only heard stories about this dazzling, unfamiliar land.

The journey by ship across the ocean from England had taken two miserable months. Rats nipped at people’s toes. Human waste sloshed around the bottom of the boat. If you dunked into the ocean for a bath, you might get bitten by a shark. (This had actually happened to someone.)

But when Robert stepped onshore that warm day in 1587, memories of the nightmarish trip melted away. Stretched out before him was a place of unimaginable beauty. Golden beaches sloped into glittering water. Thick forests hummed with the sound of frogs. This was Roanoke, a tiny island off the coast of what the English called Virginia. (Today, it’s part of North Carolina.)

Robert, his dad, and about 115 other people had come here for an important mission: to start a colony, a little piece of England in America. They would build a cozy village, set up farms, and gather treasures to send back home—furs, fruit, spices, maybe even gold.

But if Robert had known what would soon happen on Roanoke, he might have jumped right back on the ship and sailed home to England.

Within three years, he and the other colonists would vanish from the face of the Earth. 

Ten-year-old Robert Ellis could hardly believe it. It was July 1587. And he and his dad were finally here: America! Back home in England, most people had only heard stories about this dazzling land.

The journey across the ocean from England had taken two months. The trip was not easy. Rats nipped at people’s toes. Human waste sloshed around the bottom of the ship. If you dunked into the ocean for a bath, you might get bitten by a shark. (This had actually happened to someone.)

But when Robert stepped onshore, he forgot about the awful trip. He was standing in a place of beauty. Golden beaches sloped down to glittering water. Thick forests hummed with the sound of frogs. This was Roanoke, a tiny island off the coast of what the English called Virginia. (Today, it’s part of North Carolina.)

Robert, his dad, and about 115 other people had come here for an important mission: to start a colony, a little piece of England in America. They would build a village. They would set up farms. And they would gather treasures to send back home—furs, fruit, spices, maybe even gold.

But if Robert had known what would soon happen on Roanoke, he might have jumped back on the ship and sailed home to England.

Within three years, he and the other colonists would vanish.

For a kid like Robert living in 1587, traveling to America was almost as thrilling and terrifying as the idea of flying to the moon. Just 100 years earlier, people in Europe hadn’t known North and South America even existed. It wasn’t until the early 1500s that they found out: Amazing lands lay across the Atlantic Ocean.

Few could have imagined the wonders of the New World, as they called it. Tree after tree stretched as far as the eye could see. Giant mountains seemed to touch the clouds. Wildflowers bloomed in bright colors. And the animals! Buffalo and beavers and grizzly bears and salmon and so many flying geese that they blocked out the sun.

European countries like Spain, Portugal, France, and England were eager to seize the riches of this New World. Kings and queens sent explorers across the ocean: Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Ferdinand Magellan. Tales of their journeys spread across Europe.

For a kid like Robert living in 1587, going to America must have seemed almost like going to the moon. Just 100 years before, people in Europe hadn’t known North and South America existed. It wasn’t until the early 1500s that they found out: Amazing lands lay across the Atlantic Ocean.

Few could have imagined the wonders of the New World, as they called it. Tree after tree stretched as far as the eye could see. Tall mountains seemed to touch the clouds. Wildflowers bloomed in bright colors. And the animals! There were buffalo and beavers. There were grizzly bears and salmon. There were so many flying geese that they blocked out the sun.

European countries like Spain, Portugal, France, and England wanted to seize the riches of this New World. Kings and queens sent explorers there: Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Ferdinand Magellan. Tales of their journeys spread across Europe.

By the time Robert was born, in the late 1500s, explorers weren’t the only ones visiting America. Ordinary Europeans had started moving there to form colonies. These settlers built new towns while collecting (and sometimes stealing) natural treasures. Spain had already grown rich off its many colonies, becoming the most powerful nation in the world. England decided to set up its own colony.  

At the time, London, England, was crowded and filthy. Like thousands of others, Robert and his dad, Thomas, probably lived in a tiny, cramped home. Only very wealthy people owned land and roomy, comfortable houses. And if you weren’t born rich, you had almost no chance of ever achieving those things.

But if you joined England’s colony, you could get at least 500 acres of land in America—an area 25 times the size of the queen’s palace! To Robert and his dad, that would have seemed like something out of a dream.

And so the Ellises and about 115 others signed on to join the English colony. All were thrilled at the chance to start a better life in the New World. 

By the time Robert was born, in the late 1500s, explorers weren’t the only ones going to America. Ordinary Europeans had started moving there to form colonies. These settlers built new towns. They also collected (and sometimes stole) natural treasures. Spain had already grown rich off its many colonies. It had become the most powerful nation in the world. England decided to set up its own colony. 

At the time, London, England, was crowded and filthy. Like many others, Robert and his dad probably lived in a tiny home. Only rich people owned land and large houses. And if you weren’t born rich, you had almost no chance of ever achieving these things.

But if you joined England’s colony, your life would change. You could get at least 500 acres of land in America. That was an area 25 times the size of the queen’s palace! To Robert and his dad, that would have seemed like something out of a dream.

And so the Ellises signed on to join the English colony. They wanted to start a better life in the New World. 

But as Robert would soon find out, the New World wasn’t actually new at all. The 500 acres that he and his father were promised? That land was not England’s to give-—it already belonged to other people.

When the settlers arrived on Roanoke Island in 1587, some 7,000 Native American people were living in that area. Most belonged to tribes that were part of a big group known as the Algonquian. Members of these tribes had settled in the area nearly 1,000 years before. The Algonquian called this land Ossomocomuck.    

At that time, millions of Native peoples were living across America, members of hundreds of different tribes. Some had lived here for as long as 30,000 years. These lands had known the Mississippians, who built a grand city filled with soaring pyramid-like structures in the Midwest. Then there were the Ancestral Puebloans, who had lived in a castle-style building built into a mountain in today’s Colorado. And there were the Inuit, in Alaska, who glided through icy waters in sleek boats called kayaks.

The Algonquian near Roanoke were expert hunters. They shot deer with swift, silent arrows and speared wriggling fish from the ocean. They were also brilliant farmers, growing corn and beans and squash. During a good harvest, they would hold big, joyful celebrations around a crackling fire. 

But European explorers and settlers had put the Algonquian and other Native peoples in grave danger. Thousands were killed in vicious fights over food, land, and natural riches. Thousands more died from diseases like measles, spread by the Europeans.

So when Robert and the others arrived on Roanoke, most Algonquian in the area were already distrustful of English people. Gathering huckleberries and acorns from the woods, an Algonquian girl might have spied the Europeans building their new cottages. Her heart would likely have frozen in terror. She would have worried that the new settlers would bring more misery and death to her people.

Only one small tribe risked speaking with the newcomers: the Croatoan, who lived on an island of the same name, just south of Roanoke.

But as Robert would soon find out, the New World wasn’t really new. The 500 acres that he and his dad were promised? That land was not England’s to give. It already belonged to other people.

When the settlers arrived on Roanoke Island, some 7,000 Native American people were living in that area. Most belonged to tribes that were part of a big group known as the Algonquian. Members of these tribes had settled in the area nearly 1,000 years before. The Algonquian called this land Ossomocomuck.

At that time, millions of Native peoples were living across America. They were members of hundreds of different tribes. Some had lived here for as long as 30,000 years. There were the Mississippians, who built a grand city filled with soaring pyramid-like structures in the Midwest. There were the Ancestral Puebloans, who had lived in a castle-style building built into a mountain in today’s Colorado. And there were the Inuit, in Alaska, who glided through icy waters in sleek boats called kayaks [KYE-acks].

The Algonquian near Roanoke were expert hunters. They shot deer with arrows. They speared fish from the ocean. They were skilled farmers too. They grew corn, beans, and squash. During a good harvest, they would hold big celebrations around a fire. 

But European explorers and settlers had put the Algonquian and other Native peoples in grave danger. Thousands were killed in fights over food, land, and natural riches. Thousands more died from diseases like measles, spread by the Europeans.

So when the settlers arrived on Roanoke, most Algonquian in the area did not trust English people. Gathering berries and acorns from the woods, an Algonquian girl might have seen the Europeans building their cottages. Her heart would likely have frozen in terror. She would have worried that the new settlers would bring more trouble.

Only one tribe would speak with the newcomers: the Croatoan. This tribe lived on an island of the same name, just south of Roanoke.