John White led 117 colonists to establish England's first permanent North American colony. His return to England for supplies was delayed three years by the Anglo-Spanish War. When he returned in 1590, the houses had been dismantled, no one was there, and the word "CROATOAN" was carved on a tree. In 2012, suspected colonial artifacts were found inland, but the fate of the 117 remains undecided.
Account
John White led 117 colonists to establish England's first permanent North American colony. His return to England for supplies was delayed three years by the Anglo-Spanish War. When he returned in 1590, the houses had been dismantled, no one was there, and the word "CROATOAN" was carved on a tree. In 2012, suspected colonial artifacts were found inland, but the fate of the 117 remains undecided.
Sources
- British National Archives colonial records
- North Carolina archaeological survey
- American Historical Review