The English Try to Colonize North Carolina…

and Fail…Miserably

The Ralph Lane Colony• Encouraged by reports from Phillip Amadas

and Arthur Barlowe, Sir Walter Raleigh chooses Roanoke island as the site for his colony.

• Notable people involved:– Manteo and Wanchese: Indian guides and

translators.– John White: Artist– Richard Grenville: Leader of Colony at sea.– Ralph Lane: Leader of the colony on land.

Ralph Lane’s recipe for fail:• Step 1: Don’t bring enough supplies.– Ralph Lane had to send Grenville back to England for

supplies.• Step 2: Arrive too late to plant food.• Step 3: Tick off your Indian friends by constantly

begging for food.– Nevermind the fact that they have to eat too.– While you’re at it, Kidnap the chief’s son and hold him

hostage…that will totally make them want to help you.• Step 4: Brutally attack your only Indian Allies

Ralph Lane Wasn’t All Fail• Here are some things they did right:– They discovered three important new crops:• Corn-Never before seen in Europe before this time• Potatoes-That’s right, potatoes are all American!• Tobacco- Europeans thought it was awesome because

they didn’t know it killed you yet.

– John White was able to draw some pictures.• He documented the whole expedition with his artwork.• His art gave Europe its first glimpse of what the land

and people of the New World looked like.

Ralph Lane’s Artwork

Indian Religious

Ceremony

John White Gets Lost• After the Failure of the Ralph Lane colony, Sir

Walter Raleigh decides to try once more, this time with John White in charge.– You may remember John White as the artist from

the Ralph Lane Colony.• The Failure begins:– This colony was supposed to be further North in

Chesapeake bay, but Simon Fernandes, the ship’s pilot, refused to take them any further North than Roanoke Island.

So…Maybe We Shouldn’t Have Killed Those Indians…

• Remember how Ralph Lane and his buddies massacred member of the Roanoke Indian tribe? Turns out they held a grudge.– When John White and company arrive at Roanoke they

find the colony destroyed and the 15 men left there killed or missing…so now they have to start completely from scratch.

– Later, one of White’s men is brutally attacked and killed while out hunting.

John White’s Plan for Fail1) Don’t learn from the past.– Once again the English didn’t bring enough supplies so

White has to return to England.

2) Before you leave come up with a plan to leave vague clues if something happens to the Colony.– It’ll be like a scavenger hunt when you get back!

3) Show up back in England in the Middle of a Sea war with Spain.– That way you won’t be able to get a ship back to

Roanoke for two years because any boat that can hold a cannon is being used to fight.

This is barely an exaggeration of how

desperate the English Navy was for ships.

Where Did Everybody Go?• No one knows…the end.• When John White returns to Roanoke he finds no

colonists, hardly any buildings left, and the Cryptic message “CRO” carved on a fence post.– John White really, really wanted to search for the colony

but bad weather prevented him from doing so.• There are many theories as to the fate of the Lost

Colony– Indian Attack– Joined the Indians– Zombie invasion…