Introduction: A Moment in the American Story
Before Jamestown, before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, there was Roanoke. Shrouded in the mists of time and mystery, the story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke is one of the oldest and most haunting chapters in American history. In the late 16th century, a group of over one hundred English men, women, and children attempted to build a new life on a remote island off the coast of modern-day North Carolina. Within three years, they had vanished, leaving behind only a single, cryptic clue carved into a wooden post: “CROATOAN.” Their disappearance created a foundational American myth—a tale of ambition, hardship, and an enigma that has captivated historians, archaeologists, and the public for over four centuries. Understanding Roanoke is not just about solving one of our nation’s most profound unsolved mysteries; it is about understanding the immense risks, the cultural collisions, and the fragile beginnings of the English endeavor in North America, an endeavor that would ultimately give rise to the United States.
