Located off the shores of North Carolina, Roanoke Island has been abandoned. Many theories were made about this one of a kind mystery, but presumably one stands out of the rest. The governor of the colony, John White, has left Roanoke Island and returned to England, due to the pleading for supplies. The colonists scarcely had any weapons, food, tool, pottery, etc. Before White had left the colony, the colonists were discussing amongst themselves that they should move north next to the Chesapeake Bay. They believed it was a better site for farming. When White came back from England, he saw a sign on the tree. It said “Croatoans.” White thought the colonists went to the island of the Croatoans, so he prepared his ships. A strong wind blew up and battered the ships. The coast was now too dangerous, and the ships were forced to return to England. White was never able to return to search for the colonists.
On the second attempt, which was sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh, was also a failure. White who had been a artist and a cartographer, also accompanied this expedition. It was decided that Roanoke Island was inadequate to grow crops for the colonists, so it was planned to settle north of the Island in the Chesapeake Bay area. The Roanoake’s Indians, ambushed and killed one of White's assistants, George Howe. Making the same mistake the earlier colony had made, White ordered a "revenge" attack on the Roanoake’s, but by a tragic mistake, it was Manteo’s tribe who killed Howe. But the friendly Croatoans who were attacked instead. The colonists, once again, demanded more supplies. But when White returned to England, England was in war with Spain. Queen Elizabeth wanted all the ships in England for defense against the Spanish. When White finally came back to the colony, it was too late. Our brief interview with the governor of Roanoke Island, John White just a few weeks before his first expedition is shown below.