So what really happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island? A colony usually disappears for one of four reasons: famine, war, death or disease. Nobody knows which of them, if any, wiped out this one. Some accounts even say the Spanish found the colony first. These are the ten biggest mysteries of the lost colony of Roanoke Island.

The Roanoke Colony was formed by the English to start a colony in America. However, the colony never was able to be formed and the people started to vanish slowly. Hence the name Lost Colony. There is a map which shows the location of Roanoke Island colonies and Jamestown.

The Roanoke Colony was formed in 1584. It was located on Roanoke Island which was then part of North Carolina. The land of Virginia was gifted by Queen Elizabeth I to Sir Walter Raleigh. Two captains namely Captain Arthur Barlowe and Captain Philip Amada where send by Sir Walter Raleigh to find out if people could survive in there. The colonists came with Captain Greenville to settle down there.

Here are some of the 10 mysteries of the lost colony of Roanoke Island.

(1) The settlers were not keen on staying there. But it was Sir Francis Drake who was an English explorer that decided to take the settlers back to England. Captain Greenville returned to the Island only to see that the colonist has left. Before returning to England he left few men on the island.

(2) In 1587 John White led a new attempt at Roanoke with 115 colonists. They were meant to join the men left behind by Captain Grenville. When they arrived, all they found were human skeletons.

(3) The first child to be born of the settlement was a girl who was named Virginia Dare. Due to disputes with local tribes many of the people were killed. Probably due to their poor defense skills, they were outnumbered and killed.

(4) White then sailed back to England to arrange supplies and reinforcements for the colony. When he finally returned to the island, the only trace left was the word “CROATOAN.”

(5) Due to war with Spain back home, none of the Englishmen were able to come down to the Island. Hence the name the “Lost Colony.”

(6) Many historians think the colonists simply moved to another settlement or area. There were several islands and communities nearby, Hatteras Island among them, and the mainland of North Carolina. It is also possible they were killed by hostile tribes who did not want them there, or that they starved.

(7) There is also a possibility of them surviving and then joining another tribe for the safety of their own kin and cattle stock.

(8) Roanoke Island was a small island which was only 2 miles wide and 8 miles long.

(9) In 2002 a bridge was built to Roanoke Island known as the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge.

(10) It is also said that they drowned due to storms or floods occurring in the area.

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