Jamestown
The story of Jamestown was one of America's first documented mysteries. There are clear facts about this voyage that have been documented. In 1587, John White did make a temporary establishment on or near Roanoke Island, and that after leaving for three years did return to the island in 1590. On his return, all traces of the colonist having lived there for those three years had vanished. No Jamestown colonist is known to be seen from again. So what happened to them during those three years? Jamestown, which was led by Governor John White, landed on Roanoke Island between April and late July 1587 and was a royal grantee of Sir Walter Raleigh. Jamestown was a small, self-supporting community that was suppose to be protected by the Chesapeake Indians who were know to help English visitors. The colony was made up mostly of people on the middle to lower social and economic ladder. These people were willing to work for a living, farming or do crafts to form an English society on American soil. Each colonist was in turn given 500 acres for their trouble. 150 persons intended to start the voyage to America in the spring but because of financial troubles only 118 were finally able to set sail. The voyage was an unhappy
Assuming that the party awaiting White's return left and went to Croatoan, they probably would not have made anymore contact with the rest of the colony. So, the two groups were divided by a substantial stretch of land and water. These men probably intermarried and integrated into the respective Indian community. Raleigh: North Carolina Departmental Cultural Resources, 1984. White proceeded to uncover the remains of his own possessions, his pictures and maps had been spoiled by rain and his armor was rusted because scavenging Indians had dug the storage chest from the ditch in which they were buried and then had left them. On the other hand how long did the men awaiting Whites return stay on Roanoke Island? Old Frame houses and a commanding building had been on the island from an earlier trip in 1585 and were restored by the colonist along with an enclosure and a main entrance. This construction of the palisade involved considerable labor and must have taken some time to build. So from this most assume that the English men lived fairly conformably on the island, surviving the winter without any serious loss. This can not be established but the solidity of the barrier they build suggests it. These men expected White anytime after Easter and probably grew impatient, so there is no assurance that they stayed on the island any time after June 1588. From 1603 to around 1609 there are substantial but yet circumstantial indications. It does seem likely, although it remains to be proved by precise evidence, that second hand news had reached England of the survival of the settlement in the vicinity of Chesapeake Bay. Some voyages were sent out to look for the Lost Colony but no evidence was ever found. Quinn, Beers David. The Lost Colony: Their Fortune and Probable Fate,
Some common words found in the essay are:
Croatoan Mantoe, Virginia Dare, Chesapeake Bay, Roanoke Island, Chesapeake Indians, Native American, John White, Island Frame, Bay Armada, Principal Navigations, chesapeake bay, roanoke island, jamestown colonist, happened jamestown, white returned, north carolina, john white, lost colony, english settlement, awaiting white's return, main body, stay roanoke island, quinn beers david,
Approximate Word count = 2826
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)
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