ROANOKE ISLAND
BY:Chloe Stone
Roanoke Island Facts
- Roanoke Island is about 8 miles long and about 2 miles wide .It was named after Roanoke Carolina Algonquian people in the 16th century.Roanoke island is located between mainland and barrier islands near Nags Head.Roanoke islands population is about 6,724.
Roanoke island long ago
It was thousands of years the site of ancient settlements. Archaeologist dug holes in the early 1980 at the Tillett site at Wanchese have reveled evidence dating back to 8000 BC. Wanchese was used as a fishing village for 1500 years before English colonial settlement. Ancestors of the Algonquian speaking coalesced as a people in about 400.
The Island
Roanoke island today has shops,aquariums,hotels and more.Anyway lets stay in colonial times Roanoke Island is one of the three oldest English places in the U.S. Along with the Chowan and Neuse rivers it was named in 1584 by Captains Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe who were sent by Sir Walter.
What happened to Roanoke island
In 1584 Sir Walter's men first land on Roanoke island and find it good for a settlement.In 1585 108 soldiers come to Roanoke island to make the first colony. In 1586 Colonists and Native Americans went to war and the colony was abandoned. In 1590 Captain John White returns to Roanoke island to find the colony gone.
John Whites Return
Because of England's war with Spain, there were no ships to spare. Three years passed before John White could return to Roanoke Island with the supplies. When he finally returned to the colony in 1590, he found the island deserted. The only trace left by the colonists was a mysterious 'cro' carved in a tree, and 'croatan' carved in a fence post.