I have great faith in the domino effect. One small thing can change how history has evolved. I'm certainly not the only one who believes this. Because of this belief, there have been examples of shows that show what can happen if someone changes time. You may be wondering why I'm talking about changing times. Not that I want to do this, but the story is interesting. So would anything be different if the first colony in America were different?
The United States, as many (should) know, started as the 13 colonies that were part of Britain. But there is a mystery surrounding the beginning of US history. The first colony is considered to be Jamestown, and then everything was built by that colony. Before it was Jamestown, Britain had a failed colonial attempt on the Roanoke colony.
colonize America
For many years in primary school, colonization was the main point of any social studies class. The colonies were the basis of what the United States has become. But for many years, other countries wanted the land and would do anything to get it.
Colonies and claims
Britain was not the only country that decided that the country in America was valuable. France, Spain and the Netherlands were all in the same boat when they wanted land. They wanted this country away from their country. The country where the thirteen colonies are located, which is now the east coast of the United States, was favorable. Trade was very important and this area was good for trading ports.
Christopher Coloumbus
Christopher Columbus' opinions have changed since I first learned about him. Now, instead of Columbus Day, it's Indigenous Day, which makes sense. This is to make history acknowledge that the Indians were the ones who discovered the new world while Columbus did nothing. Although for many centuries he was credited as the founder of the New World.
Columbus brought many things to the world, but at what cost? The Indians were not as advanced as the Europeans, but they knew the country they were in. It seemed as if there would be a steady trade in knowledge. Columbus learned from the natives about the land and used it to his advantage. In return, he gave native goods they had never seen before. Along with these goods, diseases did not get around the areas, which made them fatal to them.
Jamestown Colony
The Jamestown Colony came after Roanoke's failed attempt, but I think it's more beneficial to talk about Jamestown before. In 1607, an area that is now Virginia was colonized by the English. This was their first permanent settlement.
Since it was the failed colony of Roanoke, it provided insight into what the new settlers could do to ensure that the next one did not fail. When they arrived in the country, the settlers divided into three groups. These three groups had different tasks to support the settlement. There were builders, farmers and explorers.
Life in the Colony
Jamestown got off to a difficult start. When the Captain of the ship had traveled back to England for more supplies, the settlers then began to get sick. Drinking water that was not safe to drink, little food and many people got a fever.
Not only were they in danger of disease, but also war. Some groups of natives did not appreciate the settlers on their land, and this led to some bloodshed and death. But the Powhatan Indians stepped in to help the hungry in the colony. And many believe that without the help of the tribes they would not have survived. Very few colonists survived, and it was not until later in 1608 that more people were sent over to repopulate the colony.
John Smith
Disney has portrayed John Smith as a kind of prince, although he is not a fictional character, he is not a prince. And the love story between Pocahontas and him has never suited me since she was 10 years old. Peo
form their own opinions about settlers and how they treated the natives. But for Disney to try to portray that any kind of settler and native was a prince and princess, was far sought.
John Smith was part of the governing body of the colony. Along with others, too, Smith's focus was on survival and not status. Although he was in danger of being executed by the Powhatan tribe, Pocahontas rescued him. Some feel that Smith may have lied or misunderstood the incident. There are no writings from the tribe and Smith was the only colonist present, so it will remain a mystery and speculation. After that meeting, Smith was in charge of the colony, and he did his part to survive. They lost little under Smith's control. And he was able to maintain the relationship with the natives. Smith does not take credit for surviving, saying other people helped. But this was the first successful colony after Roanoke's failure.
Roanoke Colonies
Until colonization
To be successful, there must be failures. People are able to learn from mistakes more than anything else. Florentine Giovanni da Verrazzano founded the area of North Coralina that was to become the Outer Banks in 1524. He did this for the French king. After that effort, neither France nor Spain felt the need to explore the area further.
A few decades later, in 1584, England set out to colonize the relatively unexplored North America. The goal was to establish a colony to appear as if they were claiming America, since no one in Europe had done so yet.
First Roanoke Colony Trials
When the large group of settlers came over in 1585, they had struggled a bit and sailed back to England because of the small food they had left. The country and the colony were still there. This is understandable, being a new place and it can be difficult to adjust.
Raeligh, who was the one who wanted England to claim the new world. So when England gave him permission to do so, he sent out a couple of ships with a total of 600 men. During the voyage, these ships ended up spreading, and when they reached what was to become Roanoke, about 108 men remained under the command of Lane (a war veterinarian).
He left Roanoke Island due to a bad relationship with native neighbors, and returned to London to report on the country. Based on Lane's description, the country seemed favorable. And because of this, Raleigh supported yet another fleet to the New World to further establish the colony.
Finally Roanoke Colony
The last fleet sent to build the first colony in the New World was led by John White. He was to become mayor of the colony. The people tried not to give in to the violence between the natives and the lack of food. So in 1887 the second voyage was made, and it was to be different. It was obviously not meant to be one of the first American mysteries, but that's exactly what happened.
John White
John White was determined to make this new colony work. So, to do this, he had the next set of people traveling, with women and children. A total of 113 people participated in the trip. White even brought some of his own family with him. This gave him more motivation to make sure that this colony was successful.
There was still tension among the Indians in the country, and the people had quickly run out of supplies. To put it in perspective, the group left England in May 1887. They arrived in July and by the end of 1887 they were about to run out. The ships they took did not know they would need more supplies (bringing women and children was to help the colony become self-sustaining).
White went and left the colonists and his family. The return trip was difficult. There were collisions with pirates, which meant that it took longer than usual (although it takes quite a long time to travel by boat anyway.) In 1890, White was finally able to return, but that was not how he left it.
The Mystery of the Roanoke Colony
Three years after the colonization of the Roanoke colony, something strange happened. When the mayor, John White, returned with support from England, the settlers were nowhere to be found. This became the first mystery in American history, and it is very interesting.
History can be very mysterious because primary sources are real and some people are the type they need to see to believe. So how is it possible that an entire community just disappeared into thin air? What John White saw when he returned was almost nothing. A completely barren deserted land. The only thing left was the cryptic message they had carved on the tree. "Cro" or "Croatoan".
Croatian
So, what is Croatian?
I have heard croatoan as a kind of battle cry, and used in different contexts. But it comes from the missing Roanoke colony. Cryptic messages have a very strong aura around them. On August 18, 1890, only the word "Croatian" remained on an outpost. Also "Cro" was discovered carved in a tree. People have been scratching their heads about this for centuries. How could a colony with so many people just disappear?
White says he is comforted that he thinks the people moved to a new place to start the colony again. This is not a distant idea. John White needed more supplies and his return was delayed. The colonists had to do something. So a move made the most sense. Before White left for England, the people had mentioned moving if necessary. Why were there no clues? And how has it been able to remain a mystery for centuries?
The Missing Colony ... found?
Over the past decade, there have been several reports of the missing colony. I'm curious as to why I're only now learning about this and why this went right over my head. Scott Dawson wrote a book about the case and claimed that this is no longer a mystery. He states that what happened was that the natives took in the colonists and that was where they spent their days. Like I said before, this makes the most sense.
Even with the strained relationship between some tribes and the colonists, they managed
to have help with some other tribes. I have also read that during this time there was a drought that made the people even more desperate for help. The evidence for this is lacking, but was always a very strong possibility. Maybe it was that the colonists adopted the way of life of the natives and who just became who they were. So while people think they have an idea of what happened, I guess we can never really know for sure.
popularity
This mystery has captured the interest of many people. Croatian is a well-known phrase and has always been associated with the Roanoke colony. Not only is this known in the story itself, but it is shown in the media today. The Lost Colony was the center of a season of the popular show "American Horror Story".
This season of the show was very entertaining, it was a show in a show and the execution of it was amazing. Among my friends who watch it say this is one of their favorite seasons. So if you want to learn about the Roanoke colony or start down the rabbit hole, I highly recommend starting with this.
Moving Forward
The fact that American history started with a colony that disappeared without a trace amazes me. Many people have their own beliefs about what happened, and some are more fun than others. Maybe a supernatural entity wiped it out, leaving a message. Or maybe the whole colony has become a lost city of Atlantis. Which then takes the people who are in the Bermuda Triangle. It's just my imagination though. Or maybe the next person can try using an Ouija board to get to the bottom of what happened. Some need answers.
I hope that in the future people will continue to look at this mystery. It seems like the answer is right there, at the tip of the tongue, but there is just no definitive answer. I wish I could give you one, but here's at least a little story.
