The Lost Colony of Virginia

In 1584, Queen Elizabeth granted Sir Walter Raleigh permission to explore and take possession of the land the English called "Virginia," after their virgin queen. Raleigh's ships made several visits to the New World, and in 1587, a permanent settlement was started by John White on Roanoke Island off the Carolina coast. Later that year, White's granddaughter, Virginia Dare, was the first English baby born in the New World. White returned to England to secure supplies and additional colonists but was unable to return for three years due to England's war with the Spanish Armada in 1588. When White finally returned to Roanoke in 1590, he was astonished to find all of the homes had been removed and his daughter, granddaughter, and their fellow colonists had disappeared. Despite numerous theories, the plight of the Lost Colony remains a mystery to this day. Since we could not find the Colony either, no photos are available.