The Literature of Justification - Roanoke

Roanoke - Timeline (Expand All)

Preparation (1584)

March 25, 1584: Queen Elizabeth issues a charter to Sir Walter Raleigh so that he may settle in America. (Henry Steele Commager, Documents of American History. 8th ed. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1968.)

April 27, 1584: Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe, explorers sent by Sir Walter Raleigh, depart for the New World. They arrive on Roanoke Island on July 13, 1584. On the fourth day they are visited by Granganimo, brother to chief Wingina. When Amadas and Barlowe return to England, they bring two natives with them, Manteo (a Croatoan Indian) and Wanchese. Barlowe writes an account of the New World, which Amadas signs. The account is compiled and circulated in December of 1584. (Quinn, New American World) (Virtual Jamestown) [Display Quote]

September 1584: Richard Hakluyt the Younger writes A Discourse of Western Planting, presenting it to Queen Elizabeth in October of the same year. The intent of the document is to gain royal support and provide Raleigh with advice. (Quinn and Quinn, Discourse) (see essay by Elizabeth Wambold) [Display Quote]

1585: Richard Hakluyt the Elder writes his “Inducements” – “Inducements to the lykinge of the voyadge intended to that parte of America which lyethe betwene 34. and 36. degree” and “Inducements to the Liking of the Voyage intended towards Virginia in 40. and 42. degrees.” (Quinn, New American World) [Display Quote]

1585: Sir Walter Raleigh writes out notes planning the first colony voyage – “For Master Rauleys Voyage.” These are primarily military in style, discussing the sorts of forts that are to be built and the military style government that will be adopted. (Quinn, Roanoke)

First Colony (1585 – 1586)

June 18, 1585: Sir Walter Raleigh sends out a party under the command of Sir Richard Grenville with the assistance of Ralph Lane to found a colony to be named Virginia. Thomas Hariot (chief scientist, instructed to study Indian culture) and John White (surveyor and artist) are given special instructions to study the land and people as part of this all-male venture. They land on Roanoke Island in Palmico Sound and build a fort.

July 29, 1585: Granganimo comes with Manteo (who has returned to the Americas and is acting a sort of liaison between the English and the natives) to Port Ferdinando to discuss the location of an English fort.

August 17, 1585: Sir Richard Grenville returns to England for supplies, leaving Ralph Lane in charge of the colony, and writes an account of his voyage. (Virtual Jamestown)

Late Winter / Early Spring of 1586: Granganimo dies. Wingina, who is the chief, renames himself Pemisapan (which in rough translation indicates a distrust of white men) to show his wariness of the colonists.

March 1586: Lane takes the lame King Mematonon of Chawanook hostage and forces him to act as a guide in exploring other inhabited areas ruled by other tribes. He frees the king but keeps his favorite son, Skiko, with him. This act shows Lane’s use of Indian tribes against one another.

April 20, 1586: Ensenore, father of Chief Wingina / Pemisapan dies. He is one of the few Indians to still support the colonists and was crucial in opposing hostility.

June 1, 1586: Lane kills Chief Wingina / Pemisapan after the two plot back and forth to kill one another. Part of the reason behind the tensions was Lane’s continuous demand that the Indians provide the settlers with food.

June 19, 1586: Sir Francis Drake, stopping in during pirate raids, departs from the colony, taking the colonists, many of whom are suffering from food shortages, back to England with him, leaving behind three men who are out on an excursion. Drake had simply meant to leave the colonists with supplies and a few ships, but a major storm destroyed most of what he intended to leave, thus causing the colonists to want to leave with him. In their haste to depart, most books and writings are left behind or tossed into the sea. Drake had in his possession at the time several hundred African and Indian slaves who were either drowned in the storm or were left on the island – there is no mention of their fate.

July 1586: The re-supply ship led by Sir Richard Grenville arrives. Finding the colony deserted, Grenville leaves fifteen men to hold the fort. (Virtual Jamestown) [Display Quote]

July 27, 1586: Ralph Lane writes a report to Sir Walter Raleigh, telling him what took place during his time with the colony. (Quinn, New American World) (Virtual Jamestown) [Display Quote]

Late 1586: Richard Hakluyt writes his own rendition of the colony events. It is mostly propaganda -- glossing over the hardships of the colony, making it sound as if the colonists were in better shape than they were. There is, however, one mention of the cruelties done to the natives. (Quinn and Quinn, First Colonists)

Second Colony (1587 – 1593)

1587: Hakluyt publishes editions of Peter Martyr's Decades and Rene de Goulaine de Laudonniere's A notable historie containing foure voyages made by certayne French captaynes vnto Florida, both dedicated to Raleigh, as support for colonization.

July 22, 1587: Between 110 and 150 settlers, led by John White (Governor) and twelve assistants, arrive on Roanoke Island. They originally depart with the intention of settling in the Chesapeake Bay area but are instead forced to settle in the area of the original abandoned fort because the captain of the ship, Simon Fernandes, ordered them ashore at the old settlement so that he could get back to hunting Spanish ships. This second colony is different in that it is family structured, containing women and children, while all other previous settlements had been in a military style. Manteo returns again with the group. John White keeps a journal of events throughout their stay in the colony. (Quinn, New American World) (Virtual Jamestown)

July 28, 1587: As recounted in White's journal, George Howe, one of the assistants to Governor White, is murdered by Indians while fishing alone in shallow water. This marks the beginning of the downward spiral of English / Indian relations. (Virtual Jamestown) [Display Quote]

July 30, 1587: Captain Stafford takes Manteo and twenty men over to Croatoan Island to investigate the murder of George Howe. The Indians reveal that Howe was killed by some of Wingina’s men, who lived in Dasamonquepeio, along with Wanchese (who was one of the original Indians taken back to America with Amadas and Barlowe – upon his return to America he became hostile towards the English). The Indians said that the fifteen colonists who had been left behind were ambushed and killed by thirty warriors from the Secota, Aquascogoc, and Damonquepeio tribes. The Croatoans agree to renew old ties with the colonists but plead with them not to take any of their grain, as they are already short of food. They also ask the settlers to give them some sort of mark to identify them from Wingina’s people, so that they may avoid mistaken hostility. (In the time that Lane’s colony was in the area there were several incidents in which Croatoan people were mistakenly attacked.) (Virtual Jamestown) [Hide Quote]

and also we understood by them of Croatoan, how that the 15 Englishmen left at Roanoak the yeere before, by Sir Richard Grinvile, were suddenly set upon, by 30 of the men of Secota, Aquascogoc, and Dasamonguepek, in manner following. They conveyed themselves secretly behind the trees, neere the houses where our men carelesly lived: and having perceived that of those fifteene they could see but eleven only, two of those Savages appeared to the 11 Englishmen, calling to them by friendly signes, that but two of their chiefest men should come unarmed to speake with those two Savages, who seemed also to bee unarmed. Wherefore two of the chiefest of our Englishmen went gladly to them: but whilest one of those Savages traiterously imbraced one of our men, the other with his sworde of wood, which he had secretly hidden under his mantell, strooke him on the head and slew him, and presently the other eight and twenty Savages shewed them selves: the other Englishman perceiving this, fled to his company, whom the Savages pursued with their bowes, and arrowes, so fast, that the Englishmen were forced to take the house, wherein all their victuall, and weapons were: but the Savages, foorthwith set the same on fire: by meanes wherof our men were forced to take up such weapons as came first to hand, and without order to runne foorth among the Savages, with whom they skirmished above an howre. In this skirmish another of our men was shotte into the mouth with an arrow, where hee died: and also one of the Savages was shot into the side by one of our men, with a wild fire arrow, whereof he died presently. The place where they fought was of great advantage to the Savages, by meanes of the thicke trees, behinde which the Savages through their nimblenes, defended themselves, and so offended our men with their arrowes, that our men being some of them hurt, retyred fighting to the water side, where their boat lay, with which they fled towards Hatorask.
On the thirtieth of July Master Stafford and twenty of our men passed by water to the Island of Croatoan, with Manteo, who had his mother, and many of his kinred dwelling in that island, of whom wee hoped to understand some newes of our fifteene men, but especially to learne the disposition of the people of the countrey towards us, and to renew our old friendship with them. At our first landing they seemed as though they would fight with us: but perceiving us begin to march with our shot towardes them, they turned their backes, and fled. Then Manteo their countrey man called to them in their owne language, whom, assoone as they heard, they returned, and threwe away their bowes and arrows, and some of them came unto us, embracing us and entertaining us friendly, desiring us not to gather or spill any of their corne, for that they had but little. We answered them, that neither their corne, nor any other nor any other thing of theirs should be diminished by any of us, and that our comming was onely to renew the old love, that was betweene us and them at the first, and to live with them as brethren and friends: which answere seemed to please them well, wherefore they requested us to walke up to their Towne, who there feasted us after their maner, and desired us earnestly, that there might bee some token or badge given them of us, whereby we might know them to be our friends, when we met them any where out of the Towne or Island.

August 8, 1587: White, who had proposed a meeting of all leaders in an attempt to resolve hostilities, realizes that he will not receive an answer from the Pomeiock, Aquascogoc, Secota, and Dasamonquepeio chiefs. On the next day, in an attempt to avenge the death of Howe, White leads an attack against the village of Dasamonquepeio. Mistakenly, though, the Indians who are killed are of the Croatoan tribe who had been there to take what they could from the settlement after the Roanokes deserted it. Some of those killed were women. Because of this, the Croatoans refuse to supply the colonists with food when theirs begins to spoil. (Virtual Jamestown) [Display Quote]

August 13, 1587: Manteo is christened and, by previous orders of Sir Walter Raleigh, receives the title “Lord of Roanoke.”

August 18, 1587: John White’s daughter, Eleanor Dare, wife of Ananias Dare, one of the assistants, gives birth to daughter Virginia, the first English child born in America.

August 22, 1587: The assistants and planters request that White return to England for supplies. White refuses on the basis that he will be seen as abandoning the expedition, that his possessions will all be ruined by the time he returns. On the next day, the request is made again that White should return for supplies. The colonists provide him with a signed pledge that they will not hold him accountable for abandonment and that they will care for his possessions in his absence. White returns to England for supplies on August 28. (Virtual Jamestown) [Display Quote]

1588: Thomas Hariot’s manuscript, A Briefe and True Report of the Newfound Land of Virginia, which details his findings and observations from the first voyage, is published. It is the first authentic eyewitness account of the colony. (Quinn, New American World) (Virtual Jamestown) [Display Quote]

1588: John White writes about his failed attempt to reach the colonists (they were delayed during war with Spain). (Quinn, New American World) [Display Quote]

March 20, 1590: John White departs from England in fleet of three small ships, the Hopewell, Little John, and John Evangelist. White was merely a passenger on these ships, with the mission of relieving the colony secondary to the main mission of plundering other ships.

August 18, 1590: John White returns to find the colony, forever afterwards known as the "Lost Colony," deserted, with no trace except for the word “CROATOAN” that is carved on a post. This is an ambiguous sign, as it is the name not only of a tribe but also of a nearby island. (Virtual Jamestown) [Display Quote]

September 30, 1590: After failed attempts and poor weather, the fleet White is traveling with sets course for England. White had wanted to search further for the colonists, but the crew refused to do so.

1590: Thomas Hariot’s A Briefe and True Report of the Newfound Land of Virginia is included in the first folio edition of the younger Hakluyt’s Principal Navigations, republished with some of White’s watercolors. The book also contains several documents by Ralph Lane. It is widely read and published in English, Latin, French, and German. (see Virtual Jamestown for White's paintings)

February 4, 1593: John White writes a letter to the younger Richard Hakluyt, sending him an account of what went on in the colony. Hakluyt will subsequently publish this narrative in a later edition of the compilation entitled The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffics, and Discoveries of the English Nation. (Quinn, New American World)

Aftermath

1595: After his failure in Virginia, Raleigh leads an expedition to Guiana in search of El Dorado.

1596: Raleigh, The discoverie of the large, rich and bewtiful empyre of Guiana. London, 1596. (Ed. Neil L. Whitehead, Norman: U of Oklahoma P, 1997). [Display Quote]

1596: Raleigh's second expedition to Guiana, and a report by leader Lawrence Keymis, A relation of the second voyage to Guiana. London, 1596. (Facsimile edition New York: Da Capo, 1968)

1606: Interest in Guiana wanes.