England was at war with Spain.
White could not find any ships to take to Roanoke because of the fighting.
After three years, White found a group of privateers who said they would take him to Roanoke.
He landed on Roanoke Island on 15 August 1590.
The colony was empty.
All 90 men, 17 women, and 11 children were gone.
There were no signs of fighting.
The people had just disappeared.

The only thing White found was the word "CROATOAN" carved on a tree.
The word "CRO" was carved on another tree.
All of the houses and buildings had been taken apart.
This means that the colonists did not leave in a hurry.

White had told the colonists what to do if something bad happened to them.
He told them to carve a Maltese Cross on a tree if someone made them leave the colony.
The colonists didn't carve the cross on any of the trees.
White thought that the colonists had gone to an island called Croatoan Island. (
Today, Croatoan Island is called Hatteras Island.)

The men who brought White to Roanoke did not let him search Croatoan Island.
They wanted to leave because there was a big storm coming.
They left on 16 August 1590 and went back to England.

In 1602, Raleigh decided to find out what happened to his colony.
He sent several ships to the colony.
A man named Samuel Mace was in charge.
Raleigh bought all of the ships and promised that the sailors would be paid.
He did this so they would not go privateering on the way to Roanoke.

The ships stopped at the Outer Banks to pick up some sassafras and other aromatic woods.
These plants were used to make perfume in Europe.
They could be sold in England for a lot of money.
By the time they finished getting the sassafras, the weather had gotten bad.
The ships turned around and went back to England.
They never got to Roanoke Island.
Raleigh could not send any more ships to Roanoke because King James I arrested him for treason.

The Spanish also tried to go to Roanoke.
They knew that Raleigh wanted to use the colony for privateering.
They wanted to destroy the colony so he could not do that.
The Spanish thought that the colony was a lot more successful than it really was.
In 1590, the Spanish found the remains of Roanoke by accident.
They didn't think it was the Roanoke Colony.
They thought it was a small settlement outside of the main colony.
They thought that Roanoke Colony was by the Chesapeake Bay. (
That was where John White was supposed to set up the colony.)
The Spanish could not get enough ships and people to look for the Roanoke colony because of the Anglo-Spanish War.
England was at war with Spain. White could not find any ships to take to Roanoke because of the fighting. After three years, White found a group of privateers who said they would take him to Roanoke. He landed on Roanoke Island on 15 August 1590. The colony was empty. All 90 men, 17 women, and 11 children were gone. There were no signs of fighting. The people had just disappeared.
The only thing White found was the word "CROATOAN" carved on a tree. The word "CRO" was carved on another tree. All of the houses and buildings had been taken apart. This means that the colonists did not leave in a hurry. 
White had told the colonists what to do if something bad happened to them. He told them to carve a Maltese Cross on a tree if someone made them leave the colony. The colonists didn't carve the cross on any of the trees. White thought that the colonists had gone to an island called Croatoan Island. (Today, Croatoan Island is called Hatteras Island.)
The men who brought White to Roanoke did not let him search Croatoan Island. They wanted to leave because there was a big storm coming. They left on 16 August 1590 and went back to England.
In 1602, Raleigh decided to find out what happened to his colony. He sent several ships to the colony. A man named Samuel Mace was in charge. Raleigh bought all of the ships and promised that the sailors would be paid. He did this so they would not go privateering on the way to Roanoke.
The ships stopped at the Outer Banks to pick up some sassafras and other aromatic woods. These plants were used to make perfume in Europe. They could be sold in England for a lot of money. By the time they finished getting the sassafras, the weather had gotten bad. The ships turned around and went back to England. They never got to Roanoke Island. Raleigh could not send any more ships to Roanoke because King James I arrested him for treason.
The Spanish also tried to go to Roanoke. They knew that Raleigh wanted to use the colony for privateering. They wanted to destroy the colony so he could not do that. The Spanish thought that the colony was a lot more successful than it really was. In 1590, the Spanish found the remains of Roanoke by accident. They didn't think it was the Roanoke Colony. They thought it was a small settlement outside of the main colony. They thought that Roanoke Colony was by the Chesapeake Bay. (That was where John White was supposed to set up the colony.) The Spanish could not get enough ships and people to look for the Roanoke colony because of the Anglo-Spanish War.
Roanoke Colony