19357 - Roanoke: The Lost Colony through DNA

Course Overview

The lost colonists of Roanoke were left on Roanoke Island in present day North Carolina in 1587 in order to establish the first British colony in America. A vessel was sent back to England with Governor John White to obtain supplies and was subsequently unable to return until 1590. Upon the return of the supply ship, the colony was gone, not destroyed, but removed. The only clue was the name Croatan carved into a tree. John White, whose daughter, son-in-law and grandchild were among the missing, began a lifelong quest to find the colonists. Some historians say they perished, but clues and rumors persisted for decades that they did not, that they either were captured by or assimilated into the local native population. We will investigate America’s oldest missing person’s case, the lost colony of Roanoke Island. A documentary will be shown that shows a new DNA study that reveals groundbreaking evidence about the fate of the 16th century settlers.

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