Mystery has haunted the Roanoke colony of American settlers since their strange disappearance all the way back in 1590.
The group of 115 colonists followed John White, who acted as their governor, from England to establish a community off the coast of what is now North Carolina. They arrived in 1587 and soon found they were dangerously low on food and supplies. As their leader, John decided to make the trip back to England, intending to return with more supplies.
Unfortunately, it was at the same time England was at war with Spain, meaning his return trip was postponed for three years. By the time John made it back to the island, he found it completely deserted apart from two eerie clues: a single skeleton and the word "Croatoan" etched into one of the trees.
Croatoan was the name of both a nearby Native American tribe and the island they inhabited south of Roanoke.
No one knows for sure what really happened to all of the colonists in that short time span, but it hasn't stopped them from coming up with plenty of theories.
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1. They Failed Sailing Back To England
One of the most obvious theories over the years has been that, once they realized the dire situation they were in, the colonists simply attempted to make their way back home to England, only to end up lost at sea.
2. Spanish Troops Wiped Them Out
The battle between Spain and England was raging across the pond. However, Spanish troops were also situated south of Roanoke in Florida, so it's not unreasonable to think they might have sent a group to take out the colony as an act of war.
3. They Suffered A Fatal Infectious Disease
Various Native American tribes in the area claimed to see evidence of the colony fighting against itself, leading many to wonder if a disease or plague caused the residents' mental health to suffer. This could have led to intense and violent paranoia.
4. They Resorted To Cannibalism
After evidence was discovered of at least one act of cannibalism in the later Jamestown settlement, as reported by Smithsonian Magazine, it isn't a far leap to wonder if the earlier Roanoke community found themselves resorting to similar tactics when food ran short — perhaps to the point of wiping themselves out.
5. They Were Murdered By Chief Powhatan
The chief, also known as the father of Pocahontas, allegedly confessed to John Smith that he was responsible for the execution of an entire colony, likely referring to Roanoke.
However, reports like the one done by the John Hopkins Magazine have concluded that he was probably stretching the truth to seem more impressive.
6. They Joined The Croatoan Tribe
The Croatoans lived on an island south of Roanoke that went by the same name as their tribe.
According to reports from the History Channel, researchers found evidence that the settlers integrated themselves with the tribe, and even perhaps broke off to join other tribes on the mainland.
7. The Croatoans Executed Them As Witches
The tribe believed witches could inhabit both men and women. Though there isn't much evidence to support it, there are theories that they sentenced the colonists to death after suspecting them of witchcraft.
8. They Transformed Into Trees
Crazy stories like this might have stemmed from the word "Croatoan" being etched into one of the trees on the island, leading people to believe the tribe somehow mystically turned all of the colonists into trees.
This is obviously farfetched, but a theory nonetheless.
9. They Were Possessed By The Devil
Another less likely (though still widely rumored) scenario involves the entire colony having been possessed by one of the "evil spirits" that the Croatoans allegedly believed lingered around the island.
10. They Were Cursed By Witches
Instead of being witches themselves, some folks have flipped that and wondered whether they were the victims of witchcraft that caused them to disappear. Of course, both theories are dwarfed by the more logical scenarios.
11. They Were Sabotaged By One Of The Queen's Men
Some anthropologists believe Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth I's secretary of state, made sure the colony would become stranded in a plot to discredit Sir Walter Raleigh, who funded the whole thing. Known as the queen's "golden boy," Sir Francis might have wanted to take him down a peg by foiling his grand plans even at the cost of others' lives.
12. They Were Abducted By Aliens
It wouldn't be a list of theories about a mystery without at least one involving extraterrestrials, now would it? Alien abduction and other bizarre stories always seem to make their way throughout history, and Roanoke is no different. There might not be any discernible proof to back it up, but when has that ever stopped someone from believing in intergalactic aliens influencing our world?
Do you believe any of these theories about the Roanoke colonists?
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