The Mystery of Roanoke: The Product of Neglect In 1585, Queen Elizabeth I of England commanded that a colony be established in The New World of North America. Little did she know that mystery, starvation, and death would surround this little settlement in Virginia that would be known as Roanoke. “One hundred men, women, and children in that colony seemingly vanished into thin air” (Stewart 102). According to all sources who tried to solve this mystery, a few suggestions arise: Indian uprisings against the settlers; inadequate supplies to support them through a hard winter; and perhaps even a terrible weather event like blizzards or hurricanes. Whatever the reason for the settlement’s disappearance, one fault is clear: the English government underestimated the angry power of the Native Americans; the English did not support its citizens because of distraction by a war with Spain; and because of England’s insensitivity to the needs of its people in the New World. The war-like culture of the Native Americans near the Roanoke Island settlement created fear among the settlers. Peter Bosco, author of Roanoke: The Story of the Lost Colony, shows the history of disputes between the colonists and the Roanoke, Moratuc, and Weapemeoc tribes (43). The lack of food and supplies in the settlement caused the settlers to borrow goods from the Indians. At first, Bosco shares, the Indians offered help and friendship to the new people. Later, however, the settlers disappointed the Indians because they did not pay them back for their generosity (43). A recent video, In Search of History: Lost Colony of Roanoke, suggests that the Indians may have slaughtered the settlers in revenge for their assassination of the Indian chief Wingina. This explanation can be supported based upon our understanding of how men think; however, other forces in England could also be blamed. The unrest on the English throne may have caused the government to neglect the settlers in the New World colonies, especially in Virginia. Queen Elizabeth I found her reign in England threatened by Philip II, King of Spain, because he so very much wanted to bring back the Catholic Church to England and destroy the Church of England founded by King Henry VIII, Elizabeth’s father. War with Spain at sea required so much planning and the building of ships that all the resources of the country went into that huge project (Bosco 61). After “England’s navy soundly defeated the Spanish Armada” in July of 1588, England could take care of its responsibilities
