Virginia, 1583-1586.

In the late 1500's, on the small island of Roanoke, approximately 120 English settlers to the New World disappeared without a trace. They left no signs of struggle and no clues to follow except the word "CROATOAN" carved into a nearby tree. To this day, we don't know for certain what happened to these English men and women who chose to settle in America. In this first of a two-part exploration, we look at the first founding of Roanoke that was eventually abandoned under threat of Indian attack. Who led the expedition to Virginia, and why? Then in the next episode we can look at the second attempt the following year, where an entire colonial town vanished without a trace.