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THEORIES

Which One Do You Think Is True?

Powhatan & His Warriors Kill The Chesapian Tribe

The Roanoke English settlers married into the Chesapian Tribe. Years later new English settlers arrive in Chesapeake Bay area to establish a colony. They landed on April 20,1607, and named the area the Jamestown Colony.

There was a powerful group of natives made up of Algonquian speaking tribes that let the Roanoke settlers live with the Chesapian Tribe safely for twenty years. Now more white men had moved into the area and founded a new colony. Powhatan didn't trust the white man because some of Powhatan's warriors were captured by the English. The great leader Powhatan had his warriors kill everyone in the Chesapian Tribe including the Roanoke colonist who were now part of the Cheaspian Tribe. Powhatan knew the white men lived with the Chesapians.

Killed By The Roanoacs Indians

The colonists built a wall around their homes for protection from the Indians. This was the wall that John White found on his return to Roanoke Island in 1590. The men would leave the fort to hunt and fish as the colonist's food supply eventually ran out. The Indians ambushed and killed each man as they left the fort. In time all the men were killed and the Indians captured the women and children. The Indians took the hostages to their villages to live and work as slaves.

Lived With The Croatoans

John White found clues when he returned to Roanoke Island. He thought the colonists were trying to tell him that they were going to Croatoan Island but he may have misunderstood the clues. The clues really meant that the colonists were moving inland with the Croatoans because their food supply had ran out. The Croatoans and the colonists became one group as they married one another. A United States government census in the 1800's supports the theory that the colonists married the Croatoans because they used a comparison of names from White's list of colonists to support this fact. Also other historical records from this time say that the Croatoan Indians were called Lumbee Indians. The Lumbees looked like Indians but lived like white settlers.

Moved to the Chesapeake Bay Area

The English colonists decided to move from Roanoke Island when the natives refused to share food with them. Some of the settlers had died of starvation after the winter season in 1588. The colonists moved to the Chesapeake Bay area and met friendly Chesapian Indians. The settlers taught the natives skills and the natives taught them how to survive. The colonists slowly joined their tribe as they married the natives and became one group.

Taken Hostage By The Spanish

San Augustin was a colony Spain had in the New World. This colony is located on the eastern coast of what is now known as the state of Florida, USA. Spanish soldiers who were living there in 1588 heard reports that England had established a new colony in the New World. This new English colony was located north somewhere near Chesapeake Bay. The Spanish sent their ships up the coast to destroy the English colonists. The English colonists were seen by the Spanish ships as they sailed their small boats south from Roanoke Island to live with the Croatoan Indians on Croatoan Island. The Spanish ships attacked the English colonists and took them hostage. They may have killed them. This is the reason why English settler's boats were missing when John White returned in 1590 to Roanoke.