Return to Roanoke In 1585 Richard Grenville and Ralph Lane set out on the second journey to Roanoke. Thomas Hariot and artist John White were part of the voyage. Hariot planned to study the land and people and a White planted to draw them. The other men on board were colonists who were to start a settlement and look for ways to earn a profit. The journey got off to a bad start. The ship ran aground in the Pamlico Sound and most of the food on the ship was spoiled from water that came into the ship. Eventually the settlers found a site on Roanoke Island and began to explore. Wanchese and Manteo returned to their village and reported to their village about their trip to England. Since the colonist’ food had been lost, they would need the Indians’ help to survive. Manteo urged the Indians to help the settlers, and Wanchese argued against it. In the end, Wingina and his council decided they would give the settlers food. Hospitality to strangers was part of Native American culture.

Setting up the colony Richard Grenville departed for England to get more supplies, and he left Ralph Lane in command. Thomas Hariot traveled through the countryside observing the plants and animals and talking to the Indians. John White drew beautiful pictures of the inhabitants, their villages and their ceremonies. The other colonists were less productive. Most of them were soldiers, not farmers. They spent a lot of time looking for gold and silver instead of hunting, fishing and growing corn. When winter came, the men had not even built houses for themselves and they continued to depend on the natives to feed them. The Indians didn’t have a lot of extra food to give out. Relations between the colonists and Indians became strained. Eventually Wingina stopped giving food to the colonists. Ralph Lane was angry. Suspecting the Indians meant to starve or murder the colonists, Lane decided to strike first He invited Wingina and his advisors to a conference. Once the Indians were gathered, the colonists began to shoot. Within moments, Wingina and his advisors lay dead.

Setting up the Colony Part 2 Just a week later, an English fleet sailed into the harbor, commanded by Sir Francis Drake. A sudden storm destroyed a ship and provisions that Drake had planned to leave with the colonists, and in the end Lane decided to return to England. Two weeks later, Grenville returned from England with more supplies and more people. But when he found the colony deserted, he left only a handful of soldiers behind to hold England’s claim. They were never heard from again.

Questions for Setting up the Colony 1. Who were the leaders of the group? What jobs did Thomas Hariot and John White do? 2. Why did the journey get off to a bad start? What was the important decision that the natives of Roanoke had to figure out? What was the decision the natives finally made? 3.What was the major problem of the colonists? Why were the relations strained? What did Ralph Lane eventually do? 4. What happened to Sir Drake when he arrived with his fleet. Where did Ralph Lane go? What eventually happened to the colony?