Coordinates: 35°53′N 75°39′W / 35.883, -75.65 Roanoke Island is an island in Dare County near the coast of North Carolina, United States. Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Dare County is a county located in the state of North Carolina. ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Largest metro area Charlotte metro area Area  Ranked 28th  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (240 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (900 km)  - % water 9. ...

About eight miles (12 km) long and two miles (3 km) wide, Roanoke Island lies between the mainland and the barrier islands, with Albemarle Sound on its north, Roanoke Sound at the northern end, and Wanchese CDP at the southern end. Fort Raleigh National Historic Site is on the island. There is a land area of 17.95 square miles (46.48 km²) and a population of 6,724 as of the 2000 census. North Carolinas Outer Banks separating the Atlantic Ocean (east) from Albemarle Sound (north) and Pamlico Sound (south). ... Albemarle Sound with the northern Outer Banks. ... The Roanoke Sound is a sound that separates Roanoke Island from Bodie Island of the Outer Banks. ... Wanchese is a census-designated place located in Dare County, North Carolina. ... A census-designated place (CDP) is an area identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical reporting. ... Fort Raleigh National Historic Site preserves the location of the first English settlement in North America. ... 2000 US Census logo The Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13. ...

Located along U.S. Highway 64, a major highway from mainland North Carolina to the Outer Banks, Roanoke Island combines recreational and water features with historical sites and an outdoor theater to form one of the major tourist attractions of Dare County. United States Highway 64 is an east-west United States highway that runs for 2,326 miles from eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. ... North Carolinas Outer Banks separating the Atlantic Ocean (east) from Albemarle Sound (north) and Pamlico Sound (south). ...

Roanoke Island is best known for its historical significance as the site of Sir Walter Raleigh's failed attempts to establish a permanent English settlement with his Roanoke Colony in the late 16th century. The fate of the final group of colonists has yet to be ascertained, leading to the continuing interest in what became known as the "Lost Colony" for over 400 years. In the 21st century, even as archaeologists, historians and scientists continue to work to resolve the mystery, visitors come to see the longest-running outdoor theater production in America: "The Lost Colony." This article is about the sixteenth-century explorer. ... Lost Colony redirects here. ...

History

The First Colony

Main article: Roanoke Colony

Roanoke Island was the site of the 16th century Roanoke Colony, the first English colony in the New World in what was then called Virginia, in honor of England's ruling monarch, Queen Elizabeth I. There were two major groups of settlers who attempted to establish a permanent settlement at Roanoke Island, and each failed. Lost Colony redirects here. ... Lost Colony redirects here. ... British colonization of the Americas (including colonization under the Kingdom of England before the 1707 Acts of Union created the Kingdom of Great Britain) began in the late 16th century, before reaching its peak after colonies were established throughout the Americas, and a protectorate was established in Hawaii. ... Frontispiece of Peter Martyr dAnghieras De orbe novo (On the New World). Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, 1722. ... The 1609 charter for the Virginia colony from sea to sea The Virginia Colony refers to the English colony in North America that existed during the 17th and 18th centuries before the American Revolution. ... This article is about Elizabeth I of England. ...

The first attempt to establish the Roanoke Colony was run by Ralph Lane after Sir Richard Grenville, who had transported the colonists to Virginia, returned to England for supplies as planned. Unfortunately for the colonists, who were desperately in need of supplies, Grenville's return was delayed. As a result, when Sir Francis Drake put in at Roanoke after attacking the Spanish colony of St. Augustine, the entire population of the colony returned with Drake to England. Sir Richard Grenville (June 6, 1542 – September 10, 1591) (sp. ... This article is about the Elizabethan naval commander. ... Nickname: Location in St. ...

In 1587, the English again attempted to settle. John White, father of one of the colonists, and grandfather to the first English child born in the New World, Virginia Dare, left the colony to return to England for supplies that he felt would help the colonists to survive, expecting to return to Roanoke Island within 3 months. Instead, he found England at war with Spain, and all ships were confiscated for use of the war efforts. His return to Roanoke Island was delayed until 1590. When he finally returned, the colonists had disappeared. The only thing he found was the word "CROATOAN" carved into a post of the fort and "CRO" carved into a nearby tree. Before leaving the colony for England three years earlier, White left instructions with the colonists that if they were forced to abandon their settlement on Roanoke, that they were to carve out a cross on a tree upon the island. Upon seeing these carvings, White must certainly have felt some sense of relief, as "CROATOAN" was the name of an island to the south (modern-day Hatteras Island), where a friendly native tribe were known to live, and it was thus reasonable to assume that the colonists had left the Roanoke settlement bound for that island. However, foul weather would keep White from venturing south to search on Croatoan for the colonists, and they returned to England. White would never return to the New World. The fate of the colony has never been authoritatively ascertained, and consequently it became known as "The Lost Colony".

The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. Specific concerns may be found on the talk page. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions.

The external links in this article may not comply with Wikipedia's content policies. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links.

When John White traveled back to Roanoke Island, in 1590, he found no one was there any longer, but he did find a fence, a camp fire, a tree with the letters 'CRO' on it, a tree with the word 'CROATON', and the remainder of a foot. There are many theories as of to what happened to Roanoke Island. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links Broom_icon. ...

Battle of Roanoke Island

Map of Roanoke Island showing Rebel forts

During the American Civil War, the island was first fortified by the Confederacy. The Battle of Roanoke Island (February 7–8, 1862) was an incident in the North Carolina Expedition of January to July 1862, when Brigadier General Ambrose E. Burnside landed an amphibious force and took Confederate forts on the island. Afterwards, the three Confederate forts on the island were renamed for the Union generals who had commanded the winning forces: Fort Huger became Fort Reno; Fort Blanchard became Fort Parke; and Fort Bartow became Fort Foster. This incident would eventually lead to the resignation of Confederate Secretary of War Judah P. Benjamin . Roanoke Island remained under Union occupation for the duration of the war. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem (none official) God Save the South (unofficial) The Bonnie Blue Flag (unofficial) Dixie (unofficial) Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia (May 29, 1861–April 2, 1865) Danville, Virginia (from April 3, 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Religion... Battle of Roanoke Island Conflict American Civil War Date February 7-8, 1862 Place Dare County, North Carolina Result Union victory The Battle of Roanoke Island, also known as the Battle of Fort Huger, took place from February 7-8, 1862 in Dare County, North Carolina as part of Union... is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about 1862 . ... Portrait of Ambrose Burnside by Mathew Brady, ca. ... It has been suggested that Landing operation be merged into this article or section. ... In this map:  Union states prohibiting slavery  Union territories  Border states on the Union side which allowed slavery  Kansas, which entered and fought with the Union as a free state after the Bleeding Kansas crisis  The Confederacy  Confederate claimed and sometimes held territories During the American Civil War, the Union... Judah Philip Benjamin (August 6, 1811 – May 6, 1884) was an American politician and lawyer. ...

Slaves from the island and the mainland of North Carolina fled to the occupied area with hopes of gaining freedom. By 1863, a substantial number of these former slaves, known as "contrabands," were living on the fringe of the Union camp. They had built churches and opened what was most likely the first free school for blacks in North Carolina. Fearing that this freedmen's camp might lead to problems related to sanitation and soldiers' discipline, the Union Army established an official freedmen's colony on the island. In addition to its original residents, it was to serve as a refuge for the families of black soldiers who enlisted in the Union Army. The superintendent of the colony, Horace James, had great hopes for the colony, viewing it as a grand social experiment. Northern missionary teachers, mostly women, journeyed to the island to help with the experiment. poop. ... The 21st Michigan Infantry, a company of Shermans veterans. ... For other uses, see Missionary (disambiguation). ...

External links

• Battle summary: Battle of Roanoke Island
• Roanoke Island Freedmen's Colony
• Article in Atlanta Journal about Lumbee and Lost Colony
• Roanoke Adventure Museum
• Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
• Roanoke the Accidental Colony
• Lost Colony Blog

v • d • e The Outer Banks of North Carolina
Landforms	Bodie Island · Roanoke Island · Pea Island · Little Hatteras Island · Hatteras Island · Cape Hatteras · Ocracoke Island · Portsmouth Island · Core Banks · Cape Lookout
Places	Currituck County · Dare County · Hyde County · Carteret County Carova Beach · Corolla · Duck · Southern Shores · Kitty Hawk · Kill Devil Hills · Nags Head · Manteo · Wanchese · Rodanthe · Waves · Salvo · Avon · Buxton · Frisco · Hatteras · Ocracoke · Portsmouth
Waterways	Atlantic Ocean · Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway · Currituck Sound · Albemarle Sound · Croatan Sound · Roanoke Sound · Oregon Inlet · Pamlico Sound · Hatteras Inlet · Onslow Bay · Raleigh Bay · Ocracoke Inlet · Core Sound · Drum Inlet · Barden Inlet · Back Sound · New Inlet · Isabel Inlet
Lighthouses	Currituck Beach Light · Bodie Island Light · Cape Hatteras Light · Ocracoke Light · Cape Lookout Light
Protected areas	Cape Hatteras National Seashore · Cape Lookout National Seashore · Fort Raleigh National Historic Site · Jockey's Ridge State Park · Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge · Wright Brothers National Memorial
Transportation	North Carolina Highway 12 · U.S. Highway 64 · U.S. Highway 158 · Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge · First Flight Airport · Billy Mitchell Airport · North Carolina Ferry System