Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

Ref: National Park Service (2025). Fort Raleigh National Historic Site.

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Carolina Algonquian

Beliefs: Each Algonquian village was led by a werowance (chief), who inherited power through the mother’s family. Priests guided spiritual activities, worshipping Ahone, the creator. They also sought to appease the god Kiwasa, who, when not properly recognized, brought harm and misfortune.

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7 Feb, 1862: The Battle of Roanoke Island; An 11,500 union forces led by General Burnside conducts an amphibious landing on Roanoke and defeats the ~2500-man Confederate force guarding the island (Fort Raleigh, NPS).
1590: English Captain John White returns to Roanoke, England’s first colony, to check on the men, women, and children left behind in 1587 to find the English had vanished. He finds the letters “CRO” carved in a tree. Three basic theories emerged- 1) they died of natural causes; 2) they were attacked; 3) they left voluntarily (Fort Raleigh, NPS).
1584-1587: The Roanoke voyages; with the blessing of English Queen Elizabeth, Sir Walter Raleigh sends ships across the Atlantic to the new world on three separate voyages to find a suitable place to settle. On the second voyage, the English meet the local Carolina Algonquian, beginning the first sustained interaction between North American Indians and Europeans (Fort Raleigh, NPS).

8 May, 1587: The third Roanoke voyage is made as England’s first attempt to create a permanent colony in the New World. The voyage is led by Governor John White with 3 ships, 118 colonists and an unknown number of sailors and crew (Fort Raleigh, NPS).

Fall, 1587: The settlers are forced to stay on Roanoke Island. They repair the deserted and damaged buildings from the previous settlement and build new ones. With winter approaching and the planting season over, they are short of food and fearing attacks by the Roanoac and their allies (Fort Raleigh, NPS).
15 Aug, 1587: Virginia Dare is born to Eleanor and Ananias Dare, the first baby born of English parents in the New World (Fort Raleigh, NPS).
13 Aug, 1587: The English baptize the Carolina Algonquian Manteo and declare him “Lord of Roanoke and Dasemunkepeuc” in recognition of his service (Fort Raleigh, NPS).
28 Jul, 1587: George Howe, one of Governor White’s assistants, is killed by Indians while catching crabs. A week later, the colonists launch a retaliatory attack, mistakenly killing Indians friendly to the colony (Fort Raleigh, NPS).
22-23 Jul, 1587: Governor White sails to Roanoke Island to meet the 15 men left behind by Grenville’s 1586 supply ship. He finds the body of one, but the rest have vanished. He reluctantly brings the colonists ashore (Fort Raleigh, NPS).

Apr, 1585-Jul, 1586: The second Roanoke voyage is made to better understand the Outer Banks region and leads to a proposal for a permanent settlement on Roanoke Island. The voyage is led by Sir Richard Grenville and Col. Ralph Lane with 8 ships and ~600 men (300 sailors, 300 soldiers and specialists) (Fort Raleigh, NPS).

Jun-Jul, 1586: Sir Francis Drake sails to Roanoke to check on the English outpost. Col Lane and his men decide to abandon the settlement and return to England with him. Unaware of their departure, Grenville returns in July with supplies and finds the settlement abandoned. Not wanting to lose England’s claim on the land, he leaves 15 men behind with provisions for a year (Fort Raleigh, NPS).
Spring, 1586: Secotan chief Wingina plans to orchestrate an attack on the English at Roanoke. The English learn of the plot and Col Lane and his men prematurely attack the Secotan, killing Wingina and beheading him. This action made the English permanent enemies of the Carolina Algonquian (Fort Raleigh, NPS).

Apr- Sep, 1584: The first Roanoke voyage is made to explore the Outer Banks area and report back on potential settlement locations. The voyage is led by Captain Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe and comprised of 2 ships with ~80 men (Fort Raleigh, NPS).

600-900: The Carolina Algonquian arrive in the area of the modern Carolinas, absorbing or displacing earlier groups that inhabited the area (Fort Raleigh, NPS).