Lost Colony
Roanoke
from July 22 1587
to
?
(some point before August 18, 1590.)
the Setting
Founder drowned before it began
Good RElations
One more problem came early on when shortly after arriving the men had declared that a Amerindian had stolen a cup. What would you do for such an offense. Burn and sack the town of course.
Nice Weather
The worst drought of the last 800 years occurred in that area at that time.
July 4th
The first attempt lasted 10 months, but it did have the good fortune of beginning on the 4th of July 1584
The second (July 22, 1587) lasted only 3 years (or less).
All you can eat
The colony’s initial mainfood supply had been cut short due to a ship running into a shoal ruining almost all of it.
Cro in the Tree
Although there was a type of fail safe plan, it really was only, "Make a sign in the tree if you are going to be destroyed."
Life could not be Better
So for the record, we have some burning and sacking of indian villages, some plundering, kidnapping, and ransoming of them as well. We have some pirates in charge, and some fresh colonists. There is thousands of miles of ocean between them and their main suppliers. They are going to try and survive the worst drought in 800 years. They are the third attempt here by the English. The Spanish know they exist but don’t know where and are looking for them to destroy them. What could go wrong?
theories
There could have been....
- Spanish/French attacks
- Indian attacks
- Indian integration
- failed trip to Croatoan
- failed trip to Chesapeake Bay
- aliens
Solutions?
Some things Could have BEen better.
IN TRYING TO LAY THE GROUND WORK FOR THE COLONY THEY HAD HURT AMERINDIAN RELATIONS SEVERELY THEY FORCED AND EXTRAPOLATED RESOURCES AND INFORMATION. JOHN SMITH’S COLONY A COUPLE DECADES LATER DID THIS JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER. THEY DISCOVERED ALL SORTS OF TROUBLES BUT RATHER THAN WAIT TO SORT THEM OUT THOSE IN CHARGE FORCED THE COLONISTS THERE (LITERALLY), THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD BETTER ASSIGNMENTS MADE, AND A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY WERE GETTING THEMSELVES INTO. ALTHOUGH IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE THAT THE COLONY SHOULD BE DONE EVEN AMIDST WAR TIME, CERTAINLY MORE PROTECTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE FOR A COLONY THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST FOR THE ENGLISH WHO ENDED UP TRYING TO OWN THE ENTIRE CONTINENT. ALSO THEY COULD HAVE AVOIDED CERTAIN AILMENTS IF THEY HAD DONE A BETTER JOB OF PREPARING AND REPAIRING. THE COLONY’S INITIAL MAINFOOD SUPPLY HAD BEEN CUT SHORT DUE TO A SHIP RUNNING INTO A SHOAL RUINING ALMOST ALL OF IT, THEY WAITED 3 YRS TO TRY AND HELP DUE TO THE WAR AND OTHER VENTURES. HELP SHOULD BE HAD MUCH SOONER THAN THAT EVEN IN TIME OF WAR WITH AN OCEAN BETWEEN YOU IN THE 16TH CENTURY. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A TYPE OF FAIL SAFE PLAN, IT REALLY WAS ONLY. MAKE A SIGN IN THE TREE IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE DESTROYED. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER PLAN, FOR EXAMPLE SETTLING TWO OR THREE SETTLEMENTS AT THE SAME TIME COULD HAVE RESOLVED MOST CAUSES OF FULL FAILURE. THE PROJECT MANAGERS WERE TOO GREEDY AND DID NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE ACTUAL PEOPLE INVOLVED. THEY DID NOT SEE BACKUP PLANS OR “PUBLIC RELATIONS” AS VERY IMPORTANT. THEY DIDN’T HAVE A GOOD EXIT PLAN. AND THEY CERTAINLY DIDN’T HAVE GOOD ETHICS. THIS ALSO COULD HAVE HELPED ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE DISASTER.