Reckoning Roanoke: A Historiographical Examination of the Lost Colony

Authors

Anna K. Poole, Kennesaw State UniversityFollow

Name of Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Marianne Holdzkom

Faculty Sponsor Email

mholdzko@kennesaw.edu

Author Bio(s)

Anna Poole is the author of “Reckoning Roanoke: A Historiographical Examination of the Lost Colony.” Her work utilizes a historiographical view to analyze the works of academics Lee Miller and James Horn and their research and conclusions on the Lost Colony. A junior history major at Kennesaw State University, Anna enjoys studying the past in an effort to understand how it affects the present and, most importantly, how it may shape the future.

Publication Date

Summer 7-24-2023

Abstract

The disappearance of the Lost Colony of Roanoke is an American mystery which has baffled historians for centuries. This paper takes a historiographical view of the works of academics Lee Miller and James Horn, comparing their research and conclusions on the topic. Miller’s belief that the colony was sabotaged by English secretary of state Sir. Francis Walsingham and Horn’s theory that an English desire for mineral wealth and poor preparation for survival in the New World brought about their demise are each analyzed for their legitimacy, research gaps, and possible biases. Through this analysis, it is concluded that the field of study on the attempted colonization of Roanoke and the settlers who disappeared there could benefit from a broader consideration for factors, outside of English politics and Native American relations, which may have contributed to the Lost Colonists' disappearance.