Podcast Summary: Not Just the Tudors

Episode: "Raleigh and the Lost Colony of Roanoke"

Host: Professor Suzannah Lipscomb | Guest: Professor Mark Horton
Date: November 20, 2025

Overview

This episode delves into the enduring enigma of the Lost Colony of Roanoke—England’s first attempt at establishing a permanent settlement in North America under Sir Walter Raleigh. Host Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by archaeologist Professor Mark Horton, whose research challenges long-held assumptions about the fate of the colonists, revealing the powerful intersection of legend, racism, and historical fact.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Historical Scene (02:13–08:34)

• Raleigh’s Ambitions: Walter Raleigh, a favorite of Elizabeth I, obtained a patent to establish a colony in North America after his half-cousin Humphrey Gilbert’s failed Newfoundland venture.
• Why England Lagged Behind Spain: England’s delayed interest in American colonization was rooted in internal instability during Henry VIII’s reign and religious turmoil, whereas Spain was actively building its American empire.
• Early Exploration: Expeditions (1584–1587) were driven by hopes of mineral wealth, lucrative plants, fertile land, and a strategic privateering base to intercept Spanish galleons.

Quote:
“It was part empire building, part exploration, and part sheer adventure.” — Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb (02:46)

2. The Geography and Perils of Roanoke (13:25–15:38)

• Poor Site Selection: The Outer Banks were hazardous—essentially long sand dunes with unstable inlets and no safe harbors.
• Impact on the Colony: The location’s impracticality led to frequent shipwrecks and difficulty supplying the settlement, dooming it from the outset.

Quote:
“Ultimately, it was the most extraordinary, stupid place.” — Prof. Mark Horton (15:13)

3. The English Expeditions (15:38–24:42)

• First Expedition (1584): A scouting mission, establishing friendly relations with locals and painting an overly rosy picture to attract investment.
• Second Expedition (1585–1586): Led by Richard Grenville, more militaristic, worsened relations with Native Americans under Ralph Lane’s harsh leadership.
• Funding and Logistics: Privately funded by Raleigh and investors, the projects required substantial resources—“millions in modern quantity.”
• Third Expedition (1587): Intended as a civilian colony, included women (notably White’s daughter and granddaughter, Virginia Dare), skilled craftsmen, and laborers.

Quote:
“It’s such a sort of confidence trick, really. Here we are, don’t worry, we’ve got the logo and we’ll build the business. You know, come put your money in.” — Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb (22:12)

4. The Disappearance (27:35–35:12)

• John White’s Predicament: The colony, beset by food shortages, persuaded Governor White to return to England for supplies—but the Armada and English priorities thwarted his return until 1590.
• The “Clues”: White found the colony deserted, with “CRO” carved into a tree and “Croatoan” on a post, but no sign of distress (no cross mark).
• Logical Assumptions: Since Croatoan (Hatteras Island) was the homeland of the colonists’ Native ally Manteo, and they had prearranged this as a signal, it was reasonable to conclude the colonists relocated there voluntarily.
• White’s Failure to Pursue: White was denied by the ship's captain from traveling the mere 30 miles to Hatteras—a decision that has tantalized historians.

Quote:
“Even though he knows that his daughter is only 30 miles away on Hatteras Island, nonetheless, he had set sail back across the Atlantic and leave them abandoned.” — Prof. Mark Horton (34:02)

5. Myths, Racism, and the American Origin Story (38:10–47:46)

• Origin of the “Lost Colony” Myth: The actual term "Lost Colony" and the mystery surrounding it are 20th-century inventions, popularized in the 1930s by Paul Green’s outdoor drama “The Lost Colony.”
• Racial Politics: The notion that colonists were massacred (rather than assimilated) gained traction among white supremacist historians who refused to accept that “pure” English colonists might intermarry with Native Americans, especially the symbolic Virginia Dare.
• Elaborate Hoaxes: Fake “Dare Stones” were forged in the 1930s to support the massacre theory, as recent research by historian Melissa Darby demonstrated.

Quote:
“The entire idea that this is a lost colony is a racist fiction about what happened in the late 16th century.” — Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb (41:50)

6. Archaeological Revelations (44:33–48:17)

• Real Evidence of Assimilation: Archaeological digs on Hatteras Island reveal late 16th-century English artifacts integrated into Native settlements—copper buns, Nuremberg tokens, ceramics, and, crucially, hammerscale (evidence of blacksmithing, a solely European skill).
• Continued European Influence: By the 17th century, findings included firearms use, European clothing, and evidence of trade and cultural blending—matching John Lawson’s accounts of English-Native descendants.

Quote:
“So that is a smoking gun, if you like, that they’re there in these Native American villages making iron, because Native Americans certainly wouldn’t know how to do it.” — Prof. Mark Horton (45:27)

7. Rewriting the Narrative (48:17–52:32)

• A Manufactured Mystery: There is no contemporary evidence (from Raleigh or White) describing the colony as “lost”—that label is strictly a 20th-century creation.
• Alternative History: The host and guest speculate whether successful early assimilation at Roanoke might have portended a less bloody history of English-Native relations than what later occurred at Jamestown under the more brutal Stuart regime.
• Modern Resonance: The myth of white purity embodied in Virginia Dare became a rallying point for 1930s isolationists and remains potent among American white nationalists, revealing the enduring power of historical narratives.

Quote:
“Yes, the Lost Colony was never lost at all. And actually the history of America, of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America, is the history of America today, which is assimilation of peoples with each other.” — Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb (50:21)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “History is not about the biography of great men, but individuals make such a difference.” — Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb (20:00)
• “The subsequent history of English colonization is one of utter brutalism… would history have been different if the Elizabethans had been successful?” — Prof. Mark Horton (48:48)

Important Segment Timestamps

• [02:13] — Introduction to Roanoke and Raleigh’s Ambitions
• [13:25] — The Geography and Dangers of the Outer Banks
• [15:38] — The Three Main English Voyages to Roanoke
• [29:38] — John White’s Return and the “Croatoan” Clue
• [38:10] — Myths, Racism, and the Invention of the “Lost Colony”
• [44:54] — Archaeological Evidence of Assimilation on Hatteras
• [48:17] — No Contemporary “Lost Colony” Narrative: A Twentieth Century Fable
• [50:41] — Modern Political Resonance of the Virginia Dare Myth

Summary & Takeaway

This episode overturns the accepted narrative of the “Lost Colony” of Roanoke, showing that the real mystery is not what became of the colonists, but why later Americans were so invested in denying the story of successful Anglo-Native assimilation. Thanks to new archaeological finds and bold historical detective work, the legend of the doomed and vanished English is shown to be a purposeful, racialized fiction—one whose reverberations continue in modern American identity politics.

Listeners are left with a transformed understanding of both early colonial history and the power of myth in shaping national identity.