- Fort Roanoke was the first English settlement in North America, established in 1585 on Roanoke Island (today in Dare County, North Carolina) by Sir Walter Raleigh.
- It was part of Raleigh's effort to establish a permanent English presence in the Americas.
- The site of the original settlement has not been definitively located, but it is believed to have been on the north end of Roanoke Island.
- The first group of settlers, consisting of 108 men, women, and children, were led by Ralph Lane.
- They encountered difficulties with the local Native American tribes and struggled to sustain themselves.
- After a year, the colony was abandoned and the settlers returned to England.
- In 1587, a second expedition, led by John White, was sent to Roanoke to establish a new colony.
- White's group of 115 settlers included women, children, and families.
- They found no trace of the first colonists and left behind 15 men to guard the settlement while the rest returned to England for supplies.
- By the time White was able to return to Roanoke three years later, all of the settlers had vanished, giving rise to the enduring mystery of the "Lost Colony."