Elizabethan England Topic Summaries

Roanoke

GCSE > History > Edexcel > GCSE History: Elizabethan England (1558-1603) > Imperial ambitions > Roanoke
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Key terms
  • In 1585, Sir Walter Raleigh sponsored an expedition to Roanoke Island (modern North Carolina) to establish England’s first permanent settlement in North America.
  • The colony was intended to create a base for trade and a foothold against Spanish interests in the Americas.
  • Early settlers struggled with harsh conditions, lack of food, and conflicts with local Native Americans.
  • The first colony was abandoned in 1586; a second attempt in 1587 ended mysteriously, with settlers disappearing, known as the Lost Colony.
  • Roanoke was England’s first attempt at overseas colonisation, providing lessons for future ventures in North America.

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