For centuries the disappearance of the Roanoke settlers has been one of the great mysteries of the historical community. In the span of three years, 120 settlers disappeared from an English colony on Roanoke Island, a small piece of land off the coast of North Carolina. The evidence left behind barely gives us a clue as to what might have happened to the entire colony. With the testimony of John White, the colony leader who left the settlement to get more supplies, and with the little evidence available, many theories have been formulated as to what actually caused the disappearance. When trying to draw a logical conclusion about the disappearance of the 120 inhabitants of the Roanoke colony, there are many factors to consider. Examples include issues such as betrayal, past travels, alliances, and hunger. We must look not only at the facts but also at the opinions of educated people who have studied this situation. Previous voyages to the island need to be examined carefully as does what was happening in England at the time. Interactions between nearby Native American tribes and the colony can give us some insight into where the settlers went while carefully examining the key people involved could help. In the 16th century, Englishmen who were not accustomed to being friendly to Native Americans, living off the land, or having to fight for their lives, must have had incredible difficulty staying alive. One can only infer that after the first two weeks the Roanoke settlers longed to return to their homeland. The knowledge that this would be the first English colony in America leads the public to believe that something must have happened to cause...... middle of paper...... 2012. .Miller, Lee. Roanoke: The Mystery of the Lost Colony. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction, 2007. Print. “NPS Historical Manual: Fort Raleigh (Contents).” US National Park Service: Experience Your America. Network. February 16, 2012. "The Roanoke Colony." East Buchanan Community Schools. Network. February 16, 2012. "Roanoke: The Lost Colony - Part 2 - Page: 3." Popular Archive Suite101 | Suite101.com. Network. 16 February 2012. "The Settlement at Roanoke. A Chronology. Durham University Library." One of the top 100 universities in the world: Durham University. Network. February 16. 2012. .