Fort Raleigh
- North Carolina
photo: John White courtesy of The British Museum
Why go there?
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site preserves the location of Roanoke Colony, the first English settlement in North America in 1587. The colony, which was promoted and backed by entrepreneurs led by Englishman Sir Walter Raleigh, failed after three years. There were two attempts to establish a permanent colony in Roanoke in 1585 and 1587, the latter became known as the “lost colony.” Despite its failure, the Roanoke Colony retains significance as the beginning of the British Empire. Today, visitors to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site can see remnants of the original fort built by the colonists as well as a replica of one of the colony's buildings. During the Civil War in 1862 the Union Army occupied the island, and soon enslaved refugees fleeing captivity established a camp. The freed residents established the Roanoke Island Freedmen’s Colony, and created a vibrant economy supporting the Army. A marble monument memorializes the Freedmen’s Colony.
