After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal Lost Colony of Roanoke: Mystery of Virginia Dare
May 12, 2025
Misha Ewen, a lecturer in early modern history and author of The Virginia Venture, joins to unravel the mystery of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America. They explore the intriguing fate of the lost colony of Roanoke, the significance of family in colonization, and how legends have evolved over time. Ewen discusses the contested identity of Virginia and the implications of the mysterious Dare stones, shedding light on how these stories intersect with issues of race and nationalism in American history.
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Women Key to Permanent Colonies
- Bringing women and children to Roanoke was a novel and deliberate strategy to create permanent English settlements.
- Women served practical domestic roles and helped attract and retain men of good character.
Fate of Lost Colonists
- The lost colonists likely assimilated with the Croatan people after losing contact and supplies.
- Men of fighting age may have faced hostility, while women and children might have been absorbed into Indigenous communities.
Virginia Dare as White Supremacy Symbol
- 19th-century myths transformed Virginia Dare into a symbol for white supremacist and nationalist America.
- Her story was used to promote racial purity and white American identity, a completely fictional narrative.
