Summary Worksheet

Directions: Read each passage.

Highlight or underline necessary information. Write your summary.

1. The English were not the first Europeans to

land their ships on American soil. The Vikings The English were not the first Europeans on
had discovered North America in the 11th American Soil as Vikings, Spanish and
century. Columbus landed in the Bahamas in
1492 for Spain, and the French began
French had already, however their
expeditions to the New World in 1524. But the presence was important in establishing
first English presence in North America is modern day America.
important because the thirteen English
colonies that would later be established
eventually became the country now known as
the United States of America.

2. In April of 1585 Sir Walter Raleigh, under the

authority of Queen Elizabeth of England, sent In 1585, England sent an expedition to find
an expedition of seven ships carrying 600 men, an English colony in North America as a
half of them soldiers, to found an English
colony in North America. The colony was to be
base for the English navy.
used to establish an English presence in the
New World as well as a base from which
English privateers, or pirates, could attack and
plunder Spanish treasure fleets. Raleigh’s
cousin, Sir Richard Grenville, led the
expedition.

3. In July of that year the bulk of the fleet

reached a small island off the coast of Virginia The English colonists reached a tribe called
that was called Roanoke. After building a small Aquascogoc in July and accused the natives stole a
fort on the north side of the island, the silver cup, resulting in angry exchanges.
colonists initiated relations with a Native
American tribe that lived on the island, the
Aquascogoc. These natives showed little
interest in building relations with the English
colonists, and they soon parted company. After
this encounter, however, the English noticed
that one of their silver cups had gone missing,
and they attributed its disappearance to the
Aquascogoc. Grenville, the English captain, was
furious. He believed that the Aquascogoc had
stolen the silver cup. Whether or not this was
true, angry exchanges followed and soon the
English burned the Aquascogoc village. The
English held their fort against the subsequent
attacks of the natives.

4. Despite their success in battle, the colonists

had a miserable time because they were As the English missed they’re home and after not
mainly soldiers and adventurers, not farmers. finding gold and silver on the island they abandoned
They were hungry. They missed the comforts this colony.
of England, such as soft feather beds and
dainty foods. Also they had expected to find
gold and silver on the island, and were
disappointed when they found none. Grenville
soon tired of these conditions and set out on
his ship to plunder Spanish treasure fleets and
return to England. The colony was gradually
abandoned.

5. In 1587 Sir Walter Raleigh dispatched a further

The first English person born in America was expedition of three ships and 150 colonists, led by
named Virginia and the adventurers ran into John White, to Roanoke. This time the expedition
trouble with the Natives, causing them to seek included women and children, including White’s
help from Sir Walter Raleigh. pregnant daughter, Elenora. Shortly after they reached
Roanoke, Elenora delivered a child whom they named
Virginia. Virginia was the first English person born in
America. But the English soon ran into more trouble
with the Native Americans. A colonist named George
Howe was killed by natives while searching for crabs
alone on the beach. The colonists were scared. They
persuaded White to sail back to England to ask Sir
Walter Raleigh for help. White left behind 114
colonists, including his daughter Elenora and
granddaughter Virginia.

6. Unfortunately for White and the colonists, England

was preparing for a naval war with Spain. All shipping
As English ports were closed due to the naval from English ports was ceased. It took White three
war, White only got back to Roanoke three years years to get his relief expedition back to Roanoke.
later only to find the colonists missing with some When he returned in August of 1590, White found no
clues leading to nowhere. sign of his daughter, granddaughter, or anyone else.
They found three letters, “CRO,” carved on a tree and
the full word, “CROATOAN,” on a nearby post. Possibly
this referred to the Croatoan Island, which was nearby.
White searched long and anxiously, but failed to find
them.

7. No further trace of the lost colony has ever been

 found. Sir Walter Raleigh himself searched for the
The disappearance of the colonists are still a colonists in 1595, and he sent another search-party in
mystery today . 1602, but nothing came of either attempt. To this day
no one knows for certain what happened to the
colonists.