Establishment of the Roanoke Colony

Timeline

1. 1584London, England · EnglandQueen Elizabeth I granted Sir Walter Raleigh a charter to establish English colonies in North America, providing the legal basis for the Roanoke expedition. Raleigh promptly organized a reconnaissance expedition to North America to prepare for the colonization voyage the following year.
2. 1585Port of Plymouth, England · South West EnglandA fleet of seven ships under Sir Richard Grenville departed from the port of Plymouth, England, carrying some 600 soldiers and settlers bound for North America, beginning England's first expedition to permanently colonize the North American continent.
3. 1585Roanoke Island · Present-day Outer Banks, North CarolinaGrenville's fleet reached the Outer Banks of North Carolina and established an English colonial fort on Roanoke Island. Ralph Lane remained behind as governor, leading some 107 settlers to form England's first permanent settlement in North America. Grenville then returned to England to seek supplies.