Founded in 1585 by Sir Walter Raleigh, Roanoke was intended to be parasitic. It would be a base from which English privateers would loot the Spanish treasurer fleet that had acquired its wealth by plundering the Indian civilizations of Central and South America (Kupperman, 13). Having a base off the Outer Banks of North Carolina would mean that ships could spend a year or more in the Caribbean, calling in at Roanoke for supplies and refitting as needed and attacking enemy vessels whenever the opportunity was offered. Privateering determined RoanokeÆs location. Near enough to the West Indies to be a useful base, yet so secluded it would be difficult for pursuing Spaniards to find (Kupperman, 13).
Since the colony of Roanoke was founded as a base for privateering, the settlers chosen to populate it were also selected by this qualification. Most were veterans of the Irish and European wars and their experience made them capable of defending Roanoke, especially from the Spanish (Kupperman, 13). However, these colonists would prove extremely poor at building a society and maintaining the good relationships with the Indians that were crucial to success.
After Richard Grenville transported the first colonists to Roanoke in 1585, Ralph Lane assumed the duty of running the colony. Unfortunately, the interests of the colony at Roanoke were always secondary. As a second supply ship was being sent to the colony by Raleigh it was diverted by the queen to Newfoundland to warn the English there that Spain had seized all English ships in Spanish harbors and that a sea war was beginning. At the same time Richard Grenville arrived back in England from Roanoke and on the voyage home had captured the Spanish Santa Maria de San Vicente (Kupperman, 25). The treasure carried by the Spanish galleon was immense and spread the fame of Roanoke as a privateering base throughout England. The success of Grenville guaranteed that nothing that con...