But in 1587, Raleigh sponsored another settlement attempt and this one was different. Different in that for the first time families came. This was the first hint that the English settlements might depart from the Spanish model. During this settlement attempt the first English citizen was born in America, a girl named Virginia Dare. The leader of this expedition was John White, adventurer and artist. After helping everyone get settled, White returned to England for more supplies. He was delayed for three years, however, due to the war between England and Spain. You will recall of the greatest sea battles in history took place between these two countries in 1588, the Battle of the Spanish Armada. It was not until after the English defeat of the Spanish Armada that White could return to Roanoke. He eventually returned in 1590 to find the island completely deserted. White later wrote, “I found my books torn from the covers, the frames of some of my pictures and maps rotten and spoiled with rain.” He failed to find any hint of their new location other than the word CROATOAN was carved on a post. There was an island nearby with a similar name and White thought that perhaps the settlers may have gone there. But bad weather did not permit White to investigate and he eventually returned without ever knowing what happened to the settlers and it remains a mystery to this day. In the decades that followed sailors exploring the coastal region of the Carolinas reported seeing Caucasians interspersed with the Indians, leading some to think that at least some of English settlers survived and assimilated into Indian culture. Beyond this, no one really knows.