Roanoke Island facts for kids
Maps of Roanoke Island taken from the U.S Geological Survey and the U.S Department of the Interior and NASA.
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 Roanoke Island
Location in North Carolina
Roanoke Island
Location in North America
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 35°53′20″N 75°39′40″W / 35.889°N 75.661°W |
| Area | 17.95 sq mi (46.5 km2) |
| Administration | |
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United States
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| State | North Carolina |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 6,724 |
Roanoke Island (/ˈroʊənoʊk/) is an island in Dare County, North Carolina. It is next to the Outer Banks, a string of barrier islands. The island got its name from the Roanoke people. They were a Native American tribe who lived there in the 1500s. This was when the English first came to America.
The island is about 8 miles long and 2 miles wide. It sits between the mainland and the barrier islands near Nags Head. To its north is Albemarle Sound. Roanoke Sound is to the east, and Croatan Sound is to the west. The town of Wanchese is at the south end. The town of Manteo is on the northern part of the island. It is the main town for Dare County. Fort Raleigh National Historic Site is also on the north end. The island covers 17.95 square miles. In 2000, 6,724 people lived there.
Today, U.S. Highway 64 connects mainland North Carolina to the Outer Banks and Roanoke Island. The island has fun water activities and historical places. There is also an outdoor theater. These spots make it a popular place for tourists in Dare County.
The people living on Roanoke Island are governed by the Dare County Board of Commissioners. They are part of North Carolina's 1st congressional district.
Contents
What Does Roanoke Mean?
The English colonists named the island after the Roanoke people. These Native Americans had lived there for at least 800 years before the English arrived. The word Roanoke comes from the Powhatan language. This language was spoken by tribes near the Roanoke people.
Roanoke means "white beads made from shells." It can also mean "things rubbed smooth by hand." White beads were used as jewelry and money. Coastal Algonquian peoples in Virginia and North Carolina used them.
John Smith, an English explorer, wrote about the word Rawrenock. He heard it in the Powhatan language. In his notes, Rawranoke meant the items being traded. The Roanoke people were known for trading shells. These shells were found on Roanoke Island and the Outer Banks. The Roanoke likely traded these shells and beads with other tribes far away.
Island History
The First English Colony
Roanoke Island was the location of the Roanoke Colony in the 1500s. This was the first English colony in the New World. It was in a place then called Virginia. This name honored England's queen, Elizabeth I. Two groups of colonists tried to start a settlement here. Both groups failed.
The first attempt was led by Ralph Lane in 1585. Sir Richard Grenville brought the colonists to Virginia. He planned to return to England for supplies. The colonists needed supplies badly, but Grenville was delayed. While waiting, the colonists got much of their food from a local Algonquian tribe. To get more food, Lane attacked the tribe's leader. This cut off the colony's main food source. When Sir Francis Drake arrived after attacking St. Augustine, the colonists left. They went back to England with Drake.
In 1587, the English tried to settle Roanoke Island again. John White was a colonist and artist. His daughter, Eleanor Dare, was a colonist. His granddaughter, Virginia Dare, was the first English child born in the New World. White left the colony to get supplies from England. He thought he would be back in three months. But England was at war with Spain. All ships were taken for the war. White's return to Roanoke Island was delayed until 1590. By then, all the colonists were gone. The settlement was empty.
The only clue White found was the word "CROATOAN" carved into a tree. Before leaving, White had told the colonists what to do. If they left, they should carve their new destination. If they left because of danger, they should add a Maltese cross.
"CROATOAN" was the name of an island to the south. Today, it is Hatteras Island. A friendly Native American tribe lived there. The colonists might have tried to go to that island. But bad weather stopped White from going south to search. So, he went back to England. White never returned to the New World. No one knows exactly what happened. People call the abandoned settlement "The Lost Colony."
Roanoke Island During the Civil War
During the American Civil War, the Confederacy built three forts on the island. The Battle of Roanoke Island happened on February 7-8, 1862. Union forces, led by Brigadier General Ambrose Burnside, landed on the island. They took the Confederate forts. The Union Army kept the forts. They renamed them after Union generals. Huger became Fort Reno. Blanchard became Fort Parke. Bartow became Fort Foster. After losing the forts, the Confederate Secretary of War, Judah P. Benjamin, quit. Union forces held Roanoke Island until the war ended in 1865.
Slaves from the island and mainland North Carolina escaped to the Union-held area. They hoped to gain freedom. By 1863, many former slaves lived near the Union camp. The Union Army called these former slaves "contrabands." They decided not to return them to Confederate slaveholders. These freed people started churches. They also opened what was likely the first free school for Black people in North Carolina.
Horace James was a chaplain. In 1863, the US Army made him "Superintendent for Negro Affairs." He was in charge of a camp for freed people in New Bern. He was also told to create a self-supporting colony on Roanoke Island. He thought it could be a model for a new society where African Americans would be free. The Roanoke Island Freedmen's Colony was for the original residents and new arrivals. It was also a safe place for families of freedmen who joined the Union Army. By 1864, over 2,200 freed people lived on the island.
Under James, freedmen received land plots for their families. They were paid for working for the Army. James set up a sawmill and fisheries. He also helped sell crafts made by skilled freed people. James believed the colony was an important test for free labor. He saw it as a way to resettle freed people on their own land. Teachers from the North, mostly women, came to the island. They taught children and adults to read and write. Everyone wanted to learn. About 27 teachers served the island.
In its last year, the colony had problems. There was too much crowding, poor sanitation, little food, and disease. The freed people found the soil was too poor to grow enough food for everyone. In late 1865, after the war ended, the Army removed the forts. President Andrew Johnson ordered Union Army to return land to former Confederate owners. Most of the 100 camps for freed people were on former Confederate land. On Roanoke Island, the freedmen never owned their plots. The land went back to its previous owners.
Most freedmen chose to leave the island. The Army helped them move to towns on the mainland. There, they looked for work. By 1867, the Army had left the colony. In 1870, only 300 freed people lived on the island. Some of their descendants still live there today.
Legacy of Roanoke Island
- In 2001, Dare County put up a marble monument. It honors the Freedmen's Colony at the Fort Raleigh Historic Site.
- The site is part of the National Underground Railroad to Freedom Network. This is run by the National Park Service.
- Roanoke Island was the home and burial place of actor Andy Griffith.
The "Mother Vine"
The "Mother Vine" is a 400-year-old scuppernong grapevine. It grows on Roanoke Island. It might be the oldest cultivated grapevine in the world. The scuppernong is the state fruit of North Carolina.
Education on the Island
The island is part of Dare County Schools. Students living here go to Manteo Elementary School, Manteo Middle School, and Manteo High School.
Museums and Parks on Roanoke Island
- Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
- National Wildlife Refuges Visitor Center
- North Carolina Maritime Museum on Roanoke Island
- Roanoke Island Aquarium
- Roanoke Island Festival Park
- Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse
