Native American Attack Theory
This theory about the Native Americans is twofold. Many historians believe that the Native Americans killed the Roanoke colonists, while others believe that the Native Americans welcomed them into their tribe and they became assimilated. The Native American Attack Theory begins in 1585, a year prior to the establishment of the permanent Roanoke Colony. Sir Richard Grenville led an expedition off the North American coast for possible locations to build a permanent English colony. Support for the theory that the Native Americans killed the colonists comes from the fact that the original scouting group, led by Sir Richard Grenville, burned down the village of a Native American tribe called the Aquascogoc in retaliation for an alleged theft. The English stated that the Native Americans stole a silver cup. The following paragraph explains the incident:
The Englishmen had been visiting the nearby Native American tribes in an effort to scout out the area and determine how safe it was to set up a colony. Sir Richard Grenville led the expedition. The day after the party visited the Secota, (a local Native American Tribe) the colonist discovered that one of their silver cups was missing. The English traced the loss to their visit to the Aquascogoc village, and Grenville sent a few men to retrieve the cup. When the Aquascogoc did not return the cup, the men decided to punish the Aquascogoc by burning their village and cornfields to the ground. This form of punishment was common in the English army, but the Native Americans most likely did not see it as a fair punishment. In fact, the Native Americans would have had reason for a grudge against English colonists.
The colonists also began having other issues with the Native Americans about a year after the Roanoke colony was established. The Roanoke Colonists had established all of their relations with the nearby Native American tribe through Granganimeo, the brother of King Wingina of the Sectoa tribe. By March, Granganimeo had died, and the relationship had deteriorated as a result. King Wingina thought that the colonists were not useful, and that they drained the tribe's resources. In addition to this issue, the colonists also heard from the Natives of another tribe that had gold and treasure. These reports caused the Roanoke Colonists to search for these riches. The colonists went to the village of the Chawanook, and there they took the Chawanook King, Menatonon, hostage. When they left, the colonists released Menatonon, but took his son with them to Roanoke as a prisoner instead.
At Roanoke, the colonists were running out of food and King Wingina could not or would not give them any food. A rumor reached the scouting party that Wingina was planning a surprise attack, but the colonist decided to attack first. Wingina was shot in the attack, but managed to flee. The soldiers chased him and brought his decapitated head back. These two incidents, the party taking a Native American King and his son as hostages, and killing another Native American King, would have angered the Native Americans, and been another motive for the Native Americans to kill the Roanoke colonists,
The colonist's attack on the village of the Aquascogoc illustrated that they were capable of sudden acts of violence. The colonists had shown that they were violent toward Native Americans and that they did not care about safety of Native American leaders. They had killed without provocation, they had destroyed Native American land in response to a small theft, and they asked for supplies without providing the necessary labor.
The Englishmen had been visiting the nearby Native American tribes in an effort to scout out the area and determine how safe it was to set up a colony. Sir Richard Grenville led the expedition. The day after the party visited the Secota, (a local Native American Tribe) the colonist discovered that one of their silver cups was missing. The English traced the loss to their visit to the Aquascogoc village, and Grenville sent a few men to retrieve the cup. When the Aquascogoc did not return the cup, the men decided to punish the Aquascogoc by burning their village and cornfields to the ground. This form of punishment was common in the English army, but the Native Americans most likely did not see it as a fair punishment. In fact, the Native Americans would have had reason for a grudge against English colonists.
The colonists also began having other issues with the Native Americans about a year after the Roanoke colony was established. The Roanoke Colonists had established all of their relations with the nearby Native American tribe through Granganimeo, the brother of King Wingina of the Sectoa tribe. By March, Granganimeo had died, and the relationship had deteriorated as a result. King Wingina thought that the colonists were not useful, and that they drained the tribe's resources. In addition to this issue, the colonists also heard from the Natives of another tribe that had gold and treasure. These reports caused the Roanoke Colonists to search for these riches. The colonists went to the village of the Chawanook, and there they took the Chawanook King, Menatonon, hostage. When they left, the colonists released Menatonon, but took his son with them to Roanoke as a prisoner instead.
At Roanoke, the colonists were running out of food and King Wingina could not or would not give them any food. A rumor reached the scouting party that Wingina was planning a surprise attack, but the colonist decided to attack first. Wingina was shot in the attack, but managed to flee. The soldiers chased him and brought his decapitated head back. These two incidents, the party taking a Native American King and his son as hostages, and killing another Native American King, would have angered the Native Americans, and been another motive for the Native Americans to kill the Roanoke colonists,
The colonist's attack on the village of the Aquascogoc illustrated that they were capable of sudden acts of violence. The colonists had shown that they were violent toward Native Americans and that they did not care about safety of Native American leaders. They had killed without provocation, they had destroyed Native American land in response to a small theft, and they asked for supplies without providing the necessary labor.