Backgrounds and Preparations for the Roanoke Voyages, 1584-1590 (America's 400th Anniversary Series, No. 7)

This survey is principally concerned with the physical preparations and financial background involved in bringing the first English colonists to American soil.

In the first section the personalities of the individuals influential in promoting the Roanoke voyages is discussed, especially the actions of Sir Walter Ralegh. For these individuals, funding the expeditions was a business transaction with the fiscal return based on the capture of Spanish bullion-carrying galleons off the Chesapeake and Carolina coasts.

The second section focuses on the physical preparations for the expeditions--locating and signing qualified sailors and other staff; securing appropriate ships; acquiring all of the necessary food, supplies, ordnance, tools, and equipment for the endeavors.

The last section presents an examination of the financing of each of Roanoke voyages.