What happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke? Founded in 1587, the colony was intended to establish England's first foothold in the New World. But when its leader, John White, returned to Roanoke from a resupply mission, his settlers were nowhere to be found. They left behind only a single clue – a "secret token" carved into a tree. For four hundred years, historians have speculated about what happened to the colony. But Andrew Lawler believed that solid answers were within reach, and set out to solve the mystery. In the course of his journey, he encountered a host of characters obsessed with the colonists and their fate, and began to find out why the Lost Colony continues to haunt our national consciousness.