I was the first American child born to English parents. I was born on Roanake Island, NC, on August 18, 1587. Shortly after my birth, I, along with my mother Eleanor, my father Ananias, and the rest of the English colonists on Roanoke Island, vanished, never to be seen or heard from again. A member of our group carved the word "Croatoan" into a tree, hoping it would leave a clue as to our whereabouts so my grandfather, John White, could find us when he returned from England with more supplies. But we were lost forever to him and the rest of the old world, and we became known as the "Lost Colony." Some say we died of starvation, while others say we took up with the local Croatan Indians, now known as the Lumbees. Some say I became a white doe and continue to roam the forests around Roanoke Island.
It's been a long time. This August 18, 2007, I will be 420 years old. My memory has faded, just as my name has faded from the memories of so many Americans.
But some remember me and continue the search.
