The Lost Colony of Roanoke: A Rhetorical Examination of Conspiracy Theories

Greg Rothman

Rhetorical Theory, Section 003

David Bollinger, Ph. D.

April 4, 2014

Occasion

Columbus’ voyage in 1492 was the starting point for European colonization in America. His story

captured the imaginations and desires of European kings and queens, all of which desperately wanted to

make their mark on the “the new world” across the Atlantic Ocean. England, France, Spain, and Holland

all launched major colonization programs in the late 16th century, and many colonies like St. Augustine

Florida were successful, and still exist even to this day.

History lessons throughout middle school and high school in the U.S. refer to this period as the

foundation of our modern-day America. As more attempted to stake permanent claim in the new world,

Europeans quickly realized that establishing permanent communities in America was not as glorious as

they had envisioned. Disease, war with Native Americans, starvation, and other factors contributed to

many failed colonization efforts. However, it is the success of colonies like Jamestown, the first

permanent English settlement in the Americas, and the thirteen original colonies that are often thought

of as the backbone America was built upon. Yet, despite the amount of attention these colonies receive,

to this day one specific failed colony continues to earn its way into history books, and is officially

described as “unsolved”.

"The Lost Colony" of Roanoke Island was an English settlement established in 1585 by Governor

John White. Although at first there was nothing too memorable about this specific settlement, the

mystery surrounding the collapse and disappearance of the colony has continued to capture audiences’

attention and imagination. This is the birthplace of the first English child born in the Americas, but its

connection to the foundation of our country is often times overshadowed by its eerie demise.

After leading 117 men, women, and children from the Chesapeake Bay into modern day North

Carolina, Governor John White was forced to return to England seeking resources, supplies, and support

for his new colony. Because of the ongoing war with Spain, White was delayed three years before he

could return. Upon his arrival in 1590, White found the settlement completely deserted. His

granddaughter, and 116 other colonists, had simply disappeared without a trace. All that remained of

the Roanoke colony was a carving on a fence post, and the famous word, “Croatoan”. No bodies, graves,

signs of struggle, or any clues to the location of the colonists were ever discovered, and no further

investigation was launched at the time despite John White’s experience as a cartographer and explorer.

Scientists and historians have still not been able to agree 100% on a cause or theory over the

disappearance of the Roanoke colony. As more studies, archaeological digs, and research into the

colony are completed, the continued inability to find a verifiable conclusion has created more questions

than answers. This has caused a wide variety of theories to appear, and while some claim to have

“scientific and historical proof”, the answer remains unavailable to this day.

Two theories regarding the disappearance of the Roanoke colony have become the most widely

accepted and discussed topics among historians. The first and most prominent theory states that

colonists simply ran out of supplies. Feeling abandoned and facing starvation, the colonists could have

sought refuge with the local Native American tribes and eventually could have been assimilated into the

surrounding tribes. Interestingly, one local tribe was actually named the Croatoans, although

suspiciously no investigation into this tribe was ever completed. This theory has a strong basis in logic,

and after blonde haired, blue eyed boys were discovered in the modern day Lumbee tribe of North

Carolina, scientists began examining DNA for linkages to European settlers. Yet still, even if DNA linkages

are discovered it cannot affirmatively tell the story of the final years of the Roanoke colony. John

White’s lack of a search and rescue mission has created intense suspicions among researchers, and this

answer is often dismissed as cover-up, or an expedient and easy answer for a much more memorable

event.

HowStuffWorks.com is host a massive amount of online content, and has gained a reputation as

a credible, unbiased, and easy-to-understand website posting explanations of “how the world actually

works”. On the History vs Myth section of their website, author Josh Clark presents the previously

mentioned assimilation theory and its strong logical case. Although Clark is not a scientific researcher,

historian, or archaeologist, he is a credible and reliable source of information on the HowStuffWorks

website. His background in journalism and professional writing has given him the ability to present

information logically and in an easy –to-read format. Josh also has displayed his research skills by

aggregating a massive amount of credible scientific sources, statistics, figures, images, and links for

further reading. Because of this, Clark is able to speak comfortably and confidently on the subject, and

his lack of scientific expertise is not an obstacle to his claims.

A second popular theory on the Roanoke colonists’ disappearance has a much darker and

memorable story. The cannibalism theory claims that Roanoke colony might have disappeared in a

cannibalistic, disease ridden war within the community, where none could have been left alive. This

theory gained popularity when reputable Archaeologist Lawrence Stager of Harvard University published

his findings on Roanoke, although true inartistic data backing this theory is unavailable to everyday

researchers. A strong overall presentation of this theory can be found online at GroundZeroMedia.org,

an online hub for discussions and investigation into paranormal activity and events around the world.

Owned and operated by Clyde Lewis, a professional paranormal-radio show host, this theory has a

starkly different feel from Clark’s theory presented on HowStuffWorks.com

While the cannibalism theory is strongly based on pathos, it is decently effective in balancing all

three artistic appeals. This has created just as much attention as the “scientifically acceptable” theory

presented by Clark. Clyde Lewis has an impressively legitimate background for someone based in this

field, and he has partnered with credible organizations such as The Discovery Channel, Rolling Stone

Magazine, and UFO Magazine. He can be considered an expert in the field of paranormal research and

commentary, although his scientific and historical background is severely lacking. While his weaknesses

are substantial, his ability to connect to an audience’s emotions has gained him prominence in this

industry, and that is on display in this article.

The Five Canons

Invention

Ethos:

1) The best way to examine ethos is to study and compare the initial, derived, and final credibility

of a rhetorical discourse. In the HowStuffWorks.com article, the audience notices a strong sense of

initial credibility right from the start due to the delivery and organization of the article. Simply by being

published online at the reputable HowStuffWorks.com, the author can achieve a strong initial credibility

within the audience. The HowStuffWorks website is host to many quality and scientifically based

articles, and many informed and well-educated people are main contributors to its online content. Its

appealing layout, the presence of a hyperlink to the author’s personal bio, and the reputation of the

domain name allows the audience to see why this specific person and article is qualified to give an

opinion.

However, the author does not depend on the HowStuffWorks page to support his entire appeal

of ethos throughout the article. The author also frequently cites statistics, images, and even historical

documents with active hyperlinks. “One Roanoke settler named Darby Glande left the 1587 expedition

once it set ashore in Puerto Rico to take on supplies. He later reported that he told Spanish officials the

location of the Roanoke settlement [source: Keiger].” [Clark, 2008] By citing inartistic proofs and credible

sources, the audience feels the speaker’s derived credibility is also strong.

On the final page of the article, the author presents a “bibliography” entitled “lots more

information”. Here, the full list of articles and sources used by the author, as well as links for further

reading on the subject, are available for anyone who wishes to read them. If the reader were to conduct

further investigation, it would be obvious that the information presented in the article is rationally

supported by other articles and publications. By offering a bibliography with options for further reading,

the author also is achieving a high final credibility.

Rationale: The author, Clark, is utilizing the expert opinion of various Johns Hopkins University

researchers and writers to validate his statistics. By doing this, he is combining his credibility with the

strong credibility of Johns Hopkins University faculty and staff, and showing his agreement with their

existing work. By inviting the audience to read and research the same sources that he read

demonstrates that Clark has made sound and reasonable assumptions from valid statistics, has not

plagiarized any content, but can prove his thoughts are similar to those of other professionals. By doing

this, his audience is convinced he is well informed on the topic, as well as a trusted and ethical source

for information. When a professional directly cites and credits the work of other reputable sources, it

links the author with an increased sense of credibility. Ethos is based on credibility, and Clark’s

credibility is increased by utilizing reputable sources that are in agreement with his own assumptions.

Ethos:

2) At first glance, this conspiracy theory website seems a bit sketchy and unreliable. When

compared to HowStuffWorks.com, the layout is dark, uses gothic fonts, and uses a startling color theme.

Here, the layout does nothing to increase the initial credibility of the page. The main appeal to ethos on

GroundZeroMedia is the connection to the owner/operator Clyde Lewis. Clyde is featured in the website

banner at the top of every page on the site. His personal bio and other projects he has been involved

with in the past are available through hyperlinks, and the website urges its readers to investigate Clyde

Lewis and his history to increase the overall credibility.

After investigating Clyde Lewis, his relatively impressive background does achieve a surprising

amount of ethos within the audience. Mentioning Clyde’s involvement with the #1 FM paranormal talk

program qualifies him as an up-to-date member of the field. His publications in various UFO magazines

and interviews with Discovery Channel TV specials also function to increase his credibility. Although the

imagery and overall layout of the site does not do anything to increase initial credibility, highlighting

Clyde Lewis and his involvement in the field does make a basic connection to the audience’s need for a

reliable source.

Unfortunately, as the audience continues to read on the site,

especially the Croatoan article, the ethos of Clyde Lewis and his website begin to quickly plummet.

Although the first paragraph of the article actually functions well as an artistic appeal to ethos, it is not

enough to contribute to a positive derived credibility. “Even though the first successful English

colony, Jamestown, is sometimes spoken of in history, there is the story that really never gets spoken of

because it is mired in mystery. In some legends, the entire story is probably one of the biggest horrors in

history.” [Lewis, 2012] Here, Lewis offers information that highlights how he has been actively discussing

this topic with other history professionals, although it is a small and brief appeal to improve derived

credibility.

While Lewis does include various inartistic proofs and statistics, hyperlinks to further reading,

and a few credible sources, further investigation will lead the reader to the realization that 95% of

Clyde’s articles are plagiarized from other sources on the web posted on earlier dates than his articles. In

“Croatoan: The Lost Colony of Roanoke”, most of the content is literally copied and pasted from other

articles, rearranged, and then added to a few new paragraphs of his own thoughts throughout the

article to disguise it from the original sources. If the reader only saw this article, the audience might feel

his derived credibility improves throughout the article, as it offers many well-written opinions. However,

through a simple Google search, the reader will learn the true source of this information.

Unfortunately, Clyde does not cite the original sources and this makes it seem like

GroundZeroMedia is plagiarizing. Because he doesn’t accurately cite his sources, this makes him lose

credibility in the audience’s eyes; neither his initial, derived, nor final credibility function to improve the

effectiveness of the article.

Rationale: To convince the audience that he is someone worth listening to, Lewis must make a strong

appeal to Ethos. By trying to promote his own credibility, Lewis wants to seem like an authority on the

subject and project this to his audience. However, the overall layout of his site, and the lack of citations

and sources overcome his personal background. One of the main focuses of a persuasive document

should be to project your credibility to the audience, and this article fails to do this properly.

Pathos: When discussing conspiracy theories, it should be obvious why pathos is incredibly important

to the creation of a rhetorically strong discourse on the subject. If the conspiracy theory is not strong

with pathos, it is doubtful it will get much readership or attention from its readers, and it will not have a

lasting impact. Conspiracy theories are often-times lacking in logos and ethos, or else they would

probably be called “historically accurate”. Therefore, pathos in a conspiracy theory article is just as

important as the other artistic proofs and must be balanced strategically.

1) Clark’s article on HowStuffWorks.com begins with a startling quote designed to instill an

emotional connection within its readers. “’It must have been unnervingly quiet as John White made his

way through the abandoned settlement at Roanoke in 1587. In the three years since he'd left, the

colonists on Roanoke Island had vanished without a trace. What horrors had taken place here? Where

had his family and the others gone?’” [Clark, 2008]

Rationale: Asking rhetorical questions, setting images in the readers head’s, and allowing the reader to

picture themselves in the shoes or scene of the theory creates a strong mental connection to the theory

and people involved. He uses vivid wording like “unnervingly quiet” and focuses on the five senses to stir

up an emotional connection. This emotional connection allows for the article to have a lasting impact on

the reader, and is the basis of artistic pathos appeals.

Pathos:

2) In “Croatoan: The Lost Colony”, appeals to emotion are the strongest of the three artistic proofs.

The author offers first person account showing smells, emotions, and insight into the people who were

involved. “The saga began on a summer day over 400 years ago when co-captain Arthur Barlowe and a

few dozen other Englishmen stood at the railing of their ship and peered anxiously across the water at a

strange new world. They had no idea what to expect, but the odor wafting to them from the small

islands off the coast of what is now North Carolina filled Barlowe with wild hopes. Barlowe wrote in his

diary that the vegetation was at its summer peak, and the aroma was like that of “some delicate garden”

full of fragrant flowers” [Lewis, 2012].

Near the end of the article, the author also makes a many more appeals to emotion through

graphic imagery, words, and scenes. “Archeologists also theorized that the Roanoke settlers became

very sick with a plague where they started warring with each other eventually killing and eating each

other….This would be a very frightening theory, because not only would the Roanoke colony be the first

English colony, but the first colony to be involved in some dark zombie holocaust.”

Rationale: The author is creating a strong appeal to the reader’s pathos and that means the reader will

be emotionally invested in the subject. If the reader believes the author and article affect them

emotionally, or have gained personal interest in the story, they are much more likely to have a

resounding impact on the reader and keep the reader’s attention. Emotional appeals resonate within

the audience and ensure that the reader will think further about the topic. Pathos is a direct appeal to

the reader’s emotions, accomplished here through imagery and word choice.

Logos: Logical appeals often times constitute the body of a persuasive document. However, when

dealing with conspiracy theories, it is often difficult for the author to utilize this artistic proof effectively.

Using statistics and data is the basis of logical argumentation, and increases the authors appeal to the

audience’s logos.

1) In his article, Clark continually offers credible sources and related statistics on the field. “In

White's opinion, they moved "[f]ifty miles into the maine," arguably meaning they moved inland, into

the forests of North Carolina [source: Keiger].” [Clark, 2008]

Rationale: By utilizing these logical techniques, the audience can apply their experience with

arguments and evidence to deduce sound and reasonable conclusions on their own. The author shows

his sources so the audience can fully see where his information is coming from, and they can then make

their own assumptions. Logos is important because we tend to believe arguments that are based on

statistics and facts. While stats and facts are inartistic proofs, the author is combining them into an

artistic appeal to improve his logos within his audience. Using inartistic proofs in his article allows the

audience to see reasoning and conclusions, an effective way to increase logos. Citing facts and

constructing logical arguments are the basis for an artistic appeal to logos.

Logos:

2) The article by Clyde Lewis on GroundZeroMedia offers a weaker appeal to logos. Lewis offers

many statistics, but rarely cites where this information came from. “The second group of settlers arrived

at Roanoke Island on July 22, 1587. This group contains 117 people, both men and women. They are led

by John Whi te . John White’s daughter would give birth to the first English child born in America on

August 18, 1587. The child’s name was Virginia Dare.” [Lewis, 2012]

When he does mention a source, he makes sure to highlight its credibility, which actually

contrasts his lack of sources throughout the rest of the article. “In the opinion of Johns Hopkins

University anthropologist Lee Miller, the colonists wandered into a violent shift in the balance of power

among inland tribes” [Lewis, 2012]

At the end of the article, Lewis is providing information from various comic-book authors, a

source that lacks logical credibility. While he is finally including sources in his article, insight into this

historical mystery from an author of a comic book does not function well to his appeal to logic within his

audience. “…the DC Comics/Image Comics crossover that features Batman and Spawn. The comic is

called “War Devil” and in the storyline the colony’s disappearance is attributed to a demon named

Croatoan who sacrificed 100 colonists of Roanoke in an effort to appease hell.” [Lewis, 2012]

Rationale: To increase an appeal to logos within an audience, one must present relevant and credible

information accurately to support their own opinions and arguments. In this article, Lewis makes two

efforts to increase his logos. The first is by offering information and data, however this data is lacking

any acknowledgement of where this information originated. The second is through quotes and opinions

of other “experts”. In this example Lewis makes the mistake of offering opinions of non-related

professionals, severely decreasing the logical effectiveness of these quotes. Any piece of rhetorical

discourse should make a strong appeal to the audience’s logic, and this article fails to do that.

Organization

Organization, or arrangement, is mostly concerned with the order and construction of the discourse.

Historically based rhetoric focuses solely on the order of the arguments, but today the term has

broadened to include much more. When examining Clark’s article on HowStuffWorks.com, it is clear

how his article follows the basic arrangement of an introduction followed by a statement of facts,

proofs, and dissenting opinions, and ending with a conclusion. The article is mixed between a topical and

chronological format, and is very straightforward and presented logically. This allows its claims to

function effectively.

Style

Style is focused on how an article is presented to its audience. Clark’s article on HowStuffWorks.com

has a sensible and effective style which not only conveys the scientific side of the mystery, but also

connects with the readers emotionally. Clark does not use technical jargon or any language that might

lose his readers, or confuse anyone in his audience. His style is suited to his audience, as well as his host

website. “This group of settlers, called planters in the English vernacular of the age, came to be known

as the lost colony of Roanoke. The shroud of mystery surrounding their fate has kept them alive in the

annals of U.S. history as much as the successful colonies that followed.” [Clark, 2008] This is an example

of probably the most advanced language used by Clark. However, he follows this jargon with an

emotional appeal to immediately connect back to the reader.

“It's conceivable that the colonists met a less violent fate… These reports corroborate the most

widely held theory of what became of the Roanoke colonists: They assimilated into some friendly Native

American tribe.” [Clark, 2008] In this example Clark is speaking straightforwardly, candidly, and

connecting with the audience directly. Because there are so many different theories over the final fate

of the Roanoke tribe, it is important for Clark to utilize this basic speaking voice to make his conclusions

seem logical and valid. Clark’s style allows his article to be read by the diverse audience of the

HowStuffWork website attracts. As its name suggests, the website has become renowned for its ability

to simply articulate complicated topics and explain the basic principles behind the topic. Anyone from a

middle school student, a curious tourist, or a truth-seeker, would be able to read this article. He refrains

from using too many dates, confusing quotes, or any limiting vocabulary because he does not expect to

be communicating with this type of audience. Clark is speaking in a tone he is comfortable with, and this

means that his style is effective in conveying his ideas and information to his audience.

Delivery

Although Aristotle may have thought that delivery is “unworthy” of systematic discussions within the

field of rhetoric, if neglected, it can have devastating effects on any rhetorical discourse. In a speech,

delivery is based more on verbal and non-verbal elements of the speaker, and what the speaker does to

express and enhance what is expressed. However, when dealing with written discourse, the canon of

delivery becomes focused on different aspects. In this particular circumstance, the conspiracy theory

websites themselves and the effectiveness of the delivery of the author’s claims are examined. The

websites the articles are hosted on have a huge impact on not only the three artistic appeals, but also

the five canons of rhetoric and the overall effectiveness of the discourse. While Clark’s article on

HowStuffWorks.com offers a pleasing and appealing layout, examining the delivery through

GroundZeroMedia will show why and how many choose to visit Clark’s article rather than

GroundZeroMedia’s.

The overall delivery of the message is probably the first thing that is noticed by the reader upon

entrance to Lewis’ GroundZeroMedia. This website has a black background, which gives it a dark,

ominous, and “sketchy” look. Almost all reputable websites today use white, grey, or lighter shades for

their backgrounds, and then offer darker colored fonts to create contrast. On GZM however, the black

background allows various red, yellow, and white fonts to contrast the background. This does give it

some uniqueness and memorability, but it is so extreme that it negatively affects the credibility of the

message. The author also uses creepy, hard to read, gothic fonts that seem like this is a poster for a

horror movie. Obviously the author is doing this on purpose to keep his website aligned with the

conspiracy theory and paranormal “brand feel”, but it also is negatively affecting the credibility of his

articles. As previously discussed, pathos is a huge part of conspiracy theories, and this delivery has

connections to this. The audience is immediately connected to the emotional side of the article.

From a rhetorical perspective, the delivery of GZM is purely playing into the artistic pathos

appeal within the audience. While most who are researching this topic would pay minimal attention to

this website, this delivery allows the article to appeal directly to a specific audience, and have a very

intriguing appeal. While a student would probably be criticized for citing this article, GZM’s Croatoan

article has twice the amount of comments and involvement from the readers. This delivery is

interesting because it has an obvious negative affect on credibility and logic, but actually strengthens the

emotional connection to a point that audiences are reading and engaging in the article. The audience

feels a resounding effect from reading, wants to offer their own opinions, and probably will remember

exactly where and when they read this information. Overall, the delivery offers more to the article than

it takes away. Although it negatively affects the ethos and logos, it positively affects the pathos. It is

important to remember that all artistic proofs must be balanced for the strongest argument, and this

article fails in this regard. Its delivery severely limits its ethos and logos, but creates a strong appeal to

pathos.

Memory

Memory is often times one of the forgotten canons of rhetoric. It is associated with a speaker’s mastery

of the subject and his ability to speak confidently. Clark’s article on HowStuffWorks.com is a great

example of a strong mastery of the subject and an ability to convey this to his audience. While Clark

does not claim to be a master in the topic, his ability to bring in other credible sources and blend them

in to his article to create a strong sense of credibility. Clark is comfortable including dates and stats he

has researched, proving he has knowledge of the subject.

Assessment

Ultimately, I believe I represent the majority of people’s opinions by personally identifying with

Clark’s theory of assimilation. In today’s society, Logos has become the most significant artistic appeal,

and many more people are inclined to believe claims when supported with strong logical arguments.

However, that does not discount the strong argument created by Lewis with regards to his cannibalism

theory. After reading both articles, dissecting their appeals and proofs, and researching each author’s

backgrounds, I would say both authors have accomplished their goals of persuading the audience.

While I personally believe Clark’s argument, Lewis’ theory truly echoes inside the audience’s heads and

minds. We still do not know what happened to the lost colonists of Roanoke, and Lewis is able to convey

a lasting doubt, a small sense that we are missing something, into the audience that is truly

unforgettable.

The Roanoke colony is one of the founding colonies of our country, and even predates the more

famous Jamestown colony. The mystery is a stark reminder of how science can sometimes prove

nothing, and despite our country’s strong belief in scientific evidence as a “capital T truth”, sometimes

even that cannot answer all of our questions. This mystery makes us think about our own history, how

we will be remembered, and what future people will wonder about how we live now. We question

scientific evidence, historical documentation, and even our own beliefs over historically accepted stories

because nowadays there is always an answer.

If Lewis’ cannibalism theory is true, it has been one of the most important cover ups of our

country’s history. If word had escaped that a plague ravaged and cannibalistic colony had eaten each

other to death, the whole feeling of “the new world” and its reputation would be completely tarnished.

It may have changed the entire course of American history including the success of the 13 colonies, the

revolutionary war, and the overall image of America being a “land of dreams and opportunity”. The

government and historians had strong motivations to cover-up this colony’s horrible fate, and might

have done just that.

Clark’s article on HowStuffWorks.com very effectively utilizes appeals to logos and logical

thinking. In this article, Clark continually brings in credible sources and research on the field while

offering a wide variety of insight and even a few dissenting opinions. Increasing logos is a very

important part of an argument, and especially in today’s culture, logos carries the strongest effect of the

artistic appeals. This theory of assimilation is strongly connected to logos through claims of scientific

data, research, and other straightforward thinking. Additionally, this theory claims that it could be

proven through ongoing research into DNA and connections. This has enormous persuasive inclinations,

because it claims the answer will soon be discovered and proved as a “capital T truth”.

However, it is not only the content of the theory that allows this to be the most believable

theory, but also the way in which it is presented. On HowstuffWorks.com, the overall delivery and style

of the article both contribute to the feel of a logical, credible, and straightforward logic. Clear

organization, easy to read sentences and the continued emphasis on scientific data allow this article to

function very well logically.

Clark and HowStuffWork’s.com appeal to ethos is also very strong, and allows the author to

seem credible, reliable, and trustworthy. Any argument presented with strong logical reasoning, by a

credible source is going to be persuasive, but Clark also manages to utilize his journalistic background to

balance the three artistic appeals and also brings in a decent appeal to pathos, or emotion. By

describing the “eerie” scene John White found upon his return to Roanoke, and asking rhetorical

questions, he connects to the audience’s emotions and personal beliefs. He makes the story real, and

not just a common history tale learned in middle school. It is Clarks ability to balance all three artistic

proofs effectively while combining them with inartistic proofs that make his article ultimately the most

believable and impactful.

Clyde Lewis’ article on GroundZeroMedia takes a very different strategic approach to explain the

mystery behind Roanoke colony. While the ethos of his website due to organization, style, and memory

has serious negative effects on his ethos, it is these same characteristics that create such a strong appeal

to pathos, and an emotional connection to the audience. Unfortunately, Lewis is guilty of a serious

amount of plagiarism throughout his website, and as an academic I have been continuously taught

about the repercussions of this. While his own theories on cannibalism are unique, this lack of credit to

his sources really hurts the persuasive appeal.

The cannibalism theory is strongest in its appeal to pathos, or emotion. The font, color theme,

website arrangement, and overall style are all connected to its emotional appeals. Graphic and explicit

vocabulary leave a lasting impact in the audience, and that connection is the basis for an appeal to

pathos. Lewis attempts to show how other logically based theories are suspicious, and actually does a

decent job in instilling doubt over other theories. However, when compared to Clark’s article, the

cannibalism theory presented on GroundZeroMedia simply falls short in its appeal to logos and ethos

making it not as effective in persuading the audience to believe this theory.

The “Croatoan” carving is all that we have to theorize about the fate of the Roanoke colonists.

While continued archaeological digs, research, and investigations continue, our search for “capital T

truth” is still ongoing. Some believe they have found the answer in assimilation theory, but many loose

ends are left untied. Clark and HowstuffWorks.com function effectively to persuade the audiences that

the mystery of Roanoke is a simple matter of joining the local Native American tribes, but other theories

like Lewis’ cannibalism theory leave lasting traces of doubt and uncertainty in this truth. Some may call

into question the accuracy of our history books, and continue to search for answers in the deep void of

the internet. While I currently believe the assimilation theory is our best guess, I know there is

something we have not yet discovered, something hidden, that truly tells the story of the Roanoke

colony.

Bibliography

Clark, Josh. "What happened to the lost colony at Roanoke?" 23 September 2008.

HowStuffWorks.com. http://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/roanoke-

colony.htm 31 March 2014.

Lewis, C. (21, November 2012). Croatoan: The lost colony. Retrieved from

http://www.groundzeromedia.org/croatoan-the-lost-colony/