Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, North Carolina

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site opens a window onto the world of Elizabethan England, when poetry, swordplay and voyages were woven together by the ambitions of Queen Elizabeth I and her courtiers. Listeners will meet the charismatic Sir Walter Raleigh, the bold Sir Richard Grenville and Sir Francis Drake, whose exploits set the stage for England’s first attempts to plant a foothold across the Atlantic. The narration paints the island’s early settlements as a dramatic clash of hope and danger, against the backdrop of Spain’s looming empire.

The early Roanoke colonies, led first by Governor Ralph Lane and later by John White, struggle with scarcity, hostile relations and the ever‑present threat of Spanish retaliation. Their haunting legacy— the disappearance of the 1587 settlement and the birth of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the New World— is explored with sensitivity, inviting listeners to feel the mixture of wonder and loss that still echoes today. By the end of this act, Fort Raleigh stands as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices that paved the way for later colonial ventures.