Manteo

Portion of John White's depiction of Algonquian fishing techniques.

British Museum

Quick Facts

Significance:

A Croatoan man who was one of the first Native Americans to travel to England and served as an important ally to English colonists at Roanoke Island

Place of Birth:

Ossomocomuck (Outer Banks)

Date of Birth:

1500s

Manteo, a Croatoan man, represents one of the first bridges between the English people and the Native people of the Outer Banks. Manteo served as translator and guide for English colonists and eventually was named lord of the area by them. Manteo joined the Lost Colony at Roanoke Island, and just as the end of their story lies in mystery, so does Manteo's with no one knowing what happens to him after John White departs for England. His story is a story of cooperation and learning, but also a testament to how colonization can turn people into tools to further one's cause.

Manteo was an Algonquian man born in Ossomocomuck, now known as the Outer Banks of North Carolina, in the 1500s. Little is known of his childhood, except that his mother was a Weroansqua, a female leader, of the Croatoan people. He likely was born into a higher level of society among the Algonquian people in the Outer Banks. He served under Wingina, who ruled over the Algonquian people of Ossomocomuck from Roanoke Island down to Croatoan.

In 1584, when the first English voyage to explore the Outer Banks arrived, Manteo was likely present at these first interactions. After they spent six weeks with the Algonquian people, the English, led by Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe, prepared to return to England. Wingina selected two Algonquian men, Manteo and Wanchese, to accompany the English on their voyage home. Wingina likely thought it would be advantageous to have two of his people with the English to learn how the English people lived. On the long voyage from their home to England, both Algonquian men began to learn English from the sailors onboard.

The ship transporting Manteo to England arrived in mid-September, and he traveled with the Englishmen to London to meet Sir Walter Raleigh. Raleigh hosted Manteo and Wanchese at his home, Durham House, where they continued to learn English with Thomas Hariot and also began to teach him more of their Algonquian culture. Working with Manteo, Thomas Hariot, a scientist and mathematician, was able to create a rudimentary Algonquian alphabet.

In October of 1584, Sir Walter Raleigh invited other European visitors to meet Manteo and Wanchese, using them as a display, the beginning of a trend of English people using Manteo as a tool to further their own causes. By the end of 1584, Manteo learned enough English to be able to serve as an interpreter for the upcoming English voyages returning to Roanoke Island. 

In the spring of 1585, Manteo and Wanchese moved to Plymouth joining English sailors preparing to set sail to return to Ossomocomuck. Departing on April 9th, 1585, Manteo was on board the flagship of Sir Walter Raleigh's fleet, the Tyger, with Wanchese, Thomas Hariot, and future friend John White. The fleet headed to Puerto Rico before making its way up the North American coast to return to Ossomocomuck. 

Shortly after their return home, Wanchese left the English and returned to his home village of Dasemunkepeuc, present-day Manns Harbor. Manteo was left as the sole Algonquian translator for the English now. And the English would put him to work, translating as they visited several Algonquian villages around the Pamlico Sound. 

The English returned to Roanoke Island, and with Manteo as their translator, he reunited with Wingina to translate between the English and Algonquian. Through his translation, the English and Algonquian forged an agreement for the English to build a fort on the northern end of Roanoke Island, present-day Fort Raleigh. Throughout the summer and into the fall, Manteo served as a translator and bridge between the English and Algonquian, especially for Thomas Hariot. Hariot wanted to learn more about the religion, culture, and customs of the Algonquian and Manteo was a powerful symbol, giving him more credit with the Algonquian people.  

Manteo's role with the English continued through the winter and into 1586, when the relationship between the English and Algonquian broke down. By the spring, Ralph Lane planned to attack Wingina, now called Pemisapam, at the village of Dasemunkepeuc. By this time, Manteo adopted English dress and spent almost all of his time with the English. In June, two boats carrying Manteo, Ralph Lane, and 25 other Englishmen landed on the shores of Dasemunkepeuc. After a brief exchange, the English launched an attack against the Roanoke people. While it is not clear if Manteo actively took part in the attack, he left shortly after the attack with the English as they abandoned their fort to return to England. 

In England for a second time, Manteo continued to be used as part of the English machine of colonization. A new colonization effort, led by the artist John White, would land in the Chesapeake Bay to establish an agricultural colony. Manteo would be installed as Lord of Roanoke over the Algonquian people of Ossomocomuck. He would be a feudal lord, still serving the English as they extended their influence over a large swath of the North American coast. This plan would never come to fruition, however.

When the 1587 English voyage landed off the coast of Roanoke Island, the English soldiers they expected to find were gone. Compounding their troubles, the navigator of the voyage, Simon Fernando, opted to leave the English at Roanoke over transporting them further to the Chesapeake Bay. Stranded at Roanoke Island, Manteo helped to set up a small village near Ralph Lane's old fort.

Lacking food, however, would be the largest challenge for Manteo and the English colonists. Manteo led the colonists to Croatoan in search of food. He thought his home, where his mother was still believed to live, would be able to assist the English. Continuing in his translator role, Manteo described the plight of the English to the Croatoan people, but he could not solve their problems. While the Croatoan people welcomed Manteo and the English, they did not want to trade with the English, just receive the assurance that the English would not attack them.

Returning to Roanoke Island, the English prepared to take revenge on the Roanoke people for killing a colonist named George Howe. The English believed Wanchese now led the Roanoke people at Dasemunkepeuc, and the English prepared to attack the Roanoke people. With Manteo leading the English to the location, he placed the English between the village and water so there would be no escape for the Roanoke people. When the attack began, many of the Native people were shot by the English, while others began to call out to Manteo and other English people they recognized. Manteo had not led the English to an attack against the Roanoke people, but against his own Croatoan people instead. The village had been abandoned, and the Croatoan people were taking supplies left behind by the Roanoke people when the attack began. Manteo blamed the Croatoan people for this mistake, stating that their harm was from their own folly. 

After the attack, Manteo returned to Roanoke Island with the colonists to continue building up the village. On August 13th, Manteo was baptized by the English into their church as well as officially named Lord of "Dasamongueponke" for his "faithfull service" to the English. John White would soon depart Roanoke in search of assistance for the colonists in England, but when he returned, neither colonists or Manteo could be found. Whether the colonists moved to Croatoan with Manteo's people or elsewhere has yet to be proven. Almost all we know of him comes from English sources and English perspectives; his feelings are often unknown, a typical story for many of the Algonquian people during the English colonization. Manteo was a liaison; a bridge between the English and Algonquian people, but also became a tool used by many to further their goals, with his own goals, as well as his fate, unknown.