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In April 1585, seven ships with about 600 men under the overall command of Sir Richard Grenville left England.
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They arrived at the Outer Banks by June.
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In 1585 the Queen Isabella recalled Ralph Lane from Ireland and he was given command of the colony that Sir Walter Raleigh was organizing to sail to Virginia (Roanoke Island). Raleigh evidently personally invited Ralph Lane to command the expedition.
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Lane’s colony of 107 men lasted for only eight months. Lane’s men explored the countryside with the intent of finding a better site for settlement.
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On June 18 , 1586, a fleet led by Sir Francis Drake left Roanoke carrying the first English colonists back home.
