▁from ▁the ▁period ▁contained ▁an ▁abund ance ▁of ▁references ▁to ▁R ale igh ▁and ▁his ▁settlement s . ▁ ▁Green ' s ▁play ▁ends ▁with ▁the ▁colon ists ▁leaving ▁Ro ano ke ▁Island ▁to ▁e va de ▁an ▁approaching ▁Spanish ▁ship , ▁leaving ▁the ▁audience ▁to ▁wonder ▁if ▁the ▁Spanish ▁found ▁them . ▁ ▁Spanish ▁forces ▁knew ▁of ▁English ▁plans ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁new ▁Virginia ▁base ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 7 , ▁and ▁were ▁searching ▁for ▁it ▁before ▁White ' s ▁colon ists ▁had ▁even ▁arrived . ▁ ▁The ▁Spanish ▁Empire ▁had ▁included ▁most ▁of ▁North ▁America ▁in ▁their ▁Florida ▁claim , ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁recognize ▁England ' s ▁right ▁to ▁colon ize ▁Ro ano ke ▁or ▁Ch es ape ake ▁Bay . ▁ ▁The ▁colon ists ▁likely ▁recognized ▁the ▁threat ▁this ▁represented , ▁given ▁the ▁Spanish ▁s ack ▁of ▁Fort ▁Caroline ▁in ▁ 1 5 6 5 . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁Spanish ▁were ▁still ▁attempting ▁to ▁locate ▁the ▁col ony ▁in ▁Ch es ape ake ▁Bay ▁as ▁late ▁as ▁ 1 6 0 0 , ▁suggesting ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁una ware ▁of ▁its ▁fate . ▁ ▁Cons pi racy ▁against ▁R ale igh ▁ ▁Anth rop ologist ▁Lee ▁Miller ▁proposed ▁that ▁Sir ▁Francis ▁W als ingham , ▁Simon ▁Fern and es , ▁Edward ▁Stra ff ord , ▁and ▁others ▁participated ▁in ▁a ▁consp i racy ▁to ▁mar oon ▁the ▁ 1 5 8 7 ▁colon ists ▁at ▁Ro ano ke . ▁ ▁The ▁purpose ▁of ▁this ▁plot , ▁she ▁argued