One similarity is the disappearance of the people. In the true story, the Roanoke colonists vanished, and in American Horror Story, the characters in the Roanoke setting also disappear in strange and unexplained ways. Another similarity could be the sense of mystery. The real - life event has been a mystery for centuries, and the show capitalizes on that by creating a story full of mystery and horror.
The disappearance of a group of people is a major similarity. Just as the real - life Roanoke colonists disappeared without a trace, in American Horror Story, the people in the Roanoke - themed story also vanish mysteriously. Additionally, the show likely tries to mimic the historical context to some extent. The real colonists were in a new and unfamiliar land, facing unknown dangers. In the show, the characters are also in a place that seems full of hidden terrors. The sense of the unknown that surrounded the real - life event is also a key part of the show. The real - life mystery of what happened to the Roanoke colonists is mirrored in the show's use of mystery to drive the horror narrative.
Well, the most obvious similarity is the central event of people disappearing. In the true story of the Roanoke Colony, all the settlers were gone when John White returned. In the American Horror Story version, we see the same kind of sudden and unexplained disappearances. Also, the location is similar. The show is set in the area where the real Roanoke Colony was. The show also tries to capture the sense of isolation that the real colonists must have felt. They were in a new land, far from home, and in the show, the characters are also in a very isolated and spooky place which adds to the horror, just like it must have added to the real - life mystery.