🍑Georgia History Unit 1 – Native American Societies in Georgia

Key Native American Groups

• Cherokee inhabited the northern and central regions of Georgia (Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian Plateau)
  • Largest Native American group in Georgia prior to removal
  • Belonged to the Iroquoian language family
• Creek (Muscogee) occupied central and southern portions of the state
  • Consisted of a confederacy of smaller tribes (Hitchiti, Yuchi, Apalachicola)
  • Spoke Muskogean languages
• Yamasee lived in coastal areas of Georgia and South Carolina
  • Allied with Spanish missions in the early colonial period
  • Engaged in the Yamasee War against English settlers (1715-1717)
• Timucua inhabited the coastal regions of southern Georgia and northern Florida
  • One of the first Native American groups encountered by Spanish explorers
  • Suffered severe population decline due to disease and conflict
• Guale resided along the Georgia coast and Sea Islands
  • Participated in the Spanish mission system
  • Revolted against Spanish rule in the Juanillo Rebellion (1597)

Pre-Colonial Life and Culture

• Subsistence strategies varied based on geographic location and available resources
  • Hunting and gathering in the mountains and piedmont regions
  • Fishing and shellfish harvesting along the coast
  • Agriculture in river valleys and floodplains (maize, beans, squash)
• Complex social and political structures
  • Chiefdoms and confederacies (Creek, Cherokee)
  • Matrilineal kinship systems in some groups (Cherokee)
• Elaborate religious beliefs and practices
  • Animism and nature-based spirituality
  • Ceremonial mound building (Ocmulgee Mounds, Etowah Indian Mounds)
• Developed extensive trade networks
  • Exchanged goods such as pottery, textiles, and copper ornaments
  • Used river systems and overland trails for transportation
• Distinct artistic traditions
  • Pottery styles (Mississippian, Lamar)
  • Basketry and textile weaving
  • Carved stone and shell artifacts

First European Contact

• Spanish exploration of the Georgia coast in the early 16th century
  • Juan Ponce de León (1513)
  • Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón (1526)
  • Hernando de Soto (1540)
• Establishment of Spanish missions along the coast
  • Conversion efforts by Franciscan friars
  • Introduction of European diseases (smallpox, measles)
• English settlement of Jamestown, Virginia (1607) and Charles Town, South Carolina (1670)
  • Increased competition for land and resources
  • Expansion of the deerskin trade
• French exploration of the interior Southeast
  • Jean Ribault and René Goulaine de Laudonnière (1562-1565)
  • Fort Caroline near present-day Jacksonville, Florida

Impact of European Settlement

• Introduction of new crops and livestock
  • Peaches, watermelons, and pigs from Spanish settlers
  • Horses and cattle from English colonists
• Changes in Native American settlement patterns
  • Consolidation of smaller villages into larger towns for defense
  • Relocation to mission sites along the coast
• Intensification of warfare and slave raids
  • Yamasee War (1715-1717) against English settlers
  • Cherokee-Creek conflicts over hunting grounds and trade alliances
• Adoption of European technology and material culture
  • Firearms, metal tools, and glass beads
  • Incorporation of European clothing styles
• Emergence of new political and economic relationships
  • Military alliances with European powers
  • Participation in the deerskin trade

Treaties and Land Cessions

• Treaty of Augusta (1763)
  • Established a boundary between Native American lands and British colonies
  • Ceded land in the Savannah River valley to the British
• Treaty of Hopewell (1785)
  • Signed between the United States and the Cherokee Nation
  • Defined Cherokee territorial boundaries and promised protection
• Treaty of New York (1790)
  • Affirmed Cherokee sovereignty and land rights
  • Established a system of federal trade regulation
• Treaty of Holston (1791)
  • Redefined Cherokee boundaries and ceded additional land to the United States
  • Promised U.S. protection and annuities in exchange for land
• Treaty of Fort Wilkinson (1802)
  • Signed between the United States and the Creek Nation
  • Ceded Creek lands in central Georgia for settlement

Forced Removal and the Trail of Tears

• Indian Removal Act (1830) signed by President Andrew Jackson
  • Authorized the removal of Native American tribes east of the Mississippi River
  • Provided funds for relocation and resettlement in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma)
• Cherokee Removal (1838-1839)
  • Forced march of approximately 16,000 Cherokee to Indian Territory
  • Resulted in the deaths of an estimated 4,000 Cherokee due to disease, starvation, and exposure
• Creek Removal (1836-1837)
  • Forced relocation of approximately 23,000 Creek to Indian Territory
  • Marched under harsh conditions, resulting in numerous deaths
• Resistance and legal challenges to removal
  • Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) and Worcester v. Georgia (1832) Supreme Court cases
  • Nullification Crisis and the State of Georgia's defiance of federal authority

Legacy and Modern Presence

• Preservation of Native American culture and heritage
  • Continued use of traditional languages (Cherokee, Muscogee)
  • Maintenance of tribal governments and sovereignty
• Economic development and diversification
  • Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort in North Carolina
  • Muscogee (Creek) Nation casinos in Oklahoma
• Contributions to American society
  • Military service in World Wars I and II, Korea, and Vietnam
  • Prominent figures in politics, arts, and sciences (Sequoyah, Wilma Mankiller)
• Ongoing efforts for recognition and rights
  • Federal recognition of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Florida (1957)
  • Repatriation of ancestral remains and cultural artifacts (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990)

Important Sites and Artifacts

• Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park in Macon
  • Prehistoric Native American settlement with ceremonial mounds
  • Evidence of continuous human habitation for over 17,000 years
• Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site near Cartersville
  • Mississippian-era chiefdom with large earthen mounds
  • Artifacts include copper plates, shell gorgets, and stone effigies
• New Echota State Historic Site in Calhoun
  • Former capital of the Cherokee Nation (1825-1838)
  • Site of the signing of the Treaty of New Echota (1835), which led to the Trail of Tears
• Rock Eagle Effigy Mound near Eatonton
  • Prehistoric Native American stone effigy in the shape of a bird
  • Believed to have ceremonial and astronomical significance
• Kolomoki Mounds State Park near Blakely
  • Woodland-era mound complex with seven earthen mounds
  • Evidence of early pottery production and long-distance trade