Ahaya facts for kids

Ahaya (around 1710 – 1783) was an important leader of the Seminole tribe. He was the first known chief of the Alachua band of the Seminoles. European settlers called him Cowkeeper because he owned many cattle.

Ahaya led his people, the Oconee, from Georgia to Florida around 1750. They settled near a large grassland called Paynes Prairie. The Spanish called Ahaya's people cimarones, which later became "Seminoles". Ahaya often fought against the Spanish. He became friends with the British when they took control of Florida in 1763. He stayed loyal to them during the American Revolutionary War. Ahaya passed away shortly after the British gave Florida back to Spain in 1783.

Understanding the Names

Ahaya and Cowkeeper

The British often called the chief of the Alachua Seminoles "Cowkeeper". This was during the time they ruled East Florida. A famous traveler named William Bartram met Ahaya. Bartram wrote about him, using only the name "the Cowkeeper".

Historians later found that his Oconee name was "Ahaya". Both "Ahaya" and "Cowkeeper" refer to the same important leader.

Alachua

The name "Alachua" comes from la Chua. This was the name of a very large ranch in Spanish Florida in the 1600s. The main part of this ranch was near a sinkhole. This sinkhole is now called the "Alachua Sink". It drains the water from Paynes Prairie.

The word chua might have meant "sinkhole" in the Timucua language. So, the ranch was named after this natural feature. English speakers later called this area "the Alachua Country".

Seminole

The name "Seminole" likely comes from the Spanish word cimarones. This word means "wild" or "untamed". It was used to describe Native Americans who lived freely. This was different from those who lived in Spanish mission villages.

Some groups in Florida called themselves "cimallon". The British wrote this as "Semallone", and later "Seminole". The name "Seminole" was first used for Ahaya's group in Alachua. After 1763, the British called all Native Americans in Florida "Seminoles".

Even in 1842, different groups in Florida were known by various names. These included Seminoles, Mikasukis, and Creeks. "Seminoles" often referred to Ahaya's people. This included his successors like King Payne and Micanopy.

Ahaya's Early Life

Ahaya was born into the Oconee people around 1710. They lived in a town in what is now central Georgia. In the late 1720s, the Oconee moved closer to the Chattahoochee River. They wanted to move away from white settlers.

Florida became a large hunting ground for many groups, including the Oconee. This happened after Spanish missions declined in the early 1700s. Ahaya likely learned about the lands around Alachua Savanna during his hunting trips. In 1740, Ahaya led 45 of his men to join a siege against St. Augustine. This was the capital of Spanish Florida.

The Spanish government wanted Native American groups to move to Florida. But they could not offer enough trade goods. Many groups preferred the goods offered by the British. They often joined the British in raids into Spanish Florida.

Life in Florida

Around 1750, Ahaya led his people south to Florida. They planned to settle near the Atlantic coast. But their journey stopped when they reached the Alachua Savanna, or Paynes Prairie. This area had rich soil and many forests.

The Oconee found plenty of animals to hunt and fish. They also found many wild cattle and horses. These were descendants of herds from old Spanish ranches. The Oconee gathered these wild cattle. This is why the British called Ahaya "Cowkeeper".

The Oconee built a town called "Alachua" near the savanna. This new town quickly became one of the largest in Florida. Other groups joined them, and they became known as Seminoles. They continued to challenge the Spanish. Ahaya's group also fought against the Yamasees. The Yamasees were allied with the Spanish.

In 1757, Ahaya visited the Governor of Georgia. He told the governor how much he disliked the Spanish. He said he would not find peace unless he fought against them.

The Seminoles later moved their town a few miles away. They built a new town called "Cuscowilla". This was because of the smell of decaying fish and many mosquitoes.

Working with the British

In 1763, Spain gave Florida to the British. Ahaya was very happy about this. He traveled to St. Augustine in 1764 to meet with British officials. The British governor, James Grant, held a meeting in 1765. This meeting resulted in the Treaty of Picolata.

This treaty gave a large area of land in Florida to the British. Ahaya was not at this meeting. But he later visited St. Augustine in December 1765. He stayed for eight days. Ahaya received special gifts from the British. Governor Grant was impressed by Ahaya's intelligence. They became good friends.

In the early 1770s, a man named Jonathan Bryan tried to trick some chiefs. He wanted to buy a large area of land in Florida. This land included the Alachua Savanna. Ahaya was very upset when Bryan came to his land. But British governors quickly stopped Bryan's plan. They made sure Ahaya's land was safe. By 1774, Ahaya's group was no longer closely connected with the larger Muscogee Confederation.

When the American Revolution began, Ahaya and the Alachua Seminoles stayed loyal to the British. Ahaya always helped Governor Tonyn fight against rebel attacks from Georgia. These attacks were often led by the same Jonathan Bryan.

In 1783, the British lost the American Revolutionary War. They gave Florida back to Spain. Ahaya asked the British to take him with them. He also said he would fight any Spaniard who entered his territory. After Ahaya passed away in 1784, relations between the Seminoles and the Spanish improved.

Life in Cuscowilla

In 1774, a scientist named William Bartram visited Cuscowilla. He traveled with traders who had a store there. Ahaya welcomed Bartram. He called him Puc Puggee, which means "the flower hunter". Ahaya allowed Bartram to explore his lands freely.

Ahaya's people offered Bartram a sweet drink and a jelly made from local plant roots. They also ate beef, pork, and wild game.

Cuscowilla had about thirty wooden houses. They were built around a town square. A council house stood in the middle of the square. Several hundred people lived in the town. Others lived in smaller villages nearby. Each house had a garden where they grew corn, beans, and squash. Large fields stretched from the town to the edge of the Alachua Savanna. They also gathered wild plants like coontie and wild potato.

Bartram noted that some people who had been captured from the Yamasee tribe helped Ahaya. These people spoke Spanish. They wore Spanish-style crosses. This suggests they might have lived in Spanish mission villages before. Bartram wrote that these people were treated well.

See also

In Spanish: Cowkeeper para niños