Apalachee people facts for kids
The Apalachee were a group of Native American people. They used to live in the Florida Panhandle area a long time ago.
Contents
History
The Apalachee people lived at a place called Velda Mound around the year 1450 CE. They had moved away from this area before the Spanish arrived in the 17th century.
The Apalachee first met Spanish explorers in the 1500s. This happened when the Hernando de Soto expedition came through their lands. The Apalachee lived between the Aucilla River and Ochlockonee River. This area was near Apalachee Bay. Europeans called this region the Apalachee Province.
By the early 1600s, the Spanish had built Catholic missions across the Apalachee lands. The Apalachee were skilled farmers and brave warriors. By 1655, there were eight towns, each with a mission.
Each town had a large Apalachee population, usually between 6,000 and 8,000 people. The British and their Creek allies often attacked the Apalachee and Spanish towns.
In 1703, a British army and many Creek warriors attacked the Apalachee territory. The Apalachee people were almost completely wiped out. The survivors, about 1,400 people, scattered.
Over time, many Apalachee joined other groups. They especially mixed with the Creek Confederacy. Others found safety with the French in areas that are now Alabama and Louisanna. Today, about 300 descendants in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, still identify as Apalachee.
Language
The Apalachee people spoke a Muskogean language. It was called Apalachee. This language is now extinct, meaning no one speaks it anymore.
Images for kids
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Tribal territory of the Apalachee during the 17th century highlighted
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A proposed route for the first leg of the de Soto Expedition, based on Charles M. Hudson map of 1997
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Gilmer Bennett, former Chief of the Talimali Band of Apalachee
See also
In Spanish: Apalache para niños
