Chato people facts for kids

The Chato were an indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, which means they were one of the original groups of people living in the southeastern part of what is now the United States. They used to live along the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama, especially around Mobile Bay. The Chato were related to the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes. While some people thought they were part of the Apalachee tribe, most historians believe the Chato were a separate group, though they were friends with the Choctaw.

The Chato people were first found in the mid-1600s in Florida, west of the Apalachicola River. As they moved west along the Gulf of Mexico, they were called by different names because of misunderstandings. Some of these names included Chacâtos, Chatots, and later, Chactoo or Chattoos.

Life and Culture

Not much is known about the daily life and culture of the Chato people. This is because there isn't much written history about them. Since they lived close to the Apalachee Tribe, it's thought that their way of life might have been similar.

The language the Chato spoke is also mostly unknown. However, by the late 1600s, many tribes in the Mobile region, including the Chato, started using a mixed language called Mobilian. This happened because different tribes were forced to live closer together. In the early 1800s, some observers noted that the Chato still had their own distinct language.

Early Encounters with Europeans

The Chato first met the Spanish in 1639. In 1648, the Chato asked the Spanish to build Christian missions in their territory. At this time, the Chato and Spanish seemed to get along. The Chato were even involved in the Spanish trade network, as a nearby tribe, the Apalachee, complained about carrying animal furs for them.

However, the missions were not built until 1674. Two mission villages were set up for the Chato near a place called Marianna, about 25 miles west of the Apalachicola River.

Religious Revolt

In 1675, the Chato rebelled against the missionaries. They were tired of the Spanish trying to force the Christian religion on them. This conflict didn't last long because another tribe, the Chisca, kept attacking the mission villages.

The Chato and Apalachee tribes then joined with the Spanish to fight off the Chisca raids. In 1677, a Spanish force, which included 10 Chato warriors, attacked a town where about 300 Chato, Pensacola, and Chisca people were having a festival. This battle didn't have a clear winner. After this, the Chato decided to move to an empty town and create a new settlement called San Carlos de los Chacatos. This new town was southwest of the Marianna area.

Life at San Carlos de los Chacatos

After settling in San Carlos de los Chacatos, many Chato continued to practice the Christian faith. However, some Chato groups kept their traditional way of life near Pensacola Bay.

Over the next few decades, outside dangers threatened the Chato's mission life. In 1684, there are records of Shawnee slave traders selling Chato people to white settlers in Carolina. These Chato were likely taken from the missions or from the non-Christian groups living nearby. In 1695, the Apalachicola tribe attacked San Carlos de los Chacatos, making the situation even more unstable.

Moving to Mobile Bay

In 1699, a group of 40 Chato, led by a Spaniard, attacked a peaceful Tuskegee trading group. They killed 16 people and stole their goods. This led to attacks by settlers from Carolina and their Native American allies. In 1702 and 1704, these raiders attacked Spanish missions in Florida, likely including San Carlos de los Chacatos.

After these attacks, in August 1704, about 200 Chato people, along with many Apalachees, sought safety with French forces at Mobile Bay. The Chato chief, Juan, and his mother, Jacinta, moved with 200 of their villagers to a place called Oignonets, which is where the city of Mobile is today. This shows that the Chato still held onto some of their traditions even in the early 1700s.

French Influence and Final Relocations

Once they settled in Mobile, the Chato started to adopt the French Roman Catholic faith. In 1707, the son of the Chato chief was baptized by a French priest. At this time, it was said that the Chato were speaking both the Choctaw and French languages.

In 1711, a flood at Fort St. Louis caused the French to move their fort to the location of Mobile. The Chato living there were moved a bit further south to the Dog River, still near Mobile Bay.

The last major event involving the Chato and European powers was when the British took control of Florida in 1763. This caused the Chato and other tribes in the region to move westward. After this, the Chato people mostly disappeared from historical records. They were seen occasionally as they continued to be pushed westward along the coast. They were reported in places like Rapides, Louisiana, in 1773, and later on the Red River, Bayou Boeuf, and the Sabine River in the early 1800s.