Indigenous peoples of Florida facts for kids

The indigenous peoples of Florida were the first people to live in what is now Florida. They lived there for over 12,000 years before Europeans arrived. Sadly, most of these native Floridians, especially those living east of the Apalachicola River, had died out by the early 1700s. This happened mainly because of new diseases brought by Europeans and conflicts. Some Apalachee people moved to Louisiana, where their families still live today. Others were taken to Cuba and Mexico by the Spanish in the 1700s. A few may have joined the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes.

Ancient Hunters and Gatherers (Paleoindians)

The very first people came to Florida a long, long time ago, even before the giant Ice Age animals like mammoths disappeared. Scientists have found human bones and ancient tools (called artifacts) mixed with the remains of these huge animals in many places across Florida. For example, a carved bone showing a mammoth was found near Vero, Florida, and it's thought to be 13,000 to 20,000 years old! Other finds show that people were here between 12,500 and 14,500 years ago, and even cooked giant tortoises.

Back then, Florida looked very different. Huge amounts of water were frozen in ice sheets, so the sea level was much lower. Florida was about twice as big as it is today! The climate was also cooler and much drier, with fewer rivers or springs. Water was hard to find, so animals and humans gathered around the few water holes. This made it easier for hunters to find animals. Many ancient tools and animal bones with cut marks have been found in Florida's rivers, especially in deep sinkholes that once held water. Some ancient sites are even found under the Gulf of Mexico today because the sea level was so much lower.

Scientists have found clear proof that these early Floridians hunted mammoths, mastodons, ancient bison, and giant tortoises. They also hunted other animals like ground sloths, tapirs, horses, camels, deer, fish, turtles, and snakes.

Stone Tools and Weapons

Because Florida's climate is warm and wet, old things made of wood or bone usually don't last long. So, stone tools are often the best clues to learn about these ancient people.

They used special stone tips, called Projectile points, on their spears. (Bows and arrows came much later.) These spear tips have unique shapes that help scientists figure out how old they are. The earliest spear tips found in Florida are from about 14,500 years ago, even before the well-known Clovis culture. Some common early spear tips found in Florida are called Simpson and Suwannee points. Later, around 9,000 to 10,000 years ago, Bolen points became very common.

Many of the oldest spear tips are found in rivers, while later ones are found on dry land too. Besides spear tips, these ancient people used many other stone tools. These included blades, different kinds of scrapers (for cleaning hides), tools for shaping wood, and tools for engraving.

Other Ancient Tools

Some underwater sites in Florida have preserved tools made from ivory, bone, antler, shell, and wood. One interesting tool is an ivory foreshaft, which was attached to a spear tip on one end and fitted into a wooden spear shaft on the other. These were made from mammoth or mastodon ivory. Other finds include a bone needle with an eye, bone pins, part of a mortar (a bowl for grinding) made from an oak log, and even a wooden boomerang or throwing stick.

The Archaic Period

The Archaic period in Florida lasted from about 7500 BCE to 500 BCE. During this long time, people started to live in one place for longer periods and developed different ways of life.

In some parts of Florida, like the northeast, people started making pottery (ceramics) around 2300 BCE. This was a big step! Different cultures began to form, like the Orange culture in northeast Florida and the Norwood culture in the Apalachee region. People in the Tampa Bay area and southwest Florida also started using pottery.

Later Cultures (Post-Archaic Period)

After the Archaic period came the Woodland period (1000 BCE – 1000 CE) and then the Mississippian culture period (800 or 900–1500 CE). During these times, people in Florida continued to develop new technologies and ways of life.

• Pottery: Making pottery became common.
• Farming: People started farming more, though farming didn't reach all parts of Florida before Europeans arrived.
• Mound Building: People began building large mounds of earth, sometimes for ceremonies or burials.
• Settling Down: People lived in one place for longer, building more permanent homes.

Many different cultures lived in Florida during this time. Here are some of them:

When Europeans Arrived

When European explorers and settlers first came to Florida, they met many different groups of native peoples. We know about some of these groups from detailed reports, while others are only mentioned by name. Sadly, almost all of these native peoples were gone from Florida by the end of the 1700s.

Most of them died from new diseases like smallpox and measles that Europeans brought. The native people had no natural protection against these illnesses. Others died in conflicts with European colonists. In the 1600s and 1700s, English colonists from Carolina and their Native American allies attacked the Spanish missions, which further reduced the native population. The few survivors either moved out of Florida, mainly to Cuba and Mexico with the Spanish, or joined other tribes like the Seminole.

Native Peoples Met by Europeans

Here are some of the tribes, groups, and towns that Europeans encountered in Florida during the 1500s and 1600s:

• Ais people – Lived along the Indian River Lagoon.
• Apalachee – A large and powerful group in the Florida Panhandle. Many were part of the Spanish mission system.
• Calusa – A major tribe in southwest Florida, powerful over other southern tribes.
• Chatot people – Lived near the Apalachicola and Chipola rivers.
• Guale – Originally from the Georgia coast, some moved to Florida after attacks.
• Jaega – Lived along the Atlantic coast south of the Ais.
• Mayaca people and Jororo – Small tribes in the upper St. Johns River area.
• Mayaimi – Lived around Lake Okeechobee.
• Mocoso – A group near Tampa Bay when the Spanish explorer de Soto arrived.
• Pensacola – Lived in the Florida Panhandle.
• Pohoy – A group near Tampa Bay.
• Tequesta – Lived in southeastern Florida.
• Timucua – A very large group of peoples in northeastern Florida and southeastern Georgia who spoke a similar language. Many were part of the Spanish mission system. Some well-known Timucua groups included:
  • Acuera – Lived around the Ocklawaha River.
  • Agua Fresca – Lived along the middle St. Johns River.
  • Mocama – Lived along the coast in northeast Florida and southeast Georgia.
  • Northern Utina – Lived in north-central Florida.
  • Potano – A group in north-central Florida.
• Tocobaga – A group near Tampa Bay.
• Uzita – A group on the south side of Tampa Bay when de Soto arrived.

1700s and 1800s

Starting in the early 1700s, new groups of Native Americans, mostly Muscogee people (also called Creeks by the English) from areas north of Florida, began moving into the state. These new arrivals included speakers of Hitchiti and Mikasuki languages. There were also some Yamasee and Yuchi people. Over time, these different groups came together to form a new people known as the Seminole.

Groups known to be in Florida during the late 1700s and early 1800s include:

• Alachua Seminoles: Around 1750, a group led by Ahaya moved to Florida and settled near what is now Paynes Prairie. They were the first to be called "Seminole."
• Black Seminoles: These were people of African descent who lived with or near the Seminoles, often as allies or adopted members.
• Creeks: Many groups from the larger Muscogee (Creek) Confederacy moved into Florida.
• Mikasukis: These people settled in the old Apalachee area and formed the Mikasuki group. Their main town was on the shores of Lake Miccosukee.
• Muspas: People living in southwest Florida.
• Spanish Indians: This name was sometimes given to Native Americans who stayed in southern Florida after Spain left in 1763. They often traded with Spanish/Cuban fishermen.
• Tallahassees: A group of Muscogee speakers who settled in the old Apalachee area in the late 1700s.
• Yamasees and Yuchis: Other groups who migrated into Florida.

A series of wars with the United States led to most of these peoples being killed or forced to move to what is now Oklahoma. The remaining people merged to form the modern Seminole and Miccosukee tribes of Florida.

Today's Tribes (20th and 21st Century)

Today, the only Native American tribes officially recognized by the U.S. government in Florida are:

• Miccosukee: This tribe formed from the different groups who moved into Florida and fought in the Seminole Wars. They became an independent tribe in the mid-1900s.
• Seminole: This tribe also formed from the various Native American groups, especially the Creek people, who migrated to Florida and fought to stay there.

Images for kids

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  Thonotosassa type, Lorida, Florida

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  Little Gasparilla Island beach find