Red Shoes (Choctaw chief) facts for kids
Red Shoes was a brave Choctaw leader who lived in the 1700s. He became well-known for trading with British fur traders from South Carolina. His actions eventually led to a big conflict among the Choctaw people, known as the Choctaw Civil War. The French, who were rivals of the British, had Red Shoes killed. He was also called Red Moccasin, and the French knew him as le Soulier Rouge.
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The Choctaw People and Their Land
The Choctaw people once lived on a huge amount of land. This land is now part of Mississippi and western Alabama. They had about 50 towns and villages. Around 20,000 Choctaw people lived in these areas.
The groups who later became known as the Choctaws (or Chahtas) originally lived in different communities. They were spread across east-central Mississippi and west-central Alabama. All these groups spoke different forms of the Muskogean language. The Choctaw nation was like a group of independent towns. Smaller towns often joined with stronger ones for support.
European Contact and New Challenges
When Europeans arrived, the world of the Mississippian culture changed a lot. Nothing stayed the same. Red Shoes was a leader who saw new chances because of these European contacts. The French had many dealings with the Choctaw people when they first settled in Louisiana. Usually, they had a friendly relationship.
However, the French trade with Native Americans started to have problems. There was corruption, bad management, and not enough supplies. Hunters worked hard for months to get deer hides and furs. But they often got very little in return from the French traders. This made them angry and disappointed.
So, the Choctaw hunters started looking elsewhere. They found better deals with the Muscogee and Chickasaw tribes. These tribes had been their enemies before. This meant the Choctaw were actually trading with British colonists, who had sent the Chickasaw and Muscogee to trade.
Red Shoes' Rise to Power
Red Shoes started his adult life as a regular warrior. He wasn't born into a leadership role among the Choctaw. But he became famous for his brave actions in battle. People said he was the best warrior the Choctaws ever had. Later, everyone talked about Red Shoes.
When he was young, Red Shoes learned that working with the French was important. It helped protect his people from being captured by rival Chickasaw and Muscogee groups. These groups would take many Native Americans, leaving others to deal with burned villages.
Becoming a Leader
In the early 1720s, the Choctaws fought a tough war with the Chickasaws. After many battles, a warrior named Shulush Homa gained a new name, Soulouche Oumastabe. He eventually became known as Red Shoes, a war captain of his town, Couechitto. This was the highest rank a person not born into a ruling family could achieve.
Red Shoes began to gain power when he was in his twenties. At the same time, the main chief of Couechitto, Mingo Tchito, was losing influence. Red Shoes was bold and willing to take risks. Mingo Tchito was also smart, but he was more cautious. Red Shoes became the main leader after several difficult times for Couechitto after 1729.
Red Shoes was not just reacting to events. He was not controlled by the Europeans. When he decided to trade with the British, he did it on his own terms. He could be tough, but in those dangerous times, being less tough could mean disaster.
The Choctaw Civil War Begins
Red Shoes was from the western part of the Choctaw lands. In the 1740s, he started trading with British fur traders from South Carolina. A well-known trader and historian named James Adair led the British group.
Red Shoes started the Choctaw Civil War when he killed some French traders. The South Carolinians had encouraged Red Shoes to bring his large tribe away from their alliance with the French. In response, the French planned to have Red Shoes killed.
The Death of Red Shoes
In June 1747, a group carrying British gifts from Charles Town was heading to the Choctaw Nation. Red Shoes went with a group to guide the traders to Couechitto. But he never came back.
On June 23, 1747, Red Shoes felt sick. He made his camp away from the main group, with only one person with him. This person was the one the French had paid to kill him. While Red Shoes slept, the man took out a knife and murdered him for the French reward. Then, he disappeared into the night.
After the Assassination
After Red Shoes was killed, more sadness followed. His death started the Choctaw Civil War. Many towns returned to supporting the French. This pulled the Choctaw people into a wider civil war. About 800 warriors died in their towns or in the forests.
The war lasted from 1747 to 1750. It was caused by disagreements over trading with France and Britain. The conflict mainly happened between the western and eastern parts of the Choctaw nation.
Forces from the eastern division, who were allied with France, won the war. They burned several towns in the western division. Hundreds of Choctaw people died during this war. It showed how deeply divided the Choctaw groups had become.
Red Shoes wanted more than just personal gain. He believed the Choctaws could benefit from what the Europeans offered without being controlled by them. He wanted to stay independent and make his own choices. For a time, he succeeded and thrived.
Even his death changed the Choctaw Nation. After the war, Choctaw leaders worked hard to end the fighting between different groups. They wanted to unite their people more closely.
In Popular Culture
Shell Shaker is a novel written by LeAnne Howe. Part of the story, which starts in 1738 in Mississippi, tells about Red Shoes. This historical story is told alongside a modern-day mystery.
Notable Descendants
- Atahobia - He signed the Treaty of Doak's Stand in 1820 as a Choctaw Chief. He was a main leader of the Yowanis who moved to Texas in 1824. Most of his family still lives in northeast Texas. They are mostly part of the Mount Tabor Indian Community.
- William Clyde Thompson - A Texas Choctaw leader who fought against the Dawes Commission for Choctaw enrollment.
- James Neely McCoy - He was a Supreme Judge of the Chickasaw Nation in Indian Territory.
- Martin Luther Thompson - A leader of the Mount Tabor Indian Community.
- Charles Collin Thompson - An attorney, banker, and rancher.
