Skull Creek massacre facts for kids

The Skull Creek massacre was a terrible event where at least 19 Karankawa people were killed in Mexican Texas in February 1823. This happened when a group called the Texian Militia attacked a Karankawa village.

Before 1823, not many people from the United States lived in Texas. But after 1823, when Mexico became independent and allowed people from the U.S. to settle in Texas, more white settlers started to arrive. As these new settlers moved onto land that Native Americans lived on, and as Native Americans sometimes raided the settlers' cattle, there was a lot of anger and fighting between the two groups.

After two settlers were killed by Coco people (a group related to the Karankawa), a group of 26 Texian Militia members, led by Robert Kuykendall, was formed. This group attacked a Karankawa village on Skull Creek. They killed 19 people, took their belongings, and burned their homes. No one was punished for this attack, and fighting continued until free Native Americans were no longer living on the land.

What Led to the Skull Creek Massacre?

Early Settlers and Native Americans

In the 1820s, in the Galveston Bay area, white settlers were still a small group. Many of these new settlers came from parts of the American South where they were used to being the main group of people. They weren't used to living alongside large groups of Native Americans.

These settlers often took new land without offering gifts or sharing it, which was different from how some earlier settlers (Tejanos) had lived with Native Americans. The Karankawa people relied on the bays and rivers for fish and shellfish, which were important for their food, especially in winter. So, they strongly protected their land.

Stephen F. Austin's Views

In 1823, Stephen F. Austin started claiming valuable land near bays and river mouths where the Karankawa lived. Even though his first meeting with the Karankawa was friendly, Austin later wrote that the Karankawa would need to be "exterminated" (wiped out).

He also spread stories among the settlers that the Karankawa were cannibals (people who eat other people) and very violent. Research suggests these stories about cannibalism were not true and might have been a mistake or confusion with another group. Austin's stories made the settlers believe that it would be impossible to live peacefully with the Karankawa.

The Attack at Skull Creek

The Incident in February 1823

In February 1823, some Coco Indians killed two settlers. It's not completely clear why this happened, but one idea is that it occurred while they were taking corn. In response, settlers led by Robert Kuykendall gathered 26 members of the Texian Militia.

They found a Karankawa village on Skull Creek. The militia attacked, killing at least 19 people in the village. They then stole the villagers' belongings and burned their homes to the ground. Some of the attackers said they did this because they believed the Karankawa were cannibals or "warlike."

What Happened After the Massacre?

No Punishment for the Attackers

None of the people who took part in the attack faced any punishment for what they did.

Continued Conflict and Land Loss

After the massacre, the settlers started to form a partnership with the Tonkawa Indians, another group in the region. Austin encouraged fighting between different Native American tribes and continued to attack "hostile" Native Americans himself.

There were more battles and one-sided attacks. By 1824, the local Karankawa chief, Antonio, signed a treaty agreeing to leave their lands east of the Guadalupe River. However, this treaty was soon broken by both sides. This led to Austin's orders in 1825 to find and kill any Karankawa they saw. It also led to the Dressing Point massacre and, by 1827, the Karankawa permanently lost their land.

The remaining Karankawa groups struggled to find places to live. Some became day laborers in towns or on farms, some were taken as slaves by Austin's settlers, and others were killed in later fights. By 1860, there were no longer any free Karankawa people living in the area.