Waxhaw people facts for kids
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Extinct as a tribe | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States (historically  North Carolina,  South Carolina) |
|
| Languages | |
| Siouan-Catawban languages | |
| Religion | |
| Indigenous |
The Waxhaw people were a Native American tribe. They lived in what is now Lancaster County, South Carolina. They also lived in Union and Mecklenburg counties in North Carolina. This area is near present-day Charlotte. The Waxhaw were connected to other tribes in the Southeast. These included the Catawba people and the Sugeree. Some experts think the Waxhaw were influenced by the ancient Mississippian culture.
Some historians believe the Waxhaw might have been a group within the Catawba tribe. This is because their language and customs were very similar. One special custom they shared was flattening the foreheads of babies. They did this by binding the infant to a flat board from birth. This gave the Waxhaw a unique look with wide eyes and sloping foreheads. It was thought that their wider eyes helped them when hunting.
Waxhaw homes were like those of other tribes in the area. They were covered with bark. However, special buildings for ceremonies were often thatched with reeds and bullgrass. These council houses were used for dances, tribal meetings, and other important events.
Historians are not sure exactly when the Waxhaw tribe ended. Some believe they broke up right after the Yamasee War in the early 1700s. The remaining Waxhaw people might have joined the Cheraw tribe. Or they might have moved south with the Yamasee. Another idea suggests they continued as a tribe until the 1740s. However, this idea does not have strong proof from old records.
Waxhaw and the Tuscarora War
During the Tuscarora War in 1711, the Waxhaw joined the fight. A South Carolina colonist named John Barnwell led an expedition. He recorded that 27 Waxhaw warriors were part of his group. They were led by a Native American leader called Captain Jack.
Captain Jack's group was called the Essaw Company. It included warriors from several tribes. These were the Wateree, Sugeree, Catawba, Sutaree, Waxhaw, Congaree, and Sattee. In total, there were 155 men. This company might have been the only one led by a Native American in the expedition. Barnwell described how Captain Jack's company helped attack the Tuscarora town of Kenta. They moved through a swamp to surround the town. This company also helped capture Fort Narhontes.
Captain Jack's entire company, including the Waxhaw, left Barnwell's expedition in early February. They left after an event caused them to be separated from Barnwell by a river. Barnwell claimed they left to sell people they had captured during the fighting.
One historian, William Ramsey, thinks the Waxhaw's involvement in this war angered the Tuscarora's allies. These allies were the Seneca and Mohawk tribes from New York. He believes these tribes then raided the Waxhaw. These raids might have continued until the Yamasee War in 1715. Ramsey suggests that the colonists' failure to protect the Waxhaw from these attacks led the Waxhaw to join the Yamasee. They then fought against the South Carolina colony.
Waxhaw and the Yamasee War
In the Yamasee War of 1715, the Waxhaw sided with the Yamasee Confederation. Their neighbors, the Catawba, also joined this side. A missionary named Francis Le Jau wrote about an attack. This attack happened on May 17, 1715, against the Goose Creek settlement in South Carolina. Le Jau did not name the Waxhaw directly. But he likely included them when he wrote about "a mixture of Catabaws, Sarraws, Waterees &c."
The Native American warriors first succeeded at Goose Creek. They ambushed and defeated 90 men led by Thomas Barker. Barker and 26 of his men were killed. After this defeat, the Yamasee and Waxhaw surrounded a small fort. This fort had 30 defenders, both white and black. The fort quickly fell.
In July, the Native American warriors were defeated. They were driven out of Goose Creek by George Chicken. Soon after this defeat, the Catawba made peace with South Carolina. When they did this, they turned against the Waxhaw. It is believed that the Catawba likely caused the Waxhaw tribe to be destroyed.
