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who were the yemassee tribe

by Damian Thiel Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Who were the Yemassee tribe? The Yamasees (also spelled Yamassees or Yemassees) were a multiethnic confederation of Native Americans who lived in the coastal region of present-day northern coastal Georgia near the Savannah River and later in northeastern Florida. Where did the Yemassee tribe originally come from? Who are the Yamasee?

The Yamasees were one of the largest slave raiding tribes in the American Southeast during the late 17th century, and have been described as a "militaristic slaving society", having acquired firearms from European colonists.

Full Answer

Who are the Yemassee Indians?

The Yemassee Indians: The Town of Yemassee is named after the Yemassee Indians, who, for thousands of years, fished the Combahee and Saltehatchie Rivers and hunted the plentiful wild game and birds. In the early 1700's, the lands surrounding Yemassee were designated "Indian Lands" and no settlers were supposed to encroach upon them.

Who were the Yamasee Indians?

Upper Towns:

  • Huspaw, near Huspaw Creek between Combahee River and the Whale Branch.
  • Pocotaligo, near Pocotaligo River.
  • Sadkeche, probably near Salkehatchie, a hamlet at the Atlantic Coast Line crossing of the Combahee River.
  • Tomatly, in the neighborhood of Tomatly, Beaufort County, S. C.
  • Yoa, near Huspaw.

What are the most well known Native American tribes?

Digging Deeper

  1. Pocahontas. The first Native American documented to have married (John Rolfe NOT John Smith!) a European settler and became a celebrity of her day.
  2. Geronimo. Although not a great chief by Native American standards, he did fight a fierce guerrilla war against whites determined to steal Apache land.
  3. Sitting Bull. ...
  4. Crazy Horse. ...
  5. Pontiac. ...
  6. Sacagawea. ...
  7. Jim Thorpe. ...

More items...

Who won the Yamasee War?

Summary of the war

  • Pocotaligo massacre. When the warnings about a possible Ochese Creek uprising reached the South Carolina government, they listened and acted.
  • Yamasee attacks and South Carolina counterattacks. ...
  • Traders killed. ...
  • Northern Front. ...
  • Creek and Cherokee. ...
  • Tugaloo Massacre. ...
  • Frontier insecurity. ...
  • Resolution. ...

See more

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What were the Yamasee tribe known for?

The Yamassee are described as a "very hard-working Gentle people that attempted and succeeded in sharing their knowledge of life, farming and strategies for battle." Part of their history is the Yamassee War of 1715, that they describe as history's bloodiest war.

What does Yemassee mean?

Definition of Yamasee : an Indian of a Muskogean people of the lower Savannah and the coast of Georgia driven to Florida after defeat by the whites in 1716 and finally incorporated with the Creeks and Seminoles.

Where were the Yemassee originally from Why did they come to South Carolina?

The Yemassee nation was originally from Spanish Florida (present day Georgia) but later moved to the coast of South Carolina near the mouth of the Savannah River to escape the Spanish governor. During the summer the people lived on the beach in wigwams covered with palmetto leaves.

What happened to the Yemassee tribe?

Angered by unfair trade practices, slavery and whipping of Indians, and encroachment on their land, the Yemassee and several other Indian tribes rose against the British and killed approximately 100 settlers in 1715. They were defeated by Governor Craven and fled to Florida.

Where is the Yamasee tribe from?

The Yamasee Indians were a Muskogean tribe of Georgia and South Carolina, relatives of the Miccosukee tribe. Their language was closely related to Muskogean languages like Miccosukee and Apalachee, and may have been an Apalachee dialect.

How did Yemassee get its name?

The town takes its name from the Native American tribe of the same name, the Yamasee, which was the most important Indian ally of South Carolina until the Yamasee War of 1715. The first attack that began the Yamasee War occurred in the Yamasee town of Pocotaligo, today part of the town of Yemassee.

What happened during the Yamasee war?

The Yamasee War was one of the most disruptive and transformational conflicts of colonial America. For more than a year, the colony faced the possibility of annihilation. About seven percent of South Carolina's settlers were killed, making the war one of the bloodiest wars in American history.

What were the 3 largest tribes in South Carolina?

By the time of the American Revolution, most Amerindians in South Carolina had organized into four major nations: the Cherokee, Creek, Cusabo, and Catawba.

How did Yemassee get its name?

The town takes its name from the Native American tribe of the same name, the Yamasee, which was the most important Indian ally of South Carolina until the Yamasee War of 1715. The first attack that began the Yamasee War occurred in the Yamasee town of Pocotaligo, today part of the town of Yemassee.

How did the Choctaw get their name?

The anthropologist John R. Swanton suggested that the Choctaw derived their name from an early leader. Henry Halbert, a historian, suggests that their name is derived from the Choctaw phrase Hacha hatak (river people).

What were the 3 largest tribes in South Carolina?

By the time of the American Revolution, most Amerindians in South Carolina had organized into four major nations: the Cherokee, Creek, Cusabo, and Catawba.

Who won the Yamasee war?

The Yamasee tried to outflank the South Carolinians but found it difficult. After several head warriors were killed, the Yamasee abandoned the battle and dispersed into nearby swamps. Although the casualties were about equal, 24 or so on each side, the practical result was a decisive victory for South Carolina.

What did the Yamasee do?

For instance, the Yamasee term 'Mico,' meaning chief, is also common in Muskogee. After the Yamasee migrated to the Carolinas, they began participating in the English colonial Indian slave trade. They raided other tribes to take captives for sale to the English.

What did the English believe about the Yamasees?

If the prince was a successful convert, the English believed that the British Empire and the Yamasees would be politically intwined. Around the time of the prince's travels, the Yamasee were largely unwilling to convert to Spanish culture, and they had already begun trading relations with the English.

What tribes were in the Yamasee?

La Tama, Guale, Seminole, Hitchiti, and other Muskogean tribes. The Yamasee were a multiethnic confederation of Native Americans who lived in the coastal region of present-day northern coastal Georgia near the Savannah River and later in northeastern Florida. The Yamasee engaged in revolts and wars with other native groups ...

What did the Yamasee and Carolinian colonists do?

For years, the Yamasee and Carolinian colonists conducted slave raids upon Spanish-allied Indians and also attacked St. Augustine, Florida. They sold captives to the British, who sold them in the slave trade, often to their colonies in the Caribbean. This prevented Native Americans from easily escaping enslavement.

What was the name of the group that influenced the Carolinas?

Slavery in the Carolinas. The powerful Yamasee were one of the largest slave-raiding groups in the Southeast during the late 1600s, and have been described as a "militaristic slaving society," after being influenced by the English and Spanish.

Why did the Yamasee become indebted to the English?

The Yamasee became indebted to the English, as a result of unfair trading by the English . This was a war between the English colonists and the Yamasee, who were allied with multiple other Native American groups, which began after the massacre of South Carolina citizens by the Yamasee on April 15, 1715.

Where did the name Yamasee come from?

Tribal territory of Yamasee during the seventeenth century. The name "Yamasee" perhaps comes from Muskogee yvmvsē, meaning "tame, quiet"; or perhaps from Catawban yį musí:, literally "people-ancient". Little record remains of the Yamasee language. It is partially preserved in works by missionary Domingo Báez.

What tribe did the Yamassee join?

Within 20 years, they integrated themselves into the Lower Creek tribe. Other Yamassee fled to Florida and joined the Seminole tribe.

Where did the Yamassee Indians live?

Who Are the Yemassee Indians? The Yamassee Indians were a confederation of tribes living in the southeast United States before the 18th century. Originally inhabiting parts of Georgia and Florida, they moved to South Carolina in the late 17th century.

When did the Spanish capture the Yamassee?

The Spanish established missions in Yamassee territory, but the Yamassee did not readily convert to Catholicism. In 1687, the Spanish attempted to capture the Yamassee and send them to the West Indies as slave labor.

What was the balance of the war between the Cherokee and the British?

The balance of the war shifted when the Cherokee allied themselves with the British to wage war on their traditional enemies, the Creeks. The governor of South Carolina created a professional army of settlers, friendly Indians, black slaves and regular troops to protect the colony. After the war, the Yamassee split up.

What county is Yemassee SC in?

Related SC Names – Yemassee Indians. In Beaufort County, the towns of Pocotaligo and Okatee (now spelled Okatie which also falls in Jasper County) and Yemassee which is located in both Hampton County and Beaufort County.

What river was the Yamosee Settlement on?

A 1707 state act defined the boundaries of the 'Yamosee Settlement' as being the area from the Combahee River on the north to the Coosaw, Port Royal and Savannah Rivers on the south ( The Statutes at Large of South Carolina: Acts from 1682 to 1716, p. 641).

Where did the Yemassee Indians live?

History – Yemassee Indians. Offended by the Spanish Governor from 1684 to 1685 in their home of Georgia, the Yemassee moved to South Carolina and were given land at the mouth of the Savannah River. 87 warriors fought with the colonists in the Tuscarora War of 1712.

Is the Yamassee Indian Tribe a state?

Active - in Allendale and as the Yamassee Indian Tribe (The Yamassee Nation) which is not a state nor a federally recognized organization. Others may have formed the Oklevueha Band of Yamassee Seminole in Florida and the Altamaha Yamassee Indians in Georgia.

Who defeated the Yemassee?

They were defeated by Governor Craven and fled to Florida.

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Overview

Notes

1. ^ Waldman, Carl (15 July 2006). Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes. Checkmark Books. p. 323. ISBN 978-0816062744.
2. ^ "Yamasee Indian Tribe History." Access Genealogy. (retrieved 20 Nov 2010)
3. ^ Campbell, Lyle (21 September 2000). American Indian Languages. Oxford University Press. p. 149. ISBN 978-0195140507.

History

The Yamasees lived in coastal towns in what are now southeast Georgia, Florida (known to the Spanish as La Florida), and South Carolina. The Yamasees migrated from La Florida (Spanish Florida) to South Carolina in the late 16th century, where they became friendly with European colonists. The Yamasees were joined by members of the Guale, a Mississippian culture chiefdom, and the…

Culture

Steven J. Oatis and other historians describe the Yamasees as a multi-ethnic amalgamation of several remnant Indian groups, including the Guale, La Tama, Apalachee, Coweta, and Cussita Creek, among others. Historian Chester B. DePratter describes the Yamasee towns of early South Carolina as consisting of Lower Towns, consisting mainly of Hitchiti-speaking Indians, and Upper Towns, consisting mainly of Guale Indians.

Language

The name "Yamasee" perhaps comes from Muskogee yvmvsē, meaning "tame, quiet"; or perhaps from Catawban yį musí:, literally "people-ancient".
Little record remains of the Yamasee language. It is partially preserved in works by missionary Domingo Báez. Diego Peña was told in 1716-1717 that the Cherokee of Tuskegee Town also spoke Yamasee.

Legacy

The name of the Yamasees survives in the town of Yemassee, South Carolina, in the Lowcountry close to where the Yamasee War began. It is also used for the title of William Gilmore Simms' 1835 historical novel The Yemassee: A Romance of Carolina, and by extension, Yemassee, the official literary journal of the University of South Carolina.
There are currently unrecognized Yamasees in Florida, and the religious group Nuwaubian Nation associated …

See also

• John Barnwell, Irish colonist

Further reading

• Bossy, Denise I., ed. (2018). The Yamasee Indians: From Florida to South Carolina. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
• Boyd, Mark F. (1949). "Diego Peña's expedition to Apalachee and Apalachicolo in 1716", The Florida Historical Quarterly, 16 (1), 2-32.
Boyd, Mark F. (1952). "Documents describing the second and third expeditions of lieutenant Diego Peña to Apalachee and Apalachicolo in 1717 and 1718," The Florida Historical Qu…

• Bossy, Denise I., ed. (2018). The Yamasee Indians: From Florida to South Carolina. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
• Boyd, Mark F. (1949). "Diego Peña's expedition to Apalachee and Apalachicolo in 1716", The Florida Historical Quarterly, 16 (1), 2-32.
• Boyd, Mark F. (1952). "Documents describing the second and third expeditions of lieutenant Diego Peña to Apalachee and Apalachicolo in 1717 and 1718," The Florida Historical Quarterly, 32 (2), 109-139.

1.Who are the Yamassee? - UNNM

Url:https://www.unnm.net/who-are-the-yamassee/

32 hours ago Ans: We the Yamassee Tribe Of Native American Moors Are A Branch Of The Olmec Moors also known as Washitaw, The Mound Builders. Our Ancestors Built The Rock Eagle Mound And Many Others In Such States As Wisconsin, Ohio, South Carolina, Louisiana, And Tennessee. This Is Why We Chose Eatonton, Georgia To Live.

2.Yamasee - Wikipedia

Url:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamasee

35 hours ago  · The Yamassee Indians were a confederation of tribes living in the southeast United States before the 18th century. Originally inhabiting parts of Georgia and Florida, they moved to South Carolina in the late 17th century.

3.Who Are the Yemassee Indians? - Reference.com

Url:https://www.reference.com/history/yemassee-indians-8f19c800e783f05e

5 hours ago The Yamasee Indians lived originally near the southern margin of South Carolina, perhaps at times within its borders, but they are rather to be connected with the aboriginal history of Georgia.

4.South Carolina - Indians, Native Americans - Yemassee

Url:https://www.sciway.net/hist/indians/yemassee.html

21 hours ago History – Yemassee Indians. Offended by the Spanish Governor from 1684 to 1685 in their home of Georgia, the Yemassee moved to South Carolina and were given land at the mouth of the Savannah River. 87 warriors fought with the colonists in the Tuscarora War of 1712. Angered by unfair trade practices, slavery and whipping of Indians, and encroachment on their land, the …

5.Who were they? and Where did they live? - Anderson …

Url:https://www.anderson5.net/cms/lib02/SC01001931/Centricity/Domain/2420/Native%20Americans%20pdf.pdf

31 hours ago The Yemassee spoke Muskogean language. Their land was farmed by the men and women. They ate shellfish such as clams and oysters that they caught in the ocean. They also hunted animals. What is the Yamasee tribe? The Yamasee Indians were a Muskogean tribe of Georgia and South Carolina, relatives of the Miccosukee tribe.

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