South Carolina

Ethnological Information Regarding the Cusabo

Ethnological information regarding the Cusabo is scanty and unsatisfactory, the interest of the colonists having been quickly attracted to those great tribes lying inland which they called “nations.” Such material as is to be had must be interpreted in the light of the fuller information to be gathered from larger southern tribes like the Creeks, Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw. Nevertheless it is of interest to know that certain features of the lives of these peoples were or were not shared by the ones better known. The material gathered by the Spaniards as a result of the Ayllon expedition has been … Read more

Chiaha Tribe

Holmanns Map of 1759

The Chiaha were a more prominent tribe and evidently much larger than the Osochi. While the significance of their name is unknown it recalls the Choctaw chaha, “high,” “height,” and this would be in harmony with the situation in which part of the tribe was first encountered northward near the mountains of Tennessee. There is also a Cherokee place name which superficially resembles this, but should not be confounded with it. It is written by Mooney Tsiyahi and signifies “Otter place.” One settlement so named formerly existed on a branch of the Keowee River, near the present Cheohee, Oconee County, … Read more

Chickasaw Indian Tribe

This historical account explores the Chickasaw tribe’s encounters with European explorers, their territorial conflicts with other tribes such as the Shawnee, and their alliances, particularly with the British. The article notably discusses the tribe’s interactions with Hernando de Soto and his army in 1540-41, wherein the Chickasaw nearly wiped out the entire expedition. Later historical events include the tribe’s involvement in the Natchez uprising of 1729 and subsequent French expeditions against them. The text concludes by describing the tribe’s significant reduction in size due to continuous warfare and forced resettlement.

Durant Choctaw Family – List of Mixed Bloods

Durant Genealogy Chart 1

The Durant family represents an important link between a large number of modern Alabamans and Mississippians of mixed blood heritage and its line can easily be traced into several prominent pre-Civil War southern families (see Charts 7, 8 and 9). One such example is the Linder family of south Alabama. Their history stretches back across the Atlantic to Switzerland and touches the mixed bloods when John Linder, V, married Sophie Durant, another daughter of Ben Durant and Sophie McGillivray, and lived near the mixed-blood communities along the Alabama River above Mobile.  The Durants are more amply documented than many mixed-blood … Read more

Condition of Tribes by State in 1890

Condition of the Arkansas Indians in 1890 Total                    250 Indians in prisons, not otherwise enumerated        32 Self-supporting Indians, Taxed                            218 The civilized (self-supporting) Indians of Arkansas number 218, 146 males and 72 females, and are distributed as follows: Pulaski County, 47; Sebastian County, 47; other counties with 11 or less in each, 124. The Indians of Arkansas are mostly in a county bordering on the Indian Territory, and in the county containing the state capital.  There are not enough to form a distinctive class. Condition of the Connecticut Indians in 1890 The civilized, (self-supporting) Indians of Connecticut, counted in the … Read more

Pedee Tribe

Pedee Indians. A small tribe, probably Siouan, formerly living on the middle course of Pedee River, South Carolina Nothing is known of its language and little of its history. On a war map of 1715 its village is placed on the east bank, considerably below that of the Cheraw, about the present Cheraw, South Carolina. In 1744 they with others killed several Catawba, which led to their being driven from their lands into the white settlements. Two years later they and the Sara are named as tribes which had long been incorporated with the Catawba. In 1751 they were mentioned … Read more

Shawnee Indians

The Shawnee Tribe, meaning “southerners,” is recognized for its significant role in the history of numerous regions across the United States, with its name reflected in places from Pennsylvania to Georgia. The Shawnee were part of the Algonquian linguistic group, closely related to tribes such as the Fox, Sauk, and Kickapoo. Known for their frequent migrations, the Shawnee had historic settlements in locations like the Cumberland River Valley and Ohio, forming five primary divisions, including Chillicothe and Piqua. Their complex history of relocation, resistance against European settlers, and leadership under figures like Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa has made them a central part of early American history. Shawnee populations were dispersed over time, eventually settling primarily in Oklahoma by the 20th century.

Contact Between the Southern Indians and Mexico

The relations existing in prehistoric times between the Indians formerly inhabiting the territory of the present United States and those south of them have been a subject of discussion from the earliest period of ethnological speculation in America. Dissemination of culture and of blood takes place, of course, where any tribe is in contact with any other tribe, but something more than this has frequently been alleged of the relations between the two areas under consideration. In parts of Mexico and Central America, not to mention regions farther south, there existed historically, as is well known, relatively high native cultures, … Read more

South Carolina Indian Tribes

The following tribes at one time are recorded in history as having resided within the present state of South Carolina. If the tribe name is in bold, then South Carolina is the primary location known for this tribe, otherwise we provide the tribes specifics as it pertains to South Carolina and provide a link to the main tribal page if available.

Basket House of the South Atlantic Coast

Basket Houses

When the Spanish arrived on the coast of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, they observed small houses near the beaches which were woven like baskets. In, what is now South Carolina and Georgia, these “basket houses” were only used in the warm months as fishing camps. However, the Tequesta People living in the coastal areas of far southeastern Florida lived in them year round. The houses were literally woven from dry palmetto fronds like they were over-sized baskets. They functioned much like a screened porch today – air could circulate, but insects and rain drops couldn’’t penetrate the walls. Very … Read more

Chickasaw Indians

The Chickasaw Indians, linguistically related to the Choctaw, were one of the main tribes of the Muskhogean group. Their ancestral location was northern Mississippi. As per tribal history, the Chickasaw believed they had come from the west and had once lived in northern Alabama. First encountered by Europeans under De Soto, the tribe was notably warlike. They were steadfast allies of the English during the colonization of North America. After the establishment of the American Government, land pressures led them to cede their territories and move to what is now Oklahoma between 1837 and 1847

Yuchi Indians

Yuchi Tribe. Significance unknown, but perhaps, as suggested by Speck (1909), from a native word meaning “those far away,” or “at a distance,” though it is also possible that it is a variant of Ochesee or Oeese, which was applied by the Hitchiti and their allies to Indians speaking languages different from their own. Also called: Ani’-Yu’tsl, Cherokee name. Chiska, probably a Muskogee translation of the name of one of their bands. Hughchee, an early synonym. Round town people, a name given by the early English colonists. Rickohockans, signifying “cavelanders” (Hewitt, in Hodge, 1907), perhaps an early name for a … Read more

Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina

Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina: Condition and history of the once powerful tribe of Catawba Indians who resided on the banks of the Catawba River, South Carolina.

Register of St. Philip’s Parish, South Carolina

This is a collection of birth records from St. Philip’s Parish in South Carolina, beginning in 1711. It documents births in chronological order, providing the names of the parents, the date of birth, and sometimes additional information like the time of birth or whether the child was baptized. The records highlight the demographics of the parish during the 18th century, showcasing the names, family structures, and even the occasional instances of births outside of marriage.