The Apalachee and European Contact in Florida

Map depicting the Apalachee Province
and other Native American Tribes
in the Southeast (courtesy of the 
Florida Division of Historical Resources)

The Apalachee lived in the Tallahassee area prior to Spanish arrival. Specifically, the Apalachee Province (as it was referred to by the Spanish) existed between the Aucilla and Ochlockonee Rivers, at the head of the Apalachee Bay. Like the Muscogee (Creek) that we learned about last week, the Apalachee also spoke a Muscogean language which was also called Apalachee. While the Apalachee language is now considered extinct, the descendants of those who spoke it still exist, although in much smaller numbers than prior to European contact. 

The Apalachee were agriculturalists, growing crops such as various types of corn, pumpkin, and sunflowers. They also hunted and gathered throughout the region. Agriculture allowed them to remain in one place for long periods, settling in large groups. It also allowed for them to have more specialization and stratification within their community. They were also part of a very expansive trade network. This trade network extended from the Gulf Coast, to the Great Lakes, all the way into Oklahoma. They would trade shells and  other locally available materials for things like copper and sheets of mica. In fact, the reputation they garnered as a result of this trade network reportedly caused the Native Americans in Southern Florida to implore the Spanish to move north to the Apalachee Province if they wanted to find real riches, such as gold. There is no evidence that the Apalachee actually had gold, but perhaps the copper was mistakenly thought to be gold. 

The Narvaez Expedition encountered the Apalachee in 1528, and eleven years later the de Soto Expedition wintered at Anhaica (present-day Tallahassee), which was the Apalachee capitol.  You can visit the site of de Soto’s winter encampment, which currently is home to the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research. This was not a peaceful mixing of two cultures, and resulted in numerous violent instances. The Apalachee’s arrows were said to be able to pierce two layers of chainmail but no amount of weaponry could protect them against the invisible killer the Spanish brought with them. In addition to violence, the Apalachee suffered from diseases brought over by the Europeans. Throughout  early history, there were also multiple instances of violence between the Apalachee and other Indigenous tribes considered to be their enemy. As you can imagine, in some instances these rivalries were used by the Spanish and other Europeans.

An artistic rendering of what Mission San Luis 
de Talimali looked like (courtesy of the Trail of 
Florida's Indian Heritage)

Around 1600 Spanish Franciscans found successful Catholic missions among the Apalachee. There is much conjecture as to why they were more willing than some other Florida tribes to convert to Catholicism. Many speculate that it could have been due to desperation from their dwindling numbers and the fear of an unknown and invisible killer- diseases brought by the Spanish. However, it is important to note that there were instances of revolt against the Spanish missions. So we cannot assume that it was an easy transition or completely voluntary. From 1654 to 1704 Mission San Luis de Talimali was the western capitol of Spanish Florida. Today it is a living history museum and listed as a National Historic Landmark. 

The pre-contact population of the Apalachee is estimated to have been approximately 50,000. By 1608, a Spanish Fransiscan Friar estimated it at about 36,000. The population steadily declined, and by 1675 only about 10,000 Apalachee remained. Survivors were forced to relocate, and oftentimes had to hide their identity as Apalachee. They adapted to survive and the relocation allowed them to escape complete genocide. Today there are an estimated 300 people that identify as  descendants of the Apalachee who once dominated this region. These are members of the Talimali Band of Apalachee. Today they reside mostly in Louisiana and continue to uphold their Apalachee traditions and are working towards federal recognition. These descendants have worked with archaeologists and historians at Mission San Luis de Talimali ,located in their ancestral homeland, to ensure a culturally appropriate and accurate representation of their culture and ancestors. 

There are quite a number of books available that discuss the Apalachee and the Spanish Mission Period in Florida. A few we recommend, in addition to the numerous links above, are listed below. 

The Apalachee Indians and Mission San Luis, written by John H. Hann and Bonnie G. McEwan

Florida Indians and the Invasion from Europe, written by Jerald T. Milanich

Hernando de Soto Among the Apalachee: The Archaeology of the First Winter Encampment (Florida Museum of Natural History: Ripley P. Bullen Series), written by Charles R. Ewen and John H. Hann

Here They Once Stood: The Tragic End of the Apalachee Missions, written by Mark F. Boyd