by L.S. Watts

Created on: January 12, 2009

What is now present day Alabama was originally inhabited by Native American tribes. There were several tribes that made their homes in this area before explorers came. Tribes that were a part of the Muskogee Nation included Abihka, Eufaula, Fus-hatchee, Hilibi, Kan-hatki, Kealedji, Koasati, Kolomi, Okchai, Pakana, Tukabahchee, Wakokai, and Wiwohka. Tribes that were a part of the Creek Nation included the Apalachicola, Okmulgee, and Yamasee. There were other Native Nations that occupied the Alabama area such as the Choctaw, the Chickasaw, and the Cherokee as well. Once explorers began to make their presence known, there were many tribes that travel to make their homes in Alabama. Some Native Nations came to Alabama from Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana to escape the explorers of the time. Some of these nations included the Alabama, Muklasa, Natchez, Pawokti, Shawnee, Taensa , and the Yuchi just to name a few.

Spanish explorers had been exploring and mapping the Gulf of Mexico as early as 1500. It is believed that the first Europeans to visit Alabama were Spanish explorers that had arrived in Mobile Bay in 1519. According to older Spanish maps, Mobile Bay was once marked as Baha del Espritu Santo (Bay of the Holy Spirit). The Spanish explorers were lead by Alonso Alvarez de Pineda, who was not only an explorer but a map-maker as well. Alonso Alvarez de Pineda and his crew of explorers set sail on orders from the Spanish Governor of Jamaica, Francisco de Garay. Francisco de Garay sent him to map the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Mexico.

Several explorers for the next few decades made their stop to what is now Alabama. Cabeza de Vaca visited Alabama in 1528 as a part of his sea and land exploration for Spain. Panfilo de Narvaez may have been with Cabeza de Vaca in his visit to Alabama but it is not clear due to the attack Cabeza de Vaca and his crew suffered from Natives in Florida. It was approximately twelve years before another explorer visited Alabama.

In 1540, Hernando de Soto led an expedition into the region of Alabama. Due to the conflict between Spanish explorers and Native tribes, the Spanish were unable to establish a colony in this area. It was the French who had established the first European colony in Alabama. It was the LeMoyne brothers, Pierre LeMoyne, Sieur d'Iberville, and Jean Baptiste LeMoyne, along with Sieur de Bienville that arrived in Mobile Bay in 1699. By 1702 they had established Fort Louis de la Mobile. This was during the time of the

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>