Chapter 5 - Explorers in Alabama Flashcards
What three European countries sent settlers into present-day Alabama? Why did these countries want colonies in the New World?
Spain, France, England
To trade with the Indians, to make money, to expand their empires, to protect their ships traveling in the Gulf of Mexico.
Who was the first known European explorer of present-day Alabama? What part of the state did he visit?
In 1519, Alonso Alvarez De Pineda from Spain sailed into Mobile Bay. He stayed for more than a month. He drew maps of the bay & 15 miles up the Mobile River. He reported friendly Indian villages around the bay & river.
What great Indian chief did De Soto fight at the Battle of Maubila? Tell some details about this chief.
Chief Tuskaloosa. “Tuskaloosa” means “black warrior”. (The river that runs through the city Tuscaloosa is the Black Warrior!) In 1540, De Soto met Chief Tuskaloosa. De Soto noted that he was over 7 feet tall! De Soto gave him gifts & had his men put on a horse riding show. De Soto asked for men to carry supplies, CT agreed, but it was a trick. The Indians attacked De Soto at the Battle of Maubila.
What animals did the Spaniards bring with them?
What were the for?
They brought horses for riding & carrying supplies, hogs for eating & Irish hounds for hunting.
What Spanish explorer established the first colony in Alabama? How long did his group spend in Alabama? What happened when they arrived?
Don Tristan De Luna began the first permanent colony in the area of Mobile Bay about 1559. They stayed 2 years. They were unsuccessful at establishing a colony. A hurricane struck while the ships were being unloaded. 8 ships were sunk.
Who were the French brothers who brought settlers to Mobile? What did they find on Dauphin Island & what did they call it?
Iberville le Moyne & Bienville le Moyne
They found huge piles of bones. They called it Massacre Island.
Who were the Cassette Girls? Why were they called that? What did they do?
They were 23 young girls sent by the French to be wives to the French men settled here. Cassette means trunk. Each girl was given clothes & a trunk for the journey, so they were called cassette girls. They didn’t like the food available in Alabama, so they made a fuss about it. It’s called the Petticoat Rebellion because girls back then wore slips under their dresses called petticoats. They learned to cook seafood & local vegetables & everyone was much happier.
Why did the French colony move to present-day Mobile in 1711?
People got sick from Yellow Fever & their houses flooded, so they moved & built Fort Conde. (This fort is still there & we can visit it.)
When did the British take over the French lands in present-day Alabama? How did things change when they took over?
The British took over in 1763 after they won the the French & Indian War. People spoke English instead of French, they built a church, jail, school; they passed new laws; they changed the name of Fort Conde to Fort Charlotte.
Who was Alexander McGillivray? Why was he important in the early history of Alabama?
He was the son of a man from Scotland & a Creek princess named Sehoy Marchand. He grew up with Indians & learned all their ways, then he was sent to school in Charleston, SC. He came back to Alabama to become the Chief of the Creek Tribe. He was a good at making agreements between the settlers & the Indians. We was also an army officer at different times in the Spanish, English, & American armies.
