Native American History of Savannah

by Michael Freeman

Savannah's storied history begins with Native Americans. The Guales lived along the Georgia coast for hundreds of years and were the first to encounter Spanish missionaries from St. Augustine in the 1500s. Tomochichi of the Yamacraw tribe is lauded as the co-founder of Georgia for his efforts in helping James Oglethorpe establish the Savannah colony in the eighteenth century. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson forced southeastern Native American tribes to resettle in the West, including descendants of the Savannah Creek, who had fought by Jackson's side at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. Michael Freeman explores the legacy of coastal Georgia's Native Americans and the role they played in founding Savannah.

128 pages, Paperback

Published July 2, 2018

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Reviews

[William Crump · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author knows Savannah's history like the back of his hand. He details chronologically "The peach state's first peoples." It is not always easy reading, but I had to understand this history to paint an accurate picture through my historical fiction lens for my "Savannah's Hoodoo Doctor" and then "Savannah's Bethesda." Perhaps naively, I set out to write an easily accessible book to make the case that the West African Gullah/Geechee, the Indigenous American Creek Federation, and the European healing traditions were more alike than different. Once I worked my way through this book beginning with the Mississippian Gaules up to Tomochichi and Mary Musgrove that were critical in the founding of Oglethorpe's dream on the Yamacraw bluffs now welcoming thousands of visitors to the "Hostess City" (formerly the "Forest City"), I was ready to write. As in his other books, the author uses photos and maps to bring the story alive, and it was hard to put down, wondering what was coming next. Anyone interested in understanding modern Savannah can make a good start here.

[Gianaclis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is about the only book that even attempts to delve into the amazing Indigenous American culture of the Georgia low-country. Writing and editorial-wise, the book's not perfect, but I'm so grateful to have anything that digs a bit deeper into the topic! If you're considering a visit to Savannah, or live there, this book is a must read.