Choctaw

One of the so-called Five Civilized Tribes, the Choctaw were a group of Muskogean-speaking Native Americans originally from the southeastern United States, principally Mississippi. Unlike their neighbors, the Creek and Chickasaw, they were sedentary farmers who lived in villages and employed a democratic style of governance. The Choctaw were also unique among regional cultures in that men and women alike wore their hair very long, whereas in neighboring tribes men usually shaved their heads. Their first contact with Europeans came in 1541 when they skirmished with the Spanish under Hernando de Soto (ca. 1496-1542). They alternately sided with the English or French through 1763.

After the American Revolution ended in 1783, the Choctaw grew increasingly dependent upon the Spanish for arms and ammunition. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 left the Choctaw isolated from their Spanish allies and under increasing pressure from American settlers moving westward. Despite this friction, the Choctaw remained amicably disposed toward the United States. In 1811 Chief Pushmataha rejected Tecumseh’s call for a pan-Indian alliance against the Americans. When the Creek War erupted in August 1813, the Choctaw allied themselves with their white neighbors, contributing about 1,000 warriors to serve under General Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.