Who were the first inhabitants in Florida?

Who were the first inhabitants in Florida?

THE FIRST FLORIDIANS. The first Floridians were the American Indians. Some twenty-five thousand years before the birth of Christ, when North America was still inhabited by prehistoric beasts, small tribes of primitive hunters crossed the frozen wastelands of the Bering Strait from Asia to the Americas .

How did the Paleo Indians get to Florida?

The Florida Paleoindians were descendants of people who crossed into North America from eastern Asia during the Pleistocene epoch. At that time the oceans of the world were several hundred feet lower than they are today and Asia and Alaska were connected by a bridge of dry land more than a thousand miles in width.

What is the indigenous name for Florida?

The 1770s is when Florida Indians collectively became known as Seminole, a name meaning “wild people” or “runaway.” [Excerpt from: Florida Department of State’s Division of Resources’ Seminole History Report.] The Tequesta were a small, peaceful, Native American tribe.

Are there still Indians in Florida?

There is still a significant number of people in Florida’s Native American tribes. Today almost 3,000 people live on Seminole and Miccosukee reservations. Also living in Florida, mostly in Escambia County, are members of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

What race are Paleo Indians?

Paleo-Indians, Paleoindians or Paleo-Americans, were the first peoples who entered, and subsequently inhabited, the Americas during the final glacial episodes of the late Pleistocene period. The prefix “paleo-” comes from the Greek adjective palaios (παλαιός), meaning “old” or “ancient”.

How much lower was Florida’s shoreline during the Paleoindian period when compared to Florida’s sea level today?

The sea level was lower and the gulf coast shoreline was 40 to 70 miles further west. Peninsular Florida was almost twice its present size.

Did Florida have Native American tribes?

There are more than a dozen original Native American tribes in Florida – Pensacola, Apalachee, Guale, Timucua, Potano, Ocale, Tocobaga, Mayaimi, Ais, Calusa, Jeaga, Tequesta and Matecumbe – each one with distinctive cultures and customs. But there is one thing that they did have in common: the need for water.

When did the Paleo-Indians first appear in Florida?

Milanich places the end of the Paleoindian period at about 7500 BCE. During the early Paleoindian period in Florida, before 10,000 years ago, projectile points used in Florida included Beaver Lake, Clovis, Folsom-like, Simpson, Suwannee, Tallahassee, and Santa Fe points.

What are some important Paleoindian sites in Florida?

Other important Paleoindian sites in Florida include Harney Flats in Hillsborough County, the Nalcrest site, and Silver Springs. The environment in Florida at the end of the Pleistocene was very different from today.

What kind of projectile points did the Paleo Indians use in Florida?

During the early Paleoindian period in Florida, before 10,000 years ago, projectile points used in Florida included Beaver Lake, Clovis, Folsom-like, Simpson, Suwannee, Tallahassee, and Santa Fe points. Simpson and Suwannee points are the most common early Paleoindian points found in Florida.

How deep is the Gulf of Mexico for Paleo-Indians?

Sites with Paleoindian artifacts have also been found in flooded river valleys as much as 17 feet (5.2 m) under the Gulf of Mexico, and suspected sites have been identified up to 20 miles (32 km) offshore under 38 feet (12 m) of water. Half of the Paleoindian sites in Florida may be under water in the Gulf of Mexico.