The Karankawa were an Indigenous people concentrated in southern Texas along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, largely in the lower Colorado River and Brazos River valleys. From the onset of European colonization, the Karankawa had violent encounters with the Spanish. After one attack by the Spanish, who ambushed the Karankawa after the establishment of Presidio La Bahía in 1722, the Karankawa allegedly felt "deeply betrayed viewed Spanish colonial settlement with hostility."
By 1825, Stephen Austin commissioned a captain to lead volunteers to expel the Karankawa from the Austin land grant. The Karankawa were repeatedly attacked by Texan colonists, commanded by men like John H. Moore and Robert Kuykendoll, who massacred men, women, and children in stealthy attacks on their villages to drive them out of their homelands, scalping the dead while stealing their food and supplies.
By the 1840s, the Karankawa, now exiled, split into two groups, one of which settled on Padre Island while the other fled into the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. During 1858, Juan Nepomuceno Cortina led a group of Texan colonists against the Karankawa's last refuge and killed the remaining members of the tribe. By 1891, colonists believed the Karankawa as an organized tribe had been disbanded.
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As far as anything left to remind us of the Karankawa Indian tribe, I believe the Karankawa reef that bisects the West Galveston Bay in the only reminder left. I do not personally know of another single item. Within a period of approximately 100 years the tribe had completely disappeared.
It has been commonly thought the Karankawa’s were cannibalistic. Most official sources deny this. I think the idea came about because of early Spanish expeditions confused this tribe with others along the Texas Gulf Coast who did practice cannibalism. To the best of our knowledge, the Karankawa had existed for some 2,000 years in the area. In the summer they foraged along the bay for fish, shrimp and other seafood. In the winter further inland for both small animals, pecans and other seasonal crops This tribe is the earliest known inhabitants of Galveston Island and the surrounding territory. Just Sayin…RJS
Robert J Samples wrote:
The Karankawa were an Indigenous people concentrated in southern Texas along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, largely in the lower Colorado River and Brazos River valleys. From the onset of European colonization, the Karankawa had violent encounters with the Spanish. After one attack by the Spanish, who ambushed the Karankawa after the establishment of Presidio La Bahía in 1722, the Karankawa allegedly felt "deeply betrayed viewed Spanish colonial settlement with hostility."
By 1825, Stephen Austin commissioned a captain to lead volunteers to expel the Karankawa from the Austin land grant. The Karankawa were repeatedly attacked by Texan colonists, commanded by men like John H. Moore and Robert Kuykendoll, who massacred men, women, and children in stealthy attacks on their villages to drive them out of their homelands, scalping the dead while stealing their food and supplies.
By the 1840s, the Karankawa, now exiled, split into two groups, one of which settled on Padre Island while the other fled into the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. During 1858, Juan Nepomuceno Cortina led a group of Texan colonists against the Karankawa's last refuge and killed the remaining members of the tribe. By 1891, colonists believed the Karankawa as an organized tribe had been disbanded.
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As far as anything left to remind us of the Karankawa Indian tribe, I believe the Karankawa reef that bisects the West Galveston Bay in the only reminder left. I do not personally know of another single item. Within a period of approximately 100 years the tribe had completely disappeared.
It has been commonly thought the Karankawa’s were cannibalistic. Most official sources deny this. I think the idea came about because of early Spanish expeditions confused this tribe with others along the Texas Gulf Coast who did practice cannibalism. To the best of our knowledge, the Karankawa had existed for some 2,000 years in the area. In the summer they foraged along the bay for fish, shrimp and other seafood. In the winter further inland for both small animals, pecans and other seasonal crops This tribe is the earliest known inhabitants of Galveston Island and the surrounding territory. Just Sayin…RJS
The Karankawa were an Indigenous people concentrat... (
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Now you know what I mean when I said the Indians needed better immigration laws. Nothing has changed.
Never heard of the Karankawa . Good story, Thanks !
That really was not that long ago! I feel all Native Americans were treated terribly. Man is really a violent animal and that continues today unfortunately!
Yes, the European immigrants thougt of the US as free land for the taking because the Natives did not see that anyone owned the land. Just Sayin...RJS
Also, the natives had inferior weapons, which meant to the Europeans that it was right to take anything they wanted.
...and still today, the Europeans consider themselves more enlightened than us.
Well, almost right! The Comanches could shoot 16 to 18 arrows from a running horse while the settler could barely have time to reload once and had to do that dismounted! Only when the Patterson Colt found its way into the hands of Texas Rangers did the odds even out and Anglos could meet Comanches toe to toe on horseback. They sent one ranger to
Meet Colt and the result was the Walker Colt that was .44 six shot and the most powerful weapon till the .357 S&W in the 1930’s. Just Sayin...RJS
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