The Winyaw were a Native American tribe living near Winyah Bay, Black River, and the lower course of the

Pee Dee River The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in the Carolinas of the United States. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course, above the mouth of the Uwharrie River, is known as ...

in South Carolina. The Winyaw people disappeared as a distinct entity after 1720 and are thought to have merged with the

Waccamaw The Waccamaw people were an Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, who lived in villages along the Waccamaw and Pee Dee rivers in North and South Carolina in the 18th century.Lerch 328 Language Very little remains of the Waccam ...

Name

The meaning of the name ''Winyaw'' is unknown. Winyaw has also been written as Winyah, Weenee, and Wineaw.

History

The Winyaw might have been the Yenyohol mentioned in 1521 by

Francisco de Chicora Francisco de Chicora was the baptismal name given to a Native American kidnapped in 1521, along with 70 others, from near Winyah Bay by Spanish explorer Francisco Gordillo and slave trader Pedro de Quexos, based in Santo Domingo and the first Eur ...

, a Native American captive held by the Spanish. If so, they may have been carried away during

Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón (c. 1480 – 18 October 1526) was a Spanish magistrate and explorer who in 1526 established the short-lived San Miguel de Gualdape colony, one of the first European attempts at a settlement in what is now the United State ...

's expedition during that same year. The Winyaw were first mentioned by colonists of South Carolina after 1670. The tribe at first allied with the English colonists who settled in Charles Town, but this friendship soon was shattered when European slave dealers instigated a war against them in 1683 as an excuse to capture slaves. During the

Tuscarora War The Tuscarora War was fought in North Carolina from September 10, 1711 until February 11, 1715 between the Tuscarora people and their allies on one side and European American settlers, the Yamassee, and other allies on the other. This was con ...

of 1711, John Barnwell brought 24 "Wineaws" on his expedition into North Carolina, but they deserted him before arriving because they refused to go further with no guns or ammunition.South, "The Tribes of the Carolina Lowland, 31. In 1715, the

Cheraw The Cheraw people, also known as the Saraw or Saura, were a Siouan-speaking tribe of indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, in the Piedmont area of North Carolina near the Sauratown Mountains, east of Pilot Mountain and north of the ...

tried to pressure them into participating in the

Yamasee War The Yamasee War (also spelled Yamassee or Yemassee) was a conflict fought in South Carolina from 1715 to 1717 between British settlers from the Province of Carolina and the Yamasee and a number of other allied Native American peoples, incl ...

against the English but they refused, staying on friendly terms with the colonists. Later in 1715, the Winyaw lived in a single village of 106 people. By 1716, a number of them moved to the

Santee River } The Santee River is a river in South Carolina in the United States, and is long. The Santee and its tributaries provide the principal drainage for the coastal areas of southeastern South Carolina and navigation for the central coastal plain ...

. After two years the Winyaw on the Santee returned to their former residence to be near the trading house operated by Meredith Hughes at Uauenee, a location believed to have translated to "Great Bluff." When the Waccamaw moved to the Black River in 1718, the Winyaw may have felt crowded, for they apparently helped the English in the Waccamaw War during 1720.South, "The Tribes of the Carolina Lowland, 32. A 1722 map depicts the Winyaw staying on the south side of the Pee Dee River. Nothing more is known of the Winyaw as they disappeared as a distinct entity. It is assumed that they later merged with the Waccamaw.

Legacy

While the tribe disappeared from history during the early 18th century, Winyah Bay in

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

still bears their name.

Notes

References

* * {{authority control Extinct Native American tribes Native American history of South Carolina Native American tribes in South Carolina