Chief Carlos

Chief Carlos was the chief of the Calusas and referred to as the greatest chief among the Indians in Florida. His strength was so great that he would come to dominate all of the Indian tribes. The chief was given the name of Carlos by the Spaniards who told him it was the name of a great Spanish king. Carlos was the son of Senquene, who had also been a chief. Carlos had a vision of uniting all of the Everglades Indians into a federation which he would lead. He controlled a large number of Indian towns among the different tribes. The other Indians had to pay him tribute, which he then traded with the Northern tribes. When Menendez de Aviles learned about Carlos, he went to see him. The Indian king arrived, carried on a litter borne by slaves. They exchanges gifts, but Carlos felt the...