Georgia Uncovered:
Investigating Our State’s Legends
Tomochichi
A presentation of
Are you ready to uncover the secrets of Georgia’s past? Legends, like those surrounding Tomochichi’s grave, have been passed down for generations. But are these stories fact, fiction, or a little bit of both? It’s time to investigate the truth and explore our past like historians. With primary sources, videos, and activities, you’ll uncover the truth behind these legends.
To guide you through this journey, you will download a Detective’s Journal. This tool will assist you in reflecting on your journey through the mysteries of Georgia’s past. This interactive PDF is designed to help you think critically, ask questions, and document your findings. Each section of the exhibit corresponds to a part of the journal, with prompts to reflect on what you’ve learned, analyze primary sources, and connect the legends to Georgia’s statewide impact.
What Are Legends?
Legends are like a mix of history and imagination. They are stories based on a real person or event from the past that have been passed down for generations. Legends usually have cultural significance with exaggerated elements. They are fun to tell, but the truth can get lost along the way. Your job as a historian is to figure out what is real and what is made up. As you investigate the legends of Georgia, it is imperative that you understand the importance of utilizing tools to help you along your journey.
Here are a few key terms to help as you investigate Georgia’s legends:
- Historian: like a detective of the past, someone who studies and tells stories about things that happened long ago, such as wars, famous people, and how people lived.
- Legend: a story, often passed down through generations, that is believed to be based on real events or people, which may include fictional or exaggerated elements.
- Fact: something that is true and can be proven.
- Fiction: a made-up story, though sometimes based on real things.
- Primary Sources: original, first-hand accounts of something.
- Secondary Sources: stories or articles about those original accounts written by someone who was not there.
- Savannah: the oldest city in the state of Georgia.
Legend has it that...
“The spirits of the Yamacraw guard Wright Square, protecting Tomochichi’s memory after his grave was disturbed.”
“Sacred Yamacraw treasures were buried with Tomochichi and hidden beneath Wright Square.”
“Tomochichi’s grave was originally marked with a pyramid of stones placed by both settlers and Yamacraw people, out of honor and respect.”
“Tomochichi’s remains were secretly moved to another location to preserve his legacy, leaving his final resting place unknown.”
“Tomochichi’s grave was deliberately forgotten about over to time to erase Native American history.”
Common Legends of Tomochichi
Our investigation starts with a prominent figure in Georgia history, Tomochichi. Crucial to the founding of Savannah and the Georgia colony, Tomochichi’s past is riddled with legends that have been passed on for generations, particularly dealing with his burial. Here are a few legends surrounding Tomochichi:
Legend has it that…
- “The spirits of the Yamacraw guard Wright Square, protecting Tomochichi’s memory after his grave was disturbed.”
- “Sacred Yamacraw treasures were buried with Tomochichi and hidden beneath Wright Square.”
- “Tomochichi’s grave was originally marked with a pyramid of stones placed by both settlers and Yamacraw people, out of honor and respect.”
- “Tomochichi’s remains were secretly moved to another location to preserve his legacy, leaving his final resting place unknown.”
- “Tomochichi’s grave was deliberately forgotten about over to time to erase Native American history.”
Just like historians, we are going to examine legends surrounding Tomochichi using the correct tools and resources to make an informed decision. Understanding the past and connecting the past to its impact on the present will guide us through each section of the exhibit. Signs of a great historian include:
- Using both primary and secondary sources to reconstruct the past.
- Critically evaluating sources, identifying biases, and drawing logical conclusions based on evidence.
Tomochichi, Leader of the Yamacraw Indians
The Yamacraw were a Native American tribe within the Creek Confederacy. Their homeland was in the coastal regions of present-day Georgia, particularly around the Savannah River. The Yamacraw, like other Creek tribes, spoke Muskogean, and were deeply connected to the land and waterways that sustained them. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Yamacraw, along with other Native tribes, faced increasing pressure from European settlers, traders, and explorers. As European expanded in the Southeast, Native Americans had to navigate shifting alliances, trade opportunities, and territorial conflicts. During this time, Tomochichi became the leader of the Yamacraw. His diplomatic skills and leadership were instrumental in maintaining a relationship with the European settlers while also navigating tension with other tribes.
Additional information about Tomochichi can be found here:
The Significance of Savannah
Savannah is Georgia’s oldest city, full of mystery and history. Our journey begins with a partnership between Tomochichi, the leader of the Yamacraw tribe, and James Oglethorpe, the leader of English settlers. This unique relationship was built on the choice to foster peaceful settlements for both parties as they strived to understand each other. Mary Musgrove, a local trader of Creek and English descent, spoke both Muskogean and English, and served as Oglethorpe’s main interpreter. Musgrove was a key player in helping Tomochichi and Oglethorpe develop their relationship. The Yamacraw tribe settled near the banks of Savannah River under Tomochichi’s guidance to be closer to their ancestors. Tomochichi offered the English settlers land to establish a trading post. James Oglethorpe had a vision similar to Tomochichi’s. Oglethorpe strived to create a new way of life for the people, leaving home and traveling with a group of new colonists to the new world. Before settling in Savannah, Oglethorpe had to establish being a military leader while building connections to gain support for his new colony. To make the city easier to defend against attack, he laid out the city around a series of squares and laid out the streets in a grid pattern. Oglethorpe wanted to prevent issues between the English and Indians that had taken place in other colonies, and Oglethorpe and Tomochichi managed to build a diplomatic relationship and maintain peace.
The Facts of Tomochichi’s Grave
Tomochichi was a leader who helped the English settlers develop Savannah. His grave in Wright Square has been moved and changed over time. What’s the real story?
In recognition of Tomochichi’s role in the founding of the colony of Georgia, he was given a British military funeral following his death in 1739. The grave’s location in Savannah’s Wright Square was marked with a large pyramid of stacked stones, serving as a monument to the Yamacraw Chief. The pyramid stood for only a few decades before disappearing. Its last mention in public record occurred in 1759, and the exact location of the grave was soon lost.
A garden mound, raised in the square in 1871, stood near the site until its removal in 1882 to make room for the William Gordon monument. This mound has been confused with the older monument, leading to the idea that the grave was destroyed to build the Gordon monument. In reality, the mound was one of several garden mounds placed around Savannah and was not meant as a monument to Tomochichi while it stood.
In 1899, a large granite boulder from Stone Mountain in DeKalb County marked with a bronze plate was placed in the square as a monument to Tomochichi and remains there today. The historical marker placed in Wright square in 1952 tells visitors about Tomochichi’s role in the history of Georgia and marks the site believed to be the location of the original grave.
Tools for Exploration
Great work investigating the life and legends of Tomochichi! Let’s look a little deeper using tools that will aid in connecting the past to the present. Just like a historian, remember to:
- Explore primary and secondary sources.
- Challenge your own assumptions.
- Use evidence to support your arguments.
Be sure to keep the Detective’s Journal near as you further analyze resources, reflect on what you’ve learned, and form your own conclusions. Good luck with your investigation!
Start with:
And keep scrolling for these resources:
- Dispatches from Off the Deaton Path Video: Tomochichi’s Grave
- Elementary Activity Sheet (pdf): Tomochichi’s Grave
- Secondary Activity Sheet (pdf): Tomochichi & Trahlyta: Fact vs. Legend
And then:
- Test Your Knowledge! (Quiz)
Dispatches from Off the Deaton Path
Test Your Knowledge
Dive into the quiz below and discover what you have learned about Native American and Georgia history. See how many you can get right and what you can learn more about!
Share A Legend
Upload Your Own Legend: Know a Georgia legend you’d like to investigate next? Share it with us, and we might feature it in a future exhibit.
Bonus Resources
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