Curated Video
Disappearance and Legacy of the Calusa Civilization
Unlike many indigenous groups, the Calusa were not conquered by European forces but were ultimately undone by shifting geopolitics, British-backed slave raids, disease, and displacement in the early 18th century. While some refugees fled...
Curated Video
How the Calusa Resisted Spanish Colonization in Southern Florida
The Calusa skillfully navigated over two centuries of contact with the Spanish, resisting conquest through diplomacy, manipulation, and selective cooperation. Initial encounters were hostile—culminating in the death of Juan Ponce de...
Curated Video
Architectural Innovations of the Calusa Civilization
Although no standing Kusa structures remain, archaeological evidence reveals that they built large thatched buildings on shell mounds for protection against storms, insects, and enemies. Some structures—like the massive oval council...
Curated Video
Religious Beliefs of the Calusa
The Calusa held a complex set of spiritual beliefs, including the idea that each person had three souls and that after death, these souls transitioned through animals until disappearing completely. Their polytheistic religion featured a...
Curated Video
Leadership and Trade Structure of the Calusa Civilization
The Calusa (Kusa) participated in wide-ranging trade networks, importing materials like galena while possibly exporting marine shells inland across North America. Spanish sources described the Calusa as a powerful, hierarchical society...
Curated Video
Fishing and Agricultural Techniques of the Calusa People
By the time of Spanish contact, the Calusa supported a population of around 20,000 through a sophisticated and diverse subsistence system centered on fishing, foraging, and small-scale gardening. They primarily targeted small fish using...
Curated Video
Expansion of the Calusa Civilization in Southern Florida
During the Kusahatchee period, archaeologists begin to confidently trace the emergence of the Calusa through increased coastal interaction, foreign pottery styles, and permanent mound-building settlements like Pineland and Mound Key....
Curated Video
The Roots of the Calusa Civilization in Southwest Florida
Archaeological evidence from sites like Warm Mineral Springs and Useppa Island shows that early inhabitants of Southwest Florida, including the Calusa ancestors, relied heavily on marine resources as early as 11,000 years ago. Over time,...
Curated Video
Who Were the Calusa of Southern Florida?
The Calusa of ancient South Florida thrived in a unique coastal environment, developing a powerful and stratified society without relying on maize agriculture—a rarity among complex North American cultures. They leveraged the rich...
Weird History
When the Seminole Indians Aligned With Escaped Slaves
The Black Seminoles were a group of people that history, for the most part, forgot about. Their alliance with the native Seminole tribes resulted in a unique relationship that had never been seen before, and that changed the course of...