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In Tampa Bay we had the Tocobagan people that were here when spaniards first came here. Just south of Tampa Bay were the Calusa. Both were quickly reduced, diminished, destroyed, assimilated. Seminoles also were present in Tampa Bay up until Uncle Jackson et al took care of the Indian "problem". 
There is a small island at the mouth of Tampa Bay called Egmont Key which is where captured Seminoles were brought to be shipped out West. Horrible history here. .After Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act in 1830, Native Americans were not allowed to live east of the Mississippi River. Egmont Key was one of the places Seminoles were brought to before they were forced to head to Oklahoma. After detainment at Egmont Key, Seminoles were taken to St. Marks in Florida’s panhandle, then to New Orleans and up the Mississippi River to what became known as the Trail of Tears. During each stop, the vessel would refuel before heading out to its next destination.
In 1858, Billy Bowlegs and 163 other Seminoles were held at Egmont Key, one of them being Polly Parker.https://seminoletribune.org/tribe-re...at-egmont-key/
The first recorded contact between the Calusa and Europeans was in 1513, when Juan Ponce de León landed on the west coast of Florida in May, probably at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River, after his earlier discovery of Florida in April. The Calusa knew of the Spanish before this landing, however, as they had taken in Native American refugees from the Spanish subjugation of Cuba. The Spanish careened one of their ships, and Calusas offered to trade with them. After ten days a man who spoke Spanish approached Ponce de León's ships with a request to wait for the arrival of the Calusa chief. Soon 20 war canoes attacked the Spanish, who drove off the Calusa, killing or capturing several of them. The next day 80 "shielded" canoes attacked the Spanish ships, but the battle was inconclusive. The Spanish departed and returned to Puerto Rico. In 1517 Francisco Hernández de Córdoba landed in southwest Florida on his return voyage from discovering the Yucatán. He was also attacked by the Calusa. In 1521 Ponce de León returned to southwest Florida to plant a colony, but the Calusa drove the Spanish out, mortally wounding Ponce de León.[19]
The Pánfilo de Narváez expedition of 1528 and the Hernando de Soto expedition of 1539 both landed in the vicinity of Tampa Bay, north of the Calusa domain. Dominican missionaries reached the Calusa domain in 1549 but withdrew because of the hostility of the tribe.
The Spanish found out that their crossbows were no match to the Indian longbows. The Indian bows, 6-7 feet long, were accurate to about 200 yards. Furthermore, the arrows, tipped with flint, penetrated the Spanish armor. Spanish horses proved worthless as war machines in the Florida swamps and brush.
There is a small island at the mouth of Tampa Bay called Egmont Key which is where captured Seminoles were brought to be shipped out West. Horrible history here. .After Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act in 1830, Native Americans were not allowed to live east of the Mississippi River. Egmont Key was one of the places Seminoles were brought to before they were forced to head to Oklahoma. After detainment at Egmont Key, Seminoles were taken to St. Marks in Florida’s panhandle, then to New Orleans and up the Mississippi River to what became known as the Trail of Tears. During each stop, the vessel would refuel before heading out to its next destination.In 1858, Billy Bowlegs and 163 other Seminoles were held at Egmont Key, one of them being Polly Parker.https://seminoletribune.org/tribe-re...at-egmont-key/
The first recorded contact between the Calusa and Europeans was in 1513, when Juan Ponce de León landed on the west coast of Florida in May, probably at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River, after his earlier discovery of Florida in April. The Calusa knew of the Spanish before this landing, however, as they had taken in Native American refugees from the Spanish subjugation of Cuba. The Spanish careened one of their ships, and Calusas offered to trade with them. After ten days a man who spoke Spanish approached Ponce de León's ships with a request to wait for the arrival of the Calusa chief. Soon 20 war canoes attacked the Spanish, who drove off the Calusa, killing or capturing several of them. The next day 80 "shielded" canoes attacked the Spanish ships, but the battle was inconclusive. The Spanish departed and returned to Puerto Rico. In 1517 Francisco Hernández de Córdoba landed in southwest Florida on his return voyage from discovering the Yucatán. He was also attacked by the Calusa. In 1521 Ponce de León returned to southwest Florida to plant a colony, but the Calusa drove the Spanish out, mortally wounding Ponce de León.[19]
The Pánfilo de Narváez expedition of 1528 and the Hernando de Soto expedition of 1539 both landed in the vicinity of Tampa Bay, north of the Calusa domain. Dominican missionaries reached the Calusa domain in 1549 but withdrew because of the hostility of the tribe.
The Spanish found out that their crossbows were no match to the Indian longbows. The Indian bows, 6-7 feet long, were accurate to about 200 yards. Furthermore, the arrows, tipped with flint, penetrated the Spanish armor. Spanish horses proved worthless as war machines in the Florida swamps and brush.
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