500 Nations: Cahokia, City of the Sun

Cahokia, The City of the Sun, was the capital city of a Kingdom that expanded along the Mississippi River Valley. The founder of the city was a man who referred to himself as "The Great Sun" who came down from behind the Sun", he also bestowed himself as the religious and political leader of the Kingdom, he was the most powerful King and Indigenous leader North America ever had. The Great Sun created his own commandments and cultural influence that would later spread across much of the Eastern part of North America from The Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast. Hundreds of Mississippian Sun Kings would later rule over several smaller Kingdoms from Spiro Mounds sit to Moundville site (Coosa Kingdom).

The City of Cahokia arose around 800 C.E. and lasted until 1400 C.E.. At the height of the City in 1300 C.E., the population of the city was at 50,000 people according to recent archeological evidence. There were hundreds of towns and villages with in a 100 mile radius of Cahokia, the population of the Kingdom was probably over 100 thousand people. The trade network of this Kingdom directly ranged from the entire Mississippi and Missouri valley, to the Great Lakes region to the entire Gulf Coast. Cahokia was also connected to rely trade networks that spanned from Central Southern Canada to the entire lower part of North America, to Mesoamerica and the Caribbean.

Gold arrived from Canada and Mesoamerica, Silver arrived from the Rocky Mountain region, Mica from the Appalachians, Copper from the Great Lakes and Shell from the Gulf Coast, and exotic feathers from the Caribbean. Cahokia exported hemp clothes, corn, stone tools, copper tools just to mention a few products. The City used the major river valleys connected to the Mississippi River as their major trade routes. Cahokia prospered until the capital city began to decline after 1300 C.E.. Oral History of several Tribes in the region speak of dark times along the Mississippi River, and at this time, a serious of prolonged droughts and winters, to go along with classism and elitism probably lead to infighting, some wars that led to the slow collapse of the Kingdom.

But the legacy of the Mississippian Culture and Sun Kings spread across much of the Eastern North America to parts of the Midwest and Southwest, up until the later 1600's. The Natchez King located in down river, inherited the royal power of Cahokia, The Natchez King had the title "Son of the Sun".

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