Prince Madoc of Wales and the Mandan Indians of the Upper Missouri.
The painting on me here was done by George Catlin, sometime in the 1830s.
(Thanks George!)
George Catlin did numerous paintings of the Mandan Indians around that time.
I haven’t changed much.
In the year of our lord 1170, Prince Madoc of Wales sailed to North America with two ships. A year or two later, rumour has it, he came back for more settlers.
His father, the king of Wales, was dying and with eleven or twelve sons vying for the spot, of which Madoc had no interest, he said ‘Ciao’!
What gave this story more depth and substance, was the fact when early explorers arrived in that area of the Dakotas, they discovered a small tribe, referred to as the Mandan Indians. The first of these was in 1738. The French fur trader Sieur de la Vérendrye. And in 1736, by Peirre Alneau.
“La Vérendrye described the village he visited as a fort "built on a height in open prairie, with a ditch more than fifteen feet deep and fifteen to eighteen feet wide," which could be entered only by use of "steps .. . or timbers,... which are removed when there is danger from the enemy," making it "impregnable against Indians." He concluded that their fortifications were "not at all Indian-like." About the people, he remarked, "This nation is of mixed blood, white and black" with "fairly good-looking" women, "especially the light-complexioned ones; many of them have blond or fair hair." He added, "Most of the women do not have Indian features." He discovered that their earth lodges were "large and spacious" and "nothing is left lying about."" The Mandan villages, he learned, were a trading center for the region, and the Mandan were astute diplomats and traders.”
A fairly marked percentage of this tribe had fairer skin, blue eyes and fair hair. Their boat were similar to the Welsh Coracle. Their houses were sturdier.
There is a great historical fiction book by James Alexander Thom called "Children of the First Man".
In this book, Thom posits that Prince Madoc (Madog ab Owain Gwynedd) arrived somewhere at the mouth of the Mississippi. Or eventually made his way to that spot.
From there, over the years his band of Welsh settlers/explorers moved up the river over the years.
Eventually arriving at the Missouri River in the area now known as South Dakota.
There are verified tales of Welsh speaking tribes along the way.
There is this story of The Reverend Morgan Jones, who moved to America in 1660 from Wales. He settled in southwestern Pennsylvania. There had been rumours of Indians living in South Carolina that spoke perfect Welsh. Jones went there as a chaplain sometime in the 1660s. The only thing preventing him from being slaughtered by this tribe, according to his story, was the fact that he could speak to them, as they understood the Welsh language.
https://welshhistories.co.uk/madoc-ap-owain-gwynedd/
The image here is adapted from one painted by George Catlin. He painted numerous images of the Mandan Indians in the 1830s.