Seminole Wars, (1817–18, 1835–42, 1855–58), three conflicts between the United States and the Seminole Indians of Florida in the period before the American Civil War that ultimately resulted in the opening of the Seminole’s desirable land for white exploitation and settlement.

How long was the 2nd Seminole War?

The Second Seminole War (1835-1842), usually referred to as the Seminole War proper, was the fiercest war waged by the U.S. government against American Indians. The United States spent more than $20 million fighting the Seminoles. The war left more than 1,500 soldiers and uncounted American civilians dead.

How did the Seminole War end?

Between 1835 and 1842, almost 3,000 Seminoles were removed to Oklahoma. For every two Indians removed, one American soldier died. The Second Seminole War was the bloodiest and longest in United States history. In 1842, the U.S. government withdrew and the Seminole Indians never signed a peace treaty.

How many Seminoles died in the Second Seminole War?

Second Seminole War

Date December 23, 1835 – August 14, 1842 (6 years, 7 months, 3 weeks and 1 day)
Result Nominal end to conflict; no peace treaty; approximately 4,000 Seminoles forcibly transported to Indian Territory; approximately 350 Seminoles remained in Florida; unresolved conflict led to Third Seminole War in 1855.

Did Seminoles ever surrender?

They never surrendered, never signed a peace treaty. By retreating into the Everglades, the Seminoles outsmarted and outlasted a nation whose aim was to forcibly relocate them to Oklahoma. Among Florida’s tourist destinations, Big Cypress is unlike any other.

How many Seminole Indians are left?

The Seminoles of Florida call themselves the “Unconquered People,” descendants of just 300 Indians who managed to elude capture by the U.S. army in the 19th century. Today, more than 2,000 live on six reservations in the state – located in Hollywood, Big Cypress, Brighton, Immokalee, Ft. Pierce, and Tampa.

How many Seminoles died on the Trail of Tears?

Some estimates put the number around 3,000 Seminole deaths.

How many Black Seminoles were there?

Today, there are two black bands and 2,500 registered black members in the Great Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. Seventyfive percent of the tribe, of both races, were moved there after the Second Seminole War in 1838. The black bands, known as Freedmen or Estulusti, have been part of the 14band tribe since its formation.

Why was the Seminole tribe removed?

There they became known as Seminole, perhaps a derivation of cimarron, a Spanish term for runaway. By the nineteenth century the Seminole were deemed a threat to the slaveholding culture of the American South and thus were designated for pacification and removal.

What language did the Seminole tribe speak?

Today, the members of the Seminole tribe speak one or both of two languages: Maskókî and Mikisúkî. These are the only two left from among the dozens of dialects that were spoken by their ancestors here in the Southeast. Maskókî, erroneously called “Creek” by English speakers, is the core language.

When did the Seminole finally surrender?

1842



It finally ended in 1842 with the agreement that several hundred members of the tribe could remain in Florida. They stayed in the Florida swamps but never surrendered. Their descendants are the Seminole in Florida today.

What happened at the end of the Third Seminole War?

The Third Seminole War (1855–58) resulted from renewed efforts to track down the Seminole remnant remaining in Florida. It caused little bloodshed and ended with the United States paying the most resistant band of refugees to go West.

How did the Seminoles respond to removal attempts?

A small group of Seminoles was coerced into signing a removal treaty in 1833, but the majority of the tribe declared the treaty illegitimate and refused to leave. The resulting struggle was the Second Seminole War, which lasted from 1835 to 1842.

What happened to the Seminoles after the removal?

The United States forcibly removed about 4,400 individuals from the Seminole Nation to Indian Territory in the 1800s, but 300–500 managed to stay in Florida. Today their descendants belong to two federally recognized nations: the Seminole Nation of Florida and the Miccosukee Nation of Florida.

How much is the Seminole Tribe worth?



about $12 billion

Applying industry multiples to the Seminoles’ hospitality and gambling businesses would put the tribe’s net worth at about $12 billion, including some 81,000 pieces of pop music memorabilia–stuff like Michael Jackson’s red leather jacket from the “Beat It” video and John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics to “Imagine”– …

Who were the only Native Americans who successfully resisted removal?

The Cherokee Nation, led by Principal Chief John Ross, resisted the Indian Removal Act, even in the face of assaults on its sovereign rights by the state of Georgia and violence against Cherokee people.