The Seminole are a Native American Indian people of Florida. Jump to: navigation, search Chief Quanah Parker of the Quahadi Comanche Native Americans in the United States (also Indians, American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, Aboriginal Americans, Amerindians, Amerinds, or Original Americans) are those indigenous peoples within the territory which is now encompassed by the continental United States... Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: Sunshine State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush (R) Senators Bill Nelson (D) Mel Martinez (R) Official languages English Area 170,451 km² (22nd)  - Land 137,374 km²  - Water 30,486 km² (17. ...

The Seminole nation came into existence in the 1700s, and was composed of both Indians from Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida including the Creek Nation, and Africans who escaped from slavery in Georgia. While roughly 3000 Seminoles were forced west of the Mississippi River, including the (Seminole Nation of Oklahoma) who picked up new members including run-away slaves along their way, approximately 300-500 Seminoles stayed and fought in and around the Everglades of Florida. In a series of wars against the Seminoles in Florida, about 1,500 American soldiers died, but no formal peace treaty was ever forced on them and they never surrendered to the U.S. government, hence, the Seminoles of Florida call themselves the "Unconquered People." State nickname: Magnolia State Other U.S. States Capital Jackson Largest city Jackson Governor Haley Barbour (R) Senators Thad Cochran (R) Trent Lott (R) Official languages English Area 125,546 km² (32nd)  - Land 121,606 km²  - Water 3,940 km² (3%) Population (2000)  - Population 2,697,243 (31st)  - Density 23. ... State nickname: Camellia State, The Heart of Dixie¹, Yellowhammer State, The Roy Moore State Other U.S. States Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Governor Bob Riley (R) Senators Richard Shelby (R) Jeff Sessions (R) Official languages English Area 52,423 mi²/135,775 km² (30th)  - Land 50,750 mi²/131... Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: Sunshine State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush (R) Senators Bill Nelson (D) Mel Martinez (R) Official languages English Area 170,451 km² (22nd)  - Land 137,374 km²  - Water 30,486 km² (17. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Creeks are an American Indian people originally from the southeastern United States, also known by their original name Muscogee (or Muskogee), the name they use to identify themselves today. ... Length 6,270 km Elevation of the source 450 m Average discharge Saint Louis¹: 5,500 m³/s Vicksburg²: 16,800 m³/s Baton Rouge³: 12,800 m³/s Area watershed 2,980,000 km² Origin  Lake Itasca Mouth  Gulf of Mexico Basin countries United States (98. ... Jump to: navigation, search Oklahoma is a South Central state of the United States (with strong Southern, Western, and Midwestern influences) and its U.S. postal abbreviation is OK; others abbreviate the states name Okla. ... A monument celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, erected in Victoria Tower Gardens, Millbank, Westminster, London Wiktionary has a definition of: Slavery Slavery can mean one or more related conditions which involve control of a person against his or her will, enforced by violence or... An Anhinga perched on the boardwalk railing Everglades is also the name of a city in Collier County, Florida. ...

Today, they have sovereignty over their tribal lands, and an economy based on tobacco, tourism and gambling. "Seminoles" is also the nickname of the athletic teams of Florida State University. The 3,100-member Seminole Tribe of Florida and the 6,000-member Seminole Nation of Oklahoma have officially approved the relationship and the details of the images used. Jump to: navigation, search Florida State University State University System of Florida FAMU FAU FGCU FIU FSU NCF UCF UF UNF USF UWF Florida State University, also commonly referred to as FSU or Florida State, is a comprehensive, graduate-national research university founded and located in Tallahassee, Florida in 1851. ...

Early history

After the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, the indigenous people of Florida were decimated by disease, and it is believed that the few survivors were evacuated by the Spanish to Cuba when Florida fell under British rule in 1763. (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... The term indigenous peoples has no universal, standard or fixed definition. ... Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: Sunshine State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush (R) Senators Bill Nelson (D) Mel Martinez (R) Official languages English Area 170,451 km² (22nd)  - Land 137,374 km²  - Water 30,486 km² (17. ... 1763 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

In the early 18th century, members of the Lower Creek Nation began migrating into Florida to remove themselves from the dominance of the Upper Creeks, and intermingled with the few remaining indigenous people there, including the Yuchis, Yamasses and a few aboriginal remnants. They went on to be called "Seminole", a derivative of "cimarron" which means "wild men" in Spanish. The Seminole were a heterogenous group containing various groups and speaking Mikasuki (a modern dialect of Hitchiti) and Creek, two different languages of the Muskogean Native American languages family, a language group that also includes Choctaw and Chickasaw. (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Creeks are an American Indian people originally from the southeastern United States, also known by their original name Muscogee (or Muskogee), the name they use to identify themselves today. ... The Creek Language, also known as Muscogee (Mvskoke in Creek), is a Muskogean language spoken by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and Seminole Indians in Florida and Oklahoma. ... Muskogean (also Muskhogean, Muskogee) is a language family of the Northern American Southeast. ... Native American languages are the indigenous languages of the Americas, spoken by Native Americans from the southern tip of South America to Alaska and Greenland. ... Pushmataha was the most famous leader of the Choctaws. ... Young Chickasaw warrior The Chickasaws are a Native American people of the United States, originally from present-day Mississippi, now mostly living in Oklahoma. ...

The Seminole were apparently on good terms with both the Spanish and the British. In 1784, the treaty ending the American Revolutionary War returned all of Florida to Spanish control. However, the Spanish Empire's decline allowed the Seminole to settle deeper into Florida. 1784 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was a war fought primarily between Great Britain and revolutionaries within thirteen British colonies in North America. ... Jump to: navigation, search Spain was the center of one of the first Global Empires. ...

The Seminole wars

After attacks by Spanish settlers on Indian towns, Indians based in Florida began raiding Georgia settlements, purportedly at the behest of the Spanish. The U.S. Army led increasingly frequent incursions into Spanish territory to recapture escaped slaves, including the 1817–1818 campaign against the Seminole Indians by Andrew Jackson that became known as the First Seminole War. Following the war, the United States effectively controlled East Florida. The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... 1817 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1818 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Jump to: navigation, search Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845), one of the founders of the Democratic Party, was the seventh President of the United States, serving from 1829 to 1837. ... Osceola, Seminole leader, detail from an 1838 lithograph The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three wars or conflicts in Florida between the Seminole Native American tribe and the United States. ...

The Adams-Onís Treaty [1] was signed between the United States and Spain in 1819 and took effect in 1821. According to the terms of the treaty, the United States acquired Florida and, in exchange, renounced all claims to Texas. Andrew Jackson was named military governor of Florida. The Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 (formally titled the Treaty of Amity, Settlement, and Limits Between the United States of America and His Catholic Majesty, and also known as the Transcontinental Treaty of 1819, and sometimes the Florida Treaty) was a historic agreement between the United States and Spain... 1819 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... ... Jump to: navigation, search Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845), one of the founders of the Democratic Party, was the seventh President of the United States, serving from 1829 to 1837. ...

As American settlement increased after the treaty, pressure grew on the Federal government to remove the Indians from their lands in Florida. Many Indian tribes harbored runaway black slaves, and the settlers wanted access to Indian lands. Georgian slaveowners also wanted the maroons and fugitive slaves living among the Seminoles, known today as Black Seminoles, returned to slavery. Maroon women with washing. ... Jump to: navigation, search 19th-century engraving depicting a Black Seminole warrior of the First Seminole War (1817–8). ...

In 1832, the United States government signed the Treaty of Payne's Landing with a few of the Seminole chiefs, promising them lands west of the Mississippi River if they agreed to leave Florida voluntarily. The remaining Seminole prepared for war. White settlers pressured the government to remove all of the Indians, by force if necessary. In 1835, the U.S. Army arrived to enforce the treaty. 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Length 6,270 km Elevation of the source 450 m Average discharge Saint Louis¹: 5,500 m³/s Vicksburg²: 16,800 m³/s Baton Rouge³: 12,800 m³/s Area watershed 2,980,000 km² Origin  Lake Itasca Mouth  Gulf of Mexico Basin countries United States (98. ... 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

Seminole leader Osceola (pictured) led the vastly outnumbered resistance during the Second Seminole War. Drawing on a population of about 4,000 Seminole Indians and 800 allied Black Seminoles, the Seminoles mustered at most 1,400 warriors (Andrew Jackson estimated they had only 900) to counter combined U.S. Army and militia forces that ranged from 6,000 troops at the outset to 9,000 at the peak of deployment in 1837. To survive, the Seminole allies employed hit-and-run guerrilla tactics with devastating effect against U.S. forces. Osceola was arrested when he came under a flag of truce to negotiations in 1837. He died in jail less than a year later. Florida Indian leader Osceola; public domain from http://dhr. ... Jump to: navigation, search Osceola Osceola (1804-January 20, 1838) was a leader of the Seminole Indians in Florida. ... Osceola, Seminole leader, detail from an 1838 lithograph The Seminole Wars were three wars or conflicts in Florida between the Seminole Native American tribe and the United States. ... Jump to: navigation, search 19th-century engraving depicting a Black Seminole warrior of the First Seminole War (1817–8). ... 1837 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Other warchiefs such as Halleck Tustenuggee continued the Seminole resistance against the army. The war only ended after a full decade of fighting, in 1842. The U.S. government is estimated to have spent about $20,000,000 on the war, at the time an astronomical sum. Many Indians were forcibly exiled to Creek lands west of the Mississippi; others retreated into the Everglades. In the end, the government gave up trying to subjugate the Seminole in their Everglades redoubts and left the remaining Seminole in peace. About 1,500 American soldiers had died, but no formal peace treaty had been forced on the independent Seminole who never surrendered to the U.S. government. Halleck Tustenuggee (also spelled Halek Tustenuggee and Hallock Tustenuggee) (about 1807 – ?) was a 19th Century Seminole warchief. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search The Creeks are an American Indian people originally from the southeastern United States, also known by their original name Muscogee (or Muskogee), the name they use to identify themselves today. ... An Anhinga perched on the boardwalk railing Everglades is also the name of a city in Collier County, Florida. ...

The Seminole nation today

In the United States 2000 Census, 12,431 people reported themselves racially solely as Native Americans with only a Seminole tribal affiliation. An additional 15,000 people identified themselves as Seminoles in combination with some other tribal affiliation or race. [2] The United States Census of year 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13. ... Jump to: navigation, search Chief Quanah Parker of the Quahadi Comanche Native Americans in the United States (also Indians, American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, Aboriginal Americans, Amerindians, Amerinds, or Original Americans) are those indigenous peoples within the territory which is now encompassed by the continental United States...

The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma has about 6,000 enrolled members, who are divided into fourteen bands. Two are called "Freedmen Bands" (also black seminole) because they count their descent from escaped slaves. Band membership is matrilineal: children are members of their mother's band. The group is ruled by an elected council, with two members from each band. The capital is at Wewoka, Oklahoma. Jump to: navigation, search Oklahoma is a South Central state of the United States (with strong Southern, Western, and Midwestern influences) and its U.S. postal abbreviation is OK; others abbreviate the states name Okla. ... Wewoka is a city located in Seminole County, Oklahoma. ...

The Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida entered into agreements with the US government in 1957 and 1962, respectively, confirming their sovereignty over tribal lands and agreeing to compensation for seized territory. Since then, the tribes have developed an economy based largely on sales of duty-free tobacco, tourism and gambling. The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida was formed in the 1960s by members of the Florida Seminole community who were unsatisfied with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. [3] The Miccosukee Tribe set up a 33-acre reservation on the northern border of Everglades National Park, about 45 miles west of Miami. Jump to: navigation, search 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

"When South Florida tourism boomed in the 1920's, Seminoles capitalized by wrestling alligators for money. In 1979, the Seminoles opened the first casino on Indian land, ushering in what has become a multibillion-dollar industry operated by numerous tribes nationwide." [4]

Florida State University connection

The use of "Seminole" as a namesake is common in Florida, with one county named after them, Seminole County, Florida, and another named after Seminole leader Osceola, Osceola County, Florida. The image and name of the Seminole chief, Osceola, serves as a symbol for Florida State University and several high school athletic programs in the state, use the nickname, "Seminoles" as well. Seminole County is a county located in the state of Florida. ... Jump to: navigation, search Osceola Osceola (1804-January 20, 1838) was a leader of the Seminole Indians in Florida. ... Jump to: navigation, search Osceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. ... Jump to: navigation, search Florida State University State University System of Florida FAMU FAU FGCU FIU FSU NCF UCF UF UNF USF UWF Florida State University, also commonly referred to as FSU or Florida State, is a comprehensive, graduate-national research university founded and located in Tallahassee, Florida in 1851. ...

According to the New York Times article Florida State Can Keep Its Seminoles, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) prohibition of native American logos, signs in stadiums, cheerleader and band uniforms, and mascots as presumed "hostile and abusive" did not apply to FSU and the Seminoles, and would be considered on a case by case basis elsewhere. The 3,100-member Seminole Tribe of Florida and the 6,000-member Seminole Nation of Oklahoma have officially approved the relationship and the details of the images used. The article states: The Seminoles are the only American Indian tribe never to sign a formal peace treaty with the United States. To celebrate this status, Florida State erected Unconquered, a statue of the Chief Osceola mascot, outside its football stadium. The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...

See also

• History of Florida
• Black Seminoles

Jump to: navigation, search I like eggs!!!!!!!I love eggs I will savor thee world! Headline text Pine applesInsert non-formatted text here ... Jump to: navigation, search 19th-century engraving depicting a Black Seminole warrior of the First Seminole War (1817–8). ...

External links and sources

• Seminole Tribe of Florida official site
• Seminole Nation of Oklahoma official site
• Hitchiti-Mikasuki Creation Story
• Aponke Resources for the study of Hitchiti and Mikasuki
• History of the Seminole People of Florida by Patricia R. Wickman, Ph.D.
• Seminole Portraits Hand colored lithographs of some of the major Seminole leaders of the Second Seminole War (1835-1842). From the State Library & Archives of Florida.
• Seminole Doll MakingSeminole doll maker Mary B. Billie. Interview in Seminole and English with photos. From the State Library & Archives of Florida.
• Alligator Dance Audio of Seminole elder Billy Bowlegs III performing traditional dance and song in 1954. (Track 16 of CD.) From the State Library & Archives of Florida.
• [5]
• Florida State Can Keep Its Seminoles
• John Horse and the Black Seminoles, First Black Rebels to Beat American Slavery
• Bartram Seeks News of the Creeks and Seminoles. About to ascend the St. John's River, in April of 1774, William Bartram seeks information about a recent incident between the local settlers and Indians.