It became law in The purpose of this act was to move all the Indians to land west of the Mississippi River. The Seminole did not want to leave their Florida home, but agreed to send some chiefs to look at the new land where they would be relocated. While they were viewing the land, the chiefs were persuaded to sign a treaty agreeing to move. When they returned back to Florida, however, they claimed they had been tricked. They refused to leave. A warrior named Osceola led the Seminole in surprise attacks against the Americans.
The first battle of the war was known as the Dade Massacre. In an attack by Osceola and his men, over a hundred soldiers were killed near what is now Bushnell. The United States sent many troops into Florida to defeat the Seminole. They were successful in pushing the Seminole further and further south into the wilderness. Several agreements were made by Seminole chiefs to leave the area, but the agreements continually fell through.
Finally, Osceola was captured and he died in prison in Following his death, the Seminole began to decline. Many were killed; others were captured and relocated out west. As a result, many Seminole were sent to reservations in the west. Florida Becomes the 27th State. Floridians had continued to take steps toward statehood throughout the confrontations with the Indians.
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In thru there was increasing friction between white settlers, Florida Indians and the Creek Confederation. The Seminoles began hiding runaway slaves who had escaped from southern plantations into Spanish Florida. Locate Us. How Can We Serve You? Contact Us.
All Rights Reserved. The intention of this law was to relocate all Indians living east of the Mississippi to new lands in the west. One by one, the native nations were forced to sign treaties agreeing to emigration. As part of the agreement, a delegation of seven chiefs would inspect the proposed western reservation, and if found acceptable, the terms of the treaty would go into effect. Although the chiefs did sign a document stating their satisfaction with the new land, upon their return to Florida they denounced both agreements as being fraudulent, claiming they had either been forced or tricked into signing away the rights to their Florida homeland.
The Second Seminole War For the next three years, the Seminole quietly resisted all attempts to gather the tribe for deportation to the west. Hostile feelings turned into open warfare on December 28, , when the Seminole attacked and nearly annihilated a detachment of soldiers commanded by Major Francis L.
King Ocala. Within weeks, the Seminole scored other stunning victories. On December 31, they turned back a force of soldiers and volunteers at the Withlacoochee River. Edmund Gaines came to Florida in February of with over 1, men. Instead of capturing the belligerent Seminole, Gaines and his force soon found themselves held under siege for over a week before being rescued and forced to withdraw.
Gaines was soon followed by Maj. Winfield Scott, who fielded 5, men in an elaborate plan to surround and capture the Seminole warriors and their families. The campaign ended in embarrassment when it failed to locate, kill, or capture any significant number of their enemy.
Due to heavy rains and rampant disease, the offensive was suspended for the summer months, but was resumed in the fall of under the leadership of Florida Governor Richard K. Call managed to force the Seminole from their strongholds near the Withlacoochee, but was stalled at the Battle of Wahoo Swamp, allowing the Indians time to escape. The year of proved a turning point in the war. Command of the war was given to Maj. Thomas Jesup, who began a methodical offensive to drive the Seminole from the Territory.
Forts were established throughout the Indian territory and mobile columns of soldiers scoured the countryside. Feeling the pressure, many Seminoles, including head chief Micanopy, offered to surrender. The Seminoles slowly gathered for emigration near Tampa, but in June they fled the detention camps, driven off by disease and the presence of slave catchers who were hoping to take Black Seminoles captive. The war was on again.
Incensed at what he felt was Seminole treachery, Jesup responded in kind, taking many Seminole leaders prisoner while under a flag of truce, including Osceola, who would later die in captivity. In December of Jesup began a massive offensive, employing over 9, men, a significant number when one considers that at the beginning of the war the entire US Army numbered only 7, men.
The offensive swept southward through the peninsula, culminating in the Battle of Okeechobee on Christmas Day, and two battles at the Loxahatchee River in January.
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