The Seminole Wars 1817 to 1858 Chapter 12

A) Early Problems with the Seminoles

Seminoles (Lower Creek) The Seminole Wars were the bloodiest and longest Indian Wars in U.S. history and were the main reason for delay in Florida’s statehood.

Cimmarones (Spanish for Seminoles) Florida settlers feared the Seminoles and wanted them out of the territory. The Seminoles were actually Oconee Creek or Lower Creek Indians.

Runaway Slaves Americans in Georgia and Alabama were angered by the Seminole acceptance of runaway slaves into their villages and tribes.

Black Seminoles

B) U.S. / Seminole Conflicts Begin

Col. Daniel Newnan In 1812, Colonel Daniel Newnan led 250 Georgia volunteers into East Florida to “punish the Seminoles.” (By September, all but 75 had returned to Georgia.)

Battle of Payne’s Prairie The troops ran into 75 Seminoles in Payne’s Prairie (near Gainesville) and a violent fight ensued. After 18 days of fighting, Col. Newnan eventually had to retreat back to Georgia - he lost 17 men in the retreat.

John Williams In 1813, John Williams led 250 Tennessee volunteers to finish Newnan’s job.

Williams’ New Strategy Williams’ plan was to starve the Seminoles out of Florida by burning their villages and food supplies. This did force the Seminoles to retreat to the Peace River area.

The “Negro Fort” The Negro Fort was an abandoned British fort along the Apalachicola River used by Seminoles and runaway slaves to launch raids on Georgia and Alabama. 1816

Fort Negro The fort hindered U.S. boats from using the river to resupply Fort Scott in Georgia. Gen. Jackson ordered Gen. Edmund Gaines, who then ordered Colonel Duncan Clinch (following the military chain of command), to attack the fort and recapture the slaves and punish the Seminoles.

Col. Duncan Clinch After four days of fighting, the U.S. troops used a “hot shot” to hit a gun-powder supply and killed 334 Seminoles and slaves. (A hot shot is a cannon ball heated to a red glow.)

The First Seminole War 1817-1818 Section Two

Seminoles in Spanish Florida The first Seminole War was actually fought while Florida was under Spanish control!

U.S. Attack on Fowltown In November 1817, the U.S. Army attacked the Seminole village of Fowltown in retaliation for a Seminole attack in Georgia. 1817

Seminole Revenge Nov. 30, 1817 Several days later, the Seminoles attacked a U.S. boat carrying sick soldiers to Fort Scott and killed all men, women, and children aboard.

President James Monroe Despite the protests of Spain, the U.S. government authorized force to stop the Seminoles. 

Gen. Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson was a violent Indian fighter with a hatred of the Spanish and the British who operated in Florida without U.S. approval.

Gen. Jackson Pushes the Seminoles (1818) Jackson believed the U.S. would never control Florida unless Spain, Britain, and the Seminoles were wiped out or removed from the area. In 1818, Jackson led 4,000 men (2,000 Indians) into Florida and began to attack Seminole and Spanish interests.

Jackson Arrives in Pensacola (1818) In 1818, St. Marks and Pensacola were captured along with the Spanish governor. This was humiliating for Spain.

Trial of Robert Ambrister (and Alexander Arbuthnot) Jackson also executed two British agents for supplying weapons to the Seminoles. The British were outraged.

Gen. Jackson Pushes the Seminoles Publically, the U.S. government was outraged and embarrassed at Jackson’s actions in Florida. However, privately they supported what he was doing. By the time he left, Jackson had pushed the Seminoles away from Georgia and shut down the escape routes of runaway slaves.

Florida Joins the U.S. These events eventually led to Spain ceding Florida to the United States in 1824.

C) U.S. / Florida Efforts to Control the Seminoles

Gov. William DuVal Gov. William Duval tried to get the Seminoles to join the Creeks on the reservation, but there was too much tribal hatred between the Seminoles and the Creeks.

Tallahassee Tallahassee is an Indian word for “old town.”

Chief Neamathla In 1823, the Chief of the Seminoles, Neamathla, and 70 other Seminoles signed the Treaty of Moultrie Creek with James Gadsden.

Treaty of Moultrie Creek Seminoles gave up all claims to Florida. Seminoles were to move south onto a 4 million acre reservation. Seminoles were not allowed to live within 20 miles of the coast. The U.S. would pay the Seminoles $5,000 per year.

Treaty of Moultrie Creek (1823)

Blood Thirsty Savages (Southern & Western View) In the South and the West, Native Americans were often thought of as known as “Blood Thirsty Savages.”

Noble Warriors (Northern View) While Northerners often thought of Native Americans as Noble Warriors.

Oklahoma / Kansas / Nebraska By the 1830s, most Americans wanted all Indians moved out west and placed on reservations – and off of good farmland! Since Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska were thought to be useless, the Indians were sent to this area.