Second Seminole War Vs Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War and the Second Seminole War
Dirk Smith
HIST223
Instructor: John Smith
Aug 14, 2012
Black Hawk War and the Second Seminole War
During the 1800’s many Indian tribe who didn’t want to leave their homelands found themselves in brutal battles against what they considered the “White Man”. These wars went in different areas in the United States all during the same time. The same fight by the Indian to stay in their homeland while Congress tried to push both tribes west towards the Mississippi. Two monumental wars began because of these disagreements, the Black Hawk War and the Second Seminole War. With these two wars the Tribal Indians basically fought on the grounds where they didn’t …show more content…
feel it was right they as the land owners would be kicked off their rightful land because the government wanted it for their own use. The Second Seminole War was lead by an Indian named Osceola (Hatch, 2012). Osceola was the son of a white man and Indian women. Osceola’s father would beat his mother in front of him often until one day she chose to run (Chance, 2003).
Osceola was captured one time after running which gave him a greater hatred for the ones he called “The White Man” (Chance, 2003). In 1819 Spain had turned Florida into the Unites States and the Native Americans that had fled south were once again caught in U.S territory who they knew would try to relocate them away from their home. Osceola was a part of one of the tribes, the “Seminole” tribe that was going to have to move towards the Mississippi. Osceola did not want him or his people to have to move, so when there was a meeting that was going to be held most of the other tribes signed their treaties agreeing to move their tribes out of Florida, but the Seminole tribe refused to move, Osceola stated as he stood up at the meeting with a knife in his hand “This is the only treaty I will make with the whites” (Hatch, 2012). From that point on it was a war between the government and the Seminoles. For years the Generals could not take over the Seminole Tribe. The tribe was strong like their leader Osceola and the tribe knew the area well to know how to take advantage of anyone …show more content…
coming to hurt them or their people (Hatch, 2012). The Seminole Tribe fought many small wars and never lost until their leader got very sick with malaria and became very weak (Hatch, 2012). Osceola had two leaders under him which guided and ran the troops, but the tribe depended on Osceola’s strength and when he got weak so did all of his Indian Army. Towards the end of the war a General Hernandez was allowed to come to the Seminoles camp, the Seminole hung its white flag at half mass as it’s flag of truce, but since the Seminoles had such a stubbornness to them when it came to the Generals and their Army, General Hernandez had his men silently surround the camp and when given the sign they took it over and the invincible Osceola was captured and imprisoned (Hatch, 2012). A year later Osceola died and when he died about only 100 Seminoles were left in Florida (Hatch, 2012). The Blackhawk War also happened during the 1800’s.
Black Hawk himself was one of the Sauk Indians. Two chiefs had agreed to a treaty that the Sauk Indians would leave the land east of the Mississippi and let the government have it. Back Hawk and other Sauk Indians did not believe these chiefs had the right to give this land away (Wisconsin, 2014). A quarter century later settlers began to start taking over the land with no respect for any treaties at the time and the Sauk Indians thought it was futile to resist the overwhelming white forces (Wisconsin, 2014). Black Hawk decided to lead 1,200 Sauk’s in the hope of reoccupying their home and land (keep in mind Black Hawk didn’t think the treaty was real and thought it was fraudulent because of who had did the signing) and if anything bad was to happen the British would come to his aid (which they did not) (Wisconsin, 2014). In 1832 for 16 weeks Black Hawk and his followers had plans. The warriors would fight and the non-combatants would try to find ways across the Mississippi River to safety. Many died from hunger, thirst, exhaustion, and were buried on the trail (Wisconsin, 2014). Troops were able to attacks when the Sauk’s Indians reached the banks of the Mississippi near the mouth of the Bad Axe River (Wisconsin, 2014). In the end Black Hawk left his followers to surrender and only 150 Indians survived out of the 1,200 that began with Black
Hawk. The two tribes didn’t want to just give up land they believed was there, but who can blame them. Imagine if someone came into your home and said they were going to take it and you had to move with your family. These two tribes suffered a great deal and the families all suffered with so many dead. There is one big difference between the two wars though. Each tribe had one main leader Osceola and Black Hawk. Osceola did retreat as did Black Hawk, but Black Hawk just ended up giving up on his followers completely where Osceola didn’t. Osceola tried to finally work with the military and come up with a treaty for his followers. Osceola didn’t just give up and walk away from his followers in hopes they make it. Regardless of all the history, all the Indian tribes were treated unfairly and were always bullied by the government to due whatever the government thought was best (which was always best for the government, not everyone involved). The Tribes did fight and did try to stand their ground and hold onto their land. In the end the tribes just weren’t strong or big enough to fight off the militias and troops involved against them and lost both battles.
References:
Hatch, Thom, “Osceola Fights to Save the Seminole” Summer 2012, Volume 62, Issue 2, accessed on May 30, 2014, retrieved from http://www.americanheritage.com/content/osceola-fights-save-seminole?page=3
Chance, William J., (1995-2003) “Osceola – leader of the Creeks and the Seminoles” accessed on May 30, 2014, retrieved from http://chickamaugacherokee.org/Osceola/
(1996-2014), “The Black Hawk War” Wisconsin Historical Society, accessed on May 30, 2014, retrieved from http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/tp-012/?action=more_essay
Dirk Smith
HIST223
Instructor: John Smith
Aug 14, 2012
Black Hawk War and the Second Seminole War
During the 1800’s many Indian tribe who didn’t want to leave their homelands found themselves in brutal battles against what they considered the “White Man”. These wars went in different areas in the United States all during the same time. The same fight by the Indian to stay in their homeland while Congress tried to push both tribes west towards the Mississippi. Two monumental wars began because of these disagreements, the Black Hawk War and the Second Seminole War. With these two wars the Tribal Indians basically fought on the grounds where they didn’t …show more content…
feel it was right they as the land owners would be kicked off their rightful land because the government wanted it for their own use. The Second Seminole War was lead by an Indian named Osceola (Hatch, 2012). Osceola was the son of a white man and Indian women. Osceola’s father would beat his mother in front of him often until one day she chose to run (Chance, 2003).
Osceola was captured one time after running which gave him a greater hatred for the ones he called “The White Man” (Chance, 2003). In 1819 Spain had turned Florida into the Unites States and the Native Americans that had fled south were once again caught in U.S territory who they knew would try to relocate them away from their home. Osceola was a part of one of the tribes, the “Seminole” tribe that was going to have to move towards the Mississippi. Osceola did not want him or his people to have to move, so when there was a meeting that was going to be held most of the other tribes signed their treaties agreeing to move their tribes out of Florida, but the Seminole tribe refused to move, Osceola stated as he stood up at the meeting with a knife in his hand “This is the only treaty I will make with the whites” (Hatch, 2012). From that point on it was a war between the government and the Seminoles. For years the Generals could not take over the Seminole Tribe. The tribe was strong like their leader Osceola and the tribe knew the area well to know how to take advantage of anyone …show more content…
coming to hurt them or their people (Hatch, 2012). The Seminole Tribe fought many small wars and never lost until their leader got very sick with malaria and became very weak (Hatch, 2012). Osceola had two leaders under him which guided and ran the troops, but the tribe depended on Osceola’s strength and when he got weak so did all of his Indian Army. Towards the end of the war a General Hernandez was allowed to come to the Seminoles camp, the Seminole hung its white flag at half mass as it’s flag of truce, but since the Seminoles had such a stubbornness to them when it came to the Generals and their Army, General Hernandez had his men silently surround the camp and when given the sign they took it over and the invincible Osceola was captured and imprisoned (Hatch, 2012). A year later Osceola died and when he died about only 100 Seminoles were left in Florida (Hatch, 2012). The Blackhawk War also happened during the 1800’s.
Black Hawk himself was one of the Sauk Indians. Two chiefs had agreed to a treaty that the Sauk Indians would leave the land east of the Mississippi and let the government have it. Back Hawk and other Sauk Indians did not believe these chiefs had the right to give this land away (Wisconsin, 2014). A quarter century later settlers began to start taking over the land with no respect for any treaties at the time and the Sauk Indians thought it was futile to resist the overwhelming white forces (Wisconsin, 2014). Black Hawk decided to lead 1,200 Sauk’s in the hope of reoccupying their home and land (keep in mind Black Hawk didn’t think the treaty was real and thought it was fraudulent because of who had did the signing) and if anything bad was to happen the British would come to his aid (which they did not) (Wisconsin, 2014). In 1832 for 16 weeks Black Hawk and his followers had plans. The warriors would fight and the non-combatants would try to find ways across the Mississippi River to safety. Many died from hunger, thirst, exhaustion, and were buried on the trail (Wisconsin, 2014). Troops were able to attacks when the Sauk’s Indians reached the banks of the Mississippi near the mouth of the Bad Axe River (Wisconsin, 2014). In the end Black Hawk left his followers to surrender and only 150 Indians survived out of the 1,200 that began with Black
Hawk. The two tribes didn’t want to just give up land they believed was there, but who can blame them. Imagine if someone came into your home and said they were going to take it and you had to move with your family. These two tribes suffered a great deal and the families all suffered with so many dead. There is one big difference between the two wars though. Each tribe had one main leader Osceola and Black Hawk. Osceola did retreat as did Black Hawk, but Black Hawk just ended up giving up on his followers completely where Osceola didn’t. Osceola tried to finally work with the military and come up with a treaty for his followers. Osceola didn’t just give up and walk away from his followers in hopes they make it. Regardless of all the history, all the Indian tribes were treated unfairly and were always bullied by the government to due whatever the government thought was best (which was always best for the government, not everyone involved). The Tribes did fight and did try to stand their ground and hold onto their land. In the end the tribes just weren’t strong or big enough to fight off the militias and troops involved against them and lost both battles.
References:
Hatch, Thom, “Osceola Fights to Save the Seminole” Summer 2012, Volume 62, Issue 2, accessed on May 30, 2014, retrieved from http://www.americanheritage.com/content/osceola-fights-save-seminole?page=3
Chance, William J., (1995-2003) “Osceola – leader of the Creeks and the Seminoles” accessed on May 30, 2014, retrieved from http://chickamaugacherokee.org/Osceola/
(1996-2014), “The Black Hawk War” Wisconsin Historical Society, accessed on May 30, 2014, retrieved from http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/tp-012/?action=more_essay