Seminole Nation
The nation that my group was assigned was the Seminole nation. My part of the presentation was to talk about the brief history of the nation and the interactions it had with other native nations. While I did not find this part necessarily difficult, I did learn a lot of new information. For example, while researching the Seminole nation, I learned how it all started due to pressure from the Upper Creek nation, which forced multiple other nations to move to Florida to start a new life (Weisman). Also, I did not know how the Seminole nation was split up due to the Seminole wars and how the majority of Seminoles forced to move to Oklahoma and a small group hid in the Everglades (Weisman). All the history I found on the Seminoles, I found very
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interesting and relatively easy to find. However, finding information on interactions with other nations was not as easy. I had to do some in depth research to find who they all interacted with because I could never find specific groups of nations they traded with or had conflicts with. Although, I did eventually find the majority of the other nations they had interactions with. For example, how the traded with other nation in Cuba and how they had many conflicts with the Upper Creeks (Wright). I found all this information from multiple sources, but there were three in particular that helped the most.
Brent R. Weisman, “Nativism, Resistance, and Ethnogenesis of the Florida Seminole Indian Identity,” Historical Archaeology (2007): 198-212.
From this source I found a lot information about the nation itself and what they went through in their history. For example, it talked about Andrew Jackson passed the Indian Removal act and how the Seminole wars all started. Also it talked about how the Florida Seminoles were forced of their land. This article was very helpful in giving me an in depth detail about what the Seminoles went through during their time in Florida.
J. Leitch Wright, Jr. Creeks and Seminoles: The Destruction and Regeneration of the Muscogulge People.
This book I did not pull much information from, but from it I was able to find some of the nations the Seminoles had interactions with. For example, in the book I found that they used certain rivers to have trade with nations in Cuba. Also how they had many negative interactions with the Upper Creeks nation. This book, while it did not have much information, still allowed me to further talk about other nations the Seminoles had interactions with.
"Seminole Tribe of Florida." Seminole Tribe of Florida - The Official Home of the Florida - Seminole Indians. Seminole Tribe of Florida, 2016. Web. 11 May 2016.
From this source I pulled many information, such as background on the nation itself. This source, which is the official site of the Florida Seminole nation, I found history, customs and just about every part of their lives. For example, it talked about how the nation started due to the Upper Creeks putting pressure on multiple other nations. This site was very helpful in giving me a wide range of information about the Seminole nation.
A large theme in the parts that I researched was removal of native nations, specifically brought on by the Indian Removal act.
When Andrew Jackson became president, he issued the Indian Removal act, which would in turn force thousands of native off their homeland and to be relocated to new lands (Weisman). This act played a huge part in the Seminole nation since they were adversely affected by this federal policy (Weisman). The Seminoles were forcible removed from their homeland, due to the Seminole wars, which was brought on by the Seminoles taking in slaves (Weisman). With the loss of the war, they were forced to move to Oklahoma in a very Trail of Tears like death walk, which would result in many Seminoles deaths (Weisman). This was seen in many other native nations as well, for example the Cherokee nation were forcible removed from their lands, just like the Seminoles were (Trail of Tears). Due to the Indian Removal act many Seminoles would die and be forced to move to new lands, but they did not only die on the death walk (Weisman). Any also died trying to defend their homelands from being taken …show more content…
away. When Andrew Jackson first came to the Seminole nation, he came with force and burned down multiple villages and killed many Seminoles all because the Seminole nation took in runaway slaves (Weisman).
This first act of war was called the First Seminole War and unfortunately it would not be the last war (Weisman). The next time Jackson came, he was the president of the United States and he issued the Indian Removal act to forcibly remove the Seminoles from Florida, but the Seminoles did not want to leave (Weisman). Instead, they decided to protect their homeland and fight the United States in a guerrilla like warfare (Weisman). This would go on for many years and would result in four different wars and while the Seminoles would end up losing and being forced from their homeland, they still did everything they could (Weisman). This is very similar to many other nations that fought to protect their homeland. For example, the Lakota who stood up the United States army and killed Custard. There are many instances of Native nations protecting their homeland, but most of them were unsuccessful. Even if the Natives were successful in warding of the settler’s attacks they had to deal with multiple attacks on their sovereignty as
well. After the settlers had their way with the Native Americans aka killing, raping and forcibly removing natives, they further attacked their sovereignty. Sovereignty is the ability of a group to govern themselves and when the settlers questioned the sovereignty of native nations, they destroyed a huge part of their life. The Seminoles that escaped and stayed in Florida fought to be recognized as a native nation for the longest time and till they were a federal recognized nation. This was just one of the many native nation that’s fought to get their sovereignty. They did this in many different ways, but the most successful was protest and applying pressure to the government to get sovereignty and to be a recognized native nation. For example, one native nation fought to gain their sovereignty back through protest at banks and other places for many years till their message was finally heard (IGRA April, 26). However, not all native nations were as lucky as these nations and many native nations still fight today for their sovereignty.
interesting and relatively easy to find. However, finding information on interactions with other nations was not as easy. I had to do some in depth research to find who they all interacted with because I could never find specific groups of nations they traded with or had conflicts with. Although, I did eventually find the majority of the other nations they had interactions with. For example, how the traded with other nation in Cuba and how they had many conflicts with the Upper Creeks (Wright). I found all this information from multiple sources, but there were three in particular that helped the most.
Brent R. Weisman, “Nativism, Resistance, and Ethnogenesis of the Florida Seminole Indian Identity,” Historical Archaeology (2007): 198-212.
From this source I found a lot information about the nation itself and what they went through in their history. For example, it talked about Andrew Jackson passed the Indian Removal act and how the Seminole wars all started. Also it talked about how the Florida Seminoles were forced of their land. This article was very helpful in giving me an in depth detail about what the Seminoles went through during their time in Florida.
J. Leitch Wright, Jr. Creeks and Seminoles: The Destruction and Regeneration of the Muscogulge People.
This book I did not pull much information from, but from it I was able to find some of the nations the Seminoles had interactions with. For example, in the book I found that they used certain rivers to have trade with nations in Cuba. Also how they had many negative interactions with the Upper Creeks nation. This book, while it did not have much information, still allowed me to further talk about other nations the Seminoles had interactions with.
"Seminole Tribe of Florida." Seminole Tribe of Florida - The Official Home of the Florida - Seminole Indians. Seminole Tribe of Florida, 2016. Web. 11 May 2016.
From this source I pulled many information, such as background on the nation itself. This source, which is the official site of the Florida Seminole nation, I found history, customs and just about every part of their lives. For example, it talked about how the nation started due to the Upper Creeks putting pressure on multiple other nations. This site was very helpful in giving me a wide range of information about the Seminole nation.
A large theme in the parts that I researched was removal of native nations, specifically brought on by the Indian Removal act.
When Andrew Jackson became president, he issued the Indian Removal act, which would in turn force thousands of native off their homeland and to be relocated to new lands (Weisman). This act played a huge part in the Seminole nation since they were adversely affected by this federal policy (Weisman). The Seminoles were forcible removed from their homeland, due to the Seminole wars, which was brought on by the Seminoles taking in slaves (Weisman). With the loss of the war, they were forced to move to Oklahoma in a very Trail of Tears like death walk, which would result in many Seminoles deaths (Weisman). This was seen in many other native nations as well, for example the Cherokee nation were forcible removed from their lands, just like the Seminoles were (Trail of Tears). Due to the Indian Removal act many Seminoles would die and be forced to move to new lands, but they did not only die on the death walk (Weisman). Any also died trying to defend their homelands from being taken …show more content…
away. When Andrew Jackson first came to the Seminole nation, he came with force and burned down multiple villages and killed many Seminoles all because the Seminole nation took in runaway slaves (Weisman).
This first act of war was called the First Seminole War and unfortunately it would not be the last war (Weisman). The next time Jackson came, he was the president of the United States and he issued the Indian Removal act to forcibly remove the Seminoles from Florida, but the Seminoles did not want to leave (Weisman). Instead, they decided to protect their homeland and fight the United States in a guerrilla like warfare (Weisman). This would go on for many years and would result in four different wars and while the Seminoles would end up losing and being forced from their homeland, they still did everything they could (Weisman). This is very similar to many other nations that fought to protect their homeland. For example, the Lakota who stood up the United States army and killed Custard. There are many instances of Native nations protecting their homeland, but most of them were unsuccessful. Even if the Natives were successful in warding of the settler’s attacks they had to deal with multiple attacks on their sovereignty as
well. After the settlers had their way with the Native Americans aka killing, raping and forcibly removing natives, they further attacked their sovereignty. Sovereignty is the ability of a group to govern themselves and when the settlers questioned the sovereignty of native nations, they destroyed a huge part of their life. The Seminoles that escaped and stayed in Florida fought to be recognized as a native nation for the longest time and till they were a federal recognized nation. This was just one of the many native nation that’s fought to get their sovereignty. They did this in many different ways, but the most successful was protest and applying pressure to the government to get sovereignty and to be a recognized native nation. For example, one native nation fought to gain their sovereignty back through protest at banks and other places for many years till their message was finally heard (IGRA April, 26). However, not all native nations were as lucky as these nations and many native nations still fight today for their sovereignty.