Semtribe history

In 1817, these conflicts escalated into the first of three wars against the United States.

In 1819 Florida was sold by the Spanish to the United States.

1767–1821). These settlers joined with the survivors of Florida's ancient Native American communities (Tequesta, Calusa, etc.) in the interior of south Florida.

In 1823 under the treaty of Moultrie Creek, they gave up their claim which resulted in reducing their land to 4 millions acres, with no access to their cultivated lands, game, and either ocean.

After passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830, the United States government attempted to relocate Seminoles to Oklahoma, causing yet another war -- the Second Seminole War.

In 1832 a treaty proposal that would have obligated the Seminoles to move west of the Mississippi River was rejected by a large portion of the tribe.

Seminole warriors murdered a senior Indian agent and a United States army officer, then massacred a column of soldiers, igniting the Second Seminole War (1835–42).

On February 28, 1836 General Edmund Gaines with 1,100 troops from New Orleans were crossing the Withlacoochee River, he also was attacked by Osceola with more than 1,500 warriors.

In 1838 Osceola and other tribal leaders agreed to meet the United States military under a flag of truce, but the United States forces broke the truce by imprisoning the men, and Osceola died in custody some three months later.

In 1842, the United States government withdrew and the Seminole Indians never signed a peace treaty.

By May 8, 1858, when the United States declared an end to conflicts in the third war with the Seminoles, more than 3,000 of them had been moved west of the Mississippi River.

Federal policies effectively dissolved the Oklahoma tribal governments in 1906; changes in those federal policies resulted in the revitalization of the tribal governments in the mid-20th century.

In 1907, the Department of the Interior set aside 540 acres of land near Dania for Seminole use.

On April 25, 1913 the Orange was sliced and the word Seminole was chosen as our new county name, which means run-away just like the Seminoles.

Seminole women invented patchwork around 1917.

The Miccosukee, who spoke the Mikasuki language, were located to the south, in an area cut through by completion of the Tamiami Trail in 1928.

The Second Seminole Indian War began on December 28, 1935 when Osceola and a band of warriors killed the Indian Agent and four other whites at Fort King.

A cattle program was also started at Brighton Reservation in 1936, and it is still a success story today.

The 1950’s were a turning point in the history of the Florida Seminole people.

In 1953, the United States Congress passed legislation to terminate federal tribal programs.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida was recognized in August 1957.

During the 1970’s the Tribe began a project that would affect tribal people all across America - Tribal Gaming.

A postcard depicting a Seminole Tourist Camp, courtesy of the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, 2003.14.275