The Seminole Tribe of Florida
painting of Seminole hiding behind trees while U.S. Marines search for them in boats
A U.S. Marine boat expedition searching the Everglades during the Second Seminole War
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As soon as the United States acquired Florida, it began urging the Seminole to leave their lands and relocate along with other southeastern tribes to present-day Oklahoma. Some Seminole leaders signed a treaty in 1832, and part of the tribe moved. But other Seminoles refused to recognize the treaty and fled into the Florida Everglades.
The Second Seminole War (1835–1842) was the fiercest war waged by the United States against American Indians. The U.S. spent more than $20 million fighting the Seminole. The war left more than 1,500 soldiers and uncounted American civilians dead. Fighting ceased in 1842, but no peace treaty was signed. At the end of the Third Seminole War in 1858, more than 3,000 Seminole had been moved west of the Mississippi River, with 200 to 300 remaining hidden in Florida in the swamps.
Over time, the remaining Seminole reorganized and grew in Florida. In 1957, tribal members approved a Seminole Constitution which established the federally recognized Seminole Tribe of Florida.
For this assignment you will analyze a primary source. Read the letter by President Andrew Jackson written in 1835 to the Seminole Indians. Then respond to the questions. Remember, when you read primary sources written in the past, the language used reflects the time in which they were written. Language and values change over time. You will often encounter words that are strange or even could be offensive. Examining these words is an important part of studying history and understanding the world we live in today.
Letter from Andrew Jackson to the Seminole Tribe
After carefully reading the text of Andrew Jackson's letter, respond to each of the following questions in complete sentences. Use evidence from the letter to support your answers.
1.What is the purpose of this letter?
2.Why do you think President Jackson refers to the Seminole as "my children"?
3.In what ways was Jackson telling the truth?
4.In what ways was he not telling the Seminole the truth? Explain why the statements are untrue.
5.How was the Seminole experience during Indian removal similar to and different from that of other Native American groups?
