Seminole Wars

Inadequate Reserved Lands

The U.S. government initially sought to recognize the Spanish land grants to the Seminole through the 1823 Treaty of Moultrie Creek. The treaty, however, soon proved unpopular to both sides, as Florida's U.S. population grew and the Seminole found their reserved land inadequate. By this time, the Indian Removal Act of 1830, stipulating removal of all eastern Native American tribes to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River, had become national policy. Osceola assumed a leadership role among those Seminole opposed to emigration from Florida.

Osceola organized two separate incidents on December 28, 1835: the killing of federal Indian agent Wiley Thompson and the ambush of a contingent of U.S. troops under the command of Major Francis Dade, only three of whom survived the attack.

Osceola's actions were the first organized resistance to U.S. encroachment on Seminole territory and the federal policy of forced removal of the Seminole. The U.S. Army countered with military action against the Seminole, beginning the Second Seminole War (1835–42). U.S. forces comprised a mixture of regular U.S. Army troops, Florida militia, and Native Americans allied against the Seminole. Seven U.S. officers held command during the course of the war.

The war was known for its guerrilla-style fighting in the harsh, swampy terrain. As a result, the Second Seminole War was the longest and most expensive of the Indian Wars fought between U.S. forces and Native Americans. Engagements ranged throughout Florida, from the northern Panhandle into the Florida Keys. Important battles included the Battle of Okeechobee (December 25, 1837) and the Battle of Loxahatchee (January 24, 1838). General Thomas Jesup controversially captured Osceola under a flag of truce in 1837. Osceola died at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina, the following year.

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