Seminoles (Civilization of the American Indian (Paperback))

Rating:
Summary: History of a Southern People
Review: The Seminoles are one of the most fascinating Nations of North America, and this book does a wonderful job explaining their history and background. The first chapter explains the origins of the Seminole Nation, being the descendants of various survivors of Florida Nations such as the Mayucas, Ays, Timuqua, Tegesta and others decimated by the Spanish conquistadors, refugee Creek Indians from the Southeastern US and runaway black slaves. It also gives some cultural background on the Seminole and their languages (Muskogee, Hitchiti and Miccosukee). Thus the Seminole are in fact a recent Nation of runaways and refugees (as their name in fact means). It then goes on in the next chapters to show Seminole relations with both the United States and Spain (who then controlled Florida) in the early days, and how difficult things were living between two colonial powers.

It gives some interesting details concerning the Seminoles and their alliances, treaties and dealings with Spain, the US government and the Creeks around the 1800's, and ultimately how things changed for the Seminole with the United State's acquisition of Florida from Spain. A great deal of the book then focuses on Indian removal and the Seminole Wars. Like the Cherokees, Creeks, Chickasaw and Choctaw, the Seminole found themselves illegally deported from their homelands in the Southeast to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) and fought greatly to resist it. In part this was because the Euro-Americans wanted Seminole lands in Florida, but in part because of the Seminole's adoption of runaway slaves.

The Seminole Wars were fascinating (and quite needless) wars which wound up costing the US government thirty million dollars and the lives of over a thousand marines and soldiers. Quite ironic that Jackson was so determined to drive the Seminole from their homeland; something that he failed in as hundreds of Seminole remained in Florida. The book then goes on to a fascinating chapter on the Southeastern Indians in the Civil War, and how the Cherokee, Seminoles and Creeks were devestated by the war, and how they probably would have preferred neutrality. It gives details on activites in the Civil War, including why so many Southern Nations found themselves sympathyzing with the Confederates (the same people who wanted to claim their homelands ironically) and why so many later switched to the Union. It then goes to another chapter on how life changed for the Seminoles after the Civil War.

Interestingly enough the book closes out looking at the transition towards US citizenship for the Seminoles. It ends in the early part of the 1900s, but it does a very nice job showing just how much the Seminoles had changed since they came into being as a Nation and what they had gone through. Ultimately its a very nice book on the history of the Seminoles, and if you have an interest in Native American history I strongly recommend this book and others in the Civilization of the American Indians series from the University of Oklahoma.