Osceola and the Seminoles
By: Emma Warr
Osceola
Red Sticks
The Creek War
The Creek War lasted about a year from 1813-1814, and was one of the many smaller wars that occurred in the War of 1812. At the beginning of the Creek War, sides were chosen as the Upper Creeks were backed by Spain and England, and a few whites, mostly whom were Quakers or other religious people. The Upper Creeks went against Andrew Jackson, much of the white population,and other native tribes such as the Lower Creeks, Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw.
This war has a long history behind it. It goes back to when Andrew Jackson was being sworn into office. Andrew Jackson created the Indian Removal law immediately as his presidential run began. This law said that all natives in the Southeast part of America, had to move to a piece of land set aside for them in the Western part of the nation. From Jackson's law, many states began forming more specific laws that had many natives who lived within state borders, having very little rights. This is where the natives took sides. Some thought fighting for what you wanted was better than just becoming like the whites in order to make peace.
In the end though, both sides lost to the very controlling US government. At some point after the Creek War, all natives were told they needed to give up their sacred land and move to the Indian Territory. Tribes were forced to sign treaties and give up their land and move West. The Upper Creeks ended up giving away 40,000 acres of land the the government by signing the Treaty of Fort Jackson which ended the war. Other tribes resisted these treaties and took them to court, and some like the Upper Creeks didn't let a peace of paper determine what they were going to do with their lands.
The Creek War
Seminole Living in the Everglades
The Second Seminole War
The Second Seminole War
The war ended when the whites told Osceola that they wanted a truce. He agreed and met with them, where they captured Osceola and he was take to Fort Moultrie where he later died. Osceola May have died, but that didn't stope the Seminoles from fighting for their rights....until four years later when 4420 more natives moved to the West. Only a few hundred Seminoles remained in the Everglades and continued surprise attacks on the whites. These attacks would later lead to the Third Seminole War. From the Second Seminole War, thousands of Seminoles died as well as 1500 US soldiers. It also cast the government $30 million.
Summary and My Reaction
Osceola didn't live a very long life compared to the lifespans now a days. But, he did prove to America and other cultures that you need to fight for you and the ones around you who share the same beliefs. The Seminoles as well as many other Native American tribes located in the Southeast , faced numerous disagreements about Native rights and land ownership with the whites. The Seminoles had their first major debut in the Second Seminole War where Osceola led a large group of natives against the whites instead of moving into the West. Osceola was later captured and taken to prison where he later died of internal sickness.
Osceola was very motivational in this historical time. He was a true believer in fighting for what you believe in , and was a great influence on the Seminoles later to come, and other tribes. Osceola led many attacks in the Second Seminole War against the US Government hoping to win back control of their sacred lands. I think he is a very important historical figure because of his bravery which spread throughout the Seminole tribe. If Osceola had never taken leadership, I believe the outcome of the war would've been very different. Many Seminoles, in fact, did move to the Indian Territory in the West, so it is very likely that the Seminoles wouldn't have fought back, and then the government win right away. Osceola changed the way other natives thought and helped them realize the importance of standing up for your beliefs.
Credits
http://www.archives.state.al.us/teacher/creekwar/creek.html
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osceola
https://brianschilling.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/florida_massacre_1836.jpg?w=470&h=288
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Charley_Cypress_Seminole_Everglades.jpg
http://cdn.omg-facts.com/2014/3/5/db232972473b7024df541c86172fbcf2.jpg