Second Seminole War Vs Black Hawk War

Black Hawk War and the Second Seminole War

Dirk Smith

HIST223

Instructor: John Smith

Aug 14, 2012

Black Hawk War and the Second Seminole War

During the 1800’s many Indian tribe who didn’t want to leave their homelands found themselves in brutal battles against what they considered the “White Man”. These wars went in different areas in the United States all during the same time. The same fight by the Indian to stay in their homeland while Congress tried to push both tribes west towards the Mississippi. Two monumental wars began because of these disagreements, the Black Hawk War and the Second Seminole War. With these two wars the Tribal Indians basically fought on the grounds where they didn’t
Osceola was captured one time after running which gave him a greater hatred for the ones he called “The White Man” (Chance, 2003). In 1819 Spain had turned Florida into the Unites States and the Native Americans that had fled south were once again caught in U.S territory who they knew would try to relocate them away from their home. Osceola was a part of one of the tribes, the “Seminole” tribe that was going to have to move towards the Mississippi. Osceola did not want him or his people to have to move, so when there was a meeting that was going to be held most of the other tribes signed their treaties agreeing to move their tribes out of Florida, but the Seminole tribe refused to move, Osceola stated as he stood up at the meeting with a knife in his hand “This is the only treaty I will make with the whites” (Hatch, 2012). From that point on it was a war between the government and the Seminoles. For years the Generals could not take over the Seminole Tribe. The tribe was strong like their leader Osceola and the tribe knew the area well to know how to take advantage of anyone
Black Hawk himself was one of the Sauk Indians. Two chiefs had agreed to a treaty that the Sauk Indians would leave the land east of the Mississippi and let the government have it. Back Hawk and other Sauk Indians did not believe these chiefs had the right to give this land away (Wisconsin, 2014). A quarter century later settlers began to start taking over the land with no respect for any treaties at the time and the Sauk Indians thought it was futile to resist the overwhelming white forces (Wisconsin, 2014). Black Hawk decided to lead 1,200 Sauk’s in the hope of reoccupying their home and land (keep in mind Black Hawk didn’t think the treaty was real and thought it was fraudulent because of who had did the signing) and if anything bad was to happen the British would come to his aid (which they did not) (Wisconsin, 2014). In 1832 for 16 weeks Black Hawk and his followers had plans. The warriors would fight and the non-combatants would try to find ways across the Mississippi River to safety. Many died from hunger, thirst, exhaustion, and were buried on the trail (Wisconsin, 2014). Troops were able to attacks when the Sauk’s Indians reached the banks of the Mississippi near the mouth of the Bad Axe River (Wisconsin, 2014). In the end Black Hawk left his followers to surrender and only 150 Indians survived out of the 1,200 that began with Black