Seminole Genocide in the History of the United States (1818-1858) Cover Image

Amerika Birleşik Devletleri Tarihinde Seminole Soykırımı (1818-1858)
Seminole Genocide in the History of the United States (1818-1858)

Author(s): Haydar Çoruh
Subject(s): Geography, Regional studies, Military history, Studies in violence and power, 19th Century
Published by: Serkan YAZICI
Keywords: America; USA; Seminole War; Native American; Florida; Colony;

Summary/Abstract: The American continent, called the New World, was a virgin land where the white man had not yet set foot when it was discovered. There were Inca, Aztec and Indian civilizations on this land. However, the invasion process that started with the discovery of the continent by the European white man Cristof Colomb caused the genocide of millions of American Indians. This genocide lasted about three hundred years and every occupied piece of land was completely cleared of native Americans. Locals had to wage wars of existence and absence in a certain period from the early nineteenth century to the middle of the same century. These wars took place in three separate stages and continued between 1817-1858. The first war between the Seminole Tribe and the Americans started in 1818. The main aim of the war was the assimilation of the Seminole Tribe. However, with the Moultrie Creek Treaty of 1823 signed after this war, the USA forced the Seminoles and the Creek to be sent back as well as the slaves who took refuge. The Indian Removal Act, signed in 1830, the eve of the second war, was used to force the Seminole Tribe to relocate. All natives in Florida were required by law to move to Oklahoma west of the Mississippi River. The Second Seminole War (1835-1842) took place between the American natives who did not accept this imposition and the white man from the USA. More than 100 American soldiers were destroyed in this war. Although the war ended in 1842, most of the Seminoles were either killed or captured and sent to their native lands in the west. Only a few hundred locals have made refuge in the Everglades in southern Florida. The occupying USA joined Florida as the 27th state on March 3, 1845. This annexation caused the Third Seminole War (1855-1858) to begin. The US military, which was superior to the Seminoles in every way, completely destroyed the indigenous people turning to guerrilla war in primitive conditions. The Seminole Wars, which started in 1818 and ended in 1858, are also known as the "war of inequalities", showing the bloody face of the USA. Technology and despair faced in these wars where a great genocide took place. However, the USA is looking for ways to glorify its heroes by showing these wars as if they were fought between equals.

  • Issue Year: 5/2020
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 611-684
  • Page Count: 74
  • Language: Turkish