| Date |
Event |
Trail
segment |
| 1816 |
Destruction
of the Negro Fort
In his first assault on the freedom of the Black
Seminoles, General Andrew Jackson ordered the destruction of a fort that
had become a beacon for runaway slaves. (12 story panels)
|
 |
| 1834-35 |
Osceola
emerges
In negotiations over western removal, Osceola emerged as the most outspoken militant, galvanizing the
alliance of Indians and blacks. (12 story panels) |
 |
| 1835 |
"Dade's
Massacre"
In one of the most successful Indian attacks in U.S. history, black warriors
especially rattled the Americans as maroons and runaways
took up arms against the oppressor.
(6 story panels) |
 |
| 1837 |
John
Horse escapes
After being captured with Osceola, John Horse and seventeen Indian
allies escaped from the strongest prison in Florida,
renewing the war. (11 story panels) |
 |
| 1838 |
Battle
of Lake Okeechobee
In the largest battle of the war, 1,000 U.S. soldiers
met the Seminole allies at Lake Okeechobee where the
Indians fought for land and the blacks for freedom. (5 story panels) |
 |
| 1844-45 |
Trips
to Washington
In two trips to Washington, John Horse appealed to General Jesup to honor the promises that ended the Florida rebellion,
while Jesup dealt with a divided nation.
(17 story panels) |
 |
| 1848 |
Attorney
General's decision
President Polk installed a temporary Attorney General to
rule on the status of the Black Seminoles, ushering in one of the darkest periods in
their history.
(6 story panels) |
 |
| 1849-50 |
Flight
for Freedom
Facing the prospect of slavery, the Black Seminoles and John Horse
joined their Indian ally, Coacoochee, to bolt for
Mexico, where freedom was over the border. (14 story panels) |
 |
| 1849-56 |
Filibusters Invade Mexico
As proslavery expansionists sought new territories for
the South's peculiar institution, Northern Mexico and
the Black Seminoles fell within their sights.
(3 story panels) |
 |
| 1858 |
Maroons Win Renown in Exile
The Black Seminoles won perhaps their greatest, albeit
brief, renown with publication of Joshua Reed Giddings'
antislavery history, The Exiles of Florida. (3 story panels) |
 |
| 1870 |
Scouts Defend Texas
When U.S. officers sought help defending Texas from
border tribes, they turned to the Black Seminoles as
scouts.
(10 story panels) |
 |
| 1882 |
Homeland
With his community's settlement in Nacimiento under threat,
John Horse made the final journey in his lifelong, epic quest
to secure a free homeland. (4 story panels) |
 |
