After taking possession of Florida in 1821, the American government commissioned a census of the region. According to the results, there were over 5,000 Seminole spread throughout northern and central Florida. Living in proximity to many Seminole villages were an additional 800 individuals described as “black” Seminole. Of this number, a majority were the inhabitants of Maroon and Gullah communities--runaway slaves who had emigrated to the region in the mid-1700s and established their own free villages.

Black Seminole

The first application of the term Black Seminole came from this survey and the subsequent observations of Americans in the region. While initially applied to all free black communities in Florida, this term actually refers to children born of the union between a Seminole woman and Maroon man. As the Seminole practice matrilineal descent, the children born of such a union would be considered Seminole. In the case of the union between a Seminole man and a Maroon woman, the children would be considered black. Regardless of the distinction, however, both groups were afforded the opportunity to live free from bondage--a unique departure given their proximity to the southern United States.

Developing Communities

As more slaves escaped into Florida, they found sanctuary among both the Maroons and the Seminole. While some integrated into their host communities, others founded their own villages. The Seminole granted large tracts of land to these freedom seeking nomads and provided them with the tools necessary for survival. In return, these self-governing villages would contribute a portion of their annual crop yield to the adjoining Seminole village. It was a mutual compact that would bind both communities through years of peace and cooperation.