Seminole History Part I of II
Few people who enjoy gambling probably know that the Seminole Indians
were the first ones to foray into the leisure activity, and they had
to fight to get it – just like they have had to fight for everything
else in their lives. This is a three part series on how the Seminole
Indians became such a driving force in the United States, and how
their casinos were the forefathers of all Indian tribal gaming.
Back in the 1800’s many tribes were being forced to give up their land
and migrate to Oklahoma, among other regions. The “white man” had
taken their land, sometimes paying for it barely a portion of what it
was worth, and other times just taking it without any semblance of
payment at all. However, one tribe would stand against the migration,
and that tribe was the Seminole Indians. They stood up against them
and told them that they would not be leaving their land, and they
stayed in Florida where they belonged.
They spent decades fighting for their land against the U.S. Army, and
eventually moved south to the Everglades of Florida. This enabled them
to not have to participate in the Trail of Tears in the early 1800’s.
Then in 1842, President Tyler ordered for the Seminoles to be left
alone – and the tribe ended up never having to surrender to the
military. They lived in the Everglades for years – where they were so
poor they had no electric, and had to hunt for their own food. They
even sold tax free tobacco products to try and support themselves, as
well as selling citrus fruits and raising cattle.
In 1936, the tribe established the Big Cypress Seminole Indian
Reservation, and it was only after this change and the advent of slot
machines that the tribe would start to be able to support themselves.
In 1979, the tribe opened the first of many bingo halls. The hall was
located in Hollywood, Florida, and the courts tried to get them to
close down the halls. However, the Seminoles prevailed, and in 1988
with the passing of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, American tribes
were allowed to offer gambling.
Next time we will discuss the changes that legalized gambling afforded
the Seminoles and how it took them into the future.
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