Editing Seminole Wars (section)

==Aftermath==
The government believed that only about 100 Seminoles were left in Florida when Colonel Loomis declared an end to the Third Seminole War, but the estimate proved to be too low. In December 1858, the US recruited two bands totaling 75 people, who agreed to removal to the West; they were shipped out on 15 February 1859. Seminoles remained in Florida, however. Sam Jones' band was living in the eastern edge of the Everglades inland from Fort Lauderdale. Chipco's band was thought to be living north of Lake Okeechobee (although the Army had failed to locate them), and smaller family groupings lived on remote patches of higher ground scattered across the wetlands of south Florida.

Since the war was officially over and the remaining Seminole carefully avoided contact with settlers, the government sent the militia home and reassigned most of the regular Army troops, leaving only small contingents in larger coastal forts such as Fort Brooke. Most of the smaller forts scattered across the Florida wilderness were decommissioned and soon stripped by settlers of any usable material.

During the [[American Civil War]], the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate government of Florida]] contacted Sam Jones with promises of aid to keep the Seminole from fighting on the side of the Union. The state did not follow through on its promises, but the Seminole were not interested in fighting another war and remained neutral.

The [[Florida Constitution#The 1868 Florida Constitution|1868 Florida Constitution]], developed by the [[Reconstruction Era|Reconstruction]] legislature, gave the Seminole one seat in the house and one seat in the senate of the state legislature. The Seminole never filled the positions. In 1885, the now [[Redeemers|redeemer dominated]] legislature passed a new constitution abolishing the seats reserved for Seminoles and establishing barriers to voter registration and electoral practices that essentially [[Disfranchisement after Reconstruction era|disfranchised]] most [[African Americans]] and [[Minority group|minorities]].<ref>Covington. pp. 145–6.</ref> This situation lasted until changes brought about by the [[civil rights movement]], including the [[Voting Rights Act of 1965]], eventually prompting the state of Florida to adopt the [[Constitution of Florida|current state constitution]] in 1968.

===Modern times===
A small number of Seminoles continued to live in relative isolation in the Lake Okeechobee and Everglades region into the 20th Century. Flood control and drainage projects beginning in the late 1800s opened up more land for development and significantly altered the natural environment, inundating some areas while leaving some former swamps dry and arable. These projects, along with the completion of the [[Tamiami Trail]] which bisected the Everglades in 1928, simultaneously ended old ways of life and introduced new opportunities. A steady stream of white developers and tourists came to the area, and the Seminoles began to work in local farms and ranches and open souvenir stands.

In the 1940s, Seminoles living across the state began moving to reservations and establishing official tribal governments to form ties with the [[Bureau of Indian Affairs]]. In 1957, most Seminoles established formal relations with the US government as the [[Seminole Tribe of Florida]], which is headquartered in [[Hollywood, Florida]], and control the [[Big Cypress Indian Reservation]], [[Brighton Reservation]], Fort Pierce Reservation, [[Hollywood Reservation]], Immokalee Reservation, and [[Tampa Reservation]].<ref>''Atlas of the North American Indian'', 3rd ed. New York: Checkmark Books, 2009. Print.</ref> This branch of Florida Seminoles began operating [[bingo hall]]s on reservation land in 1979, and after overcoming several legal challenges by the state, opened gambling [[casino]]s in the early 2000s and purchased the [[Hard Rock Casino]] brand in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |title=A History of Tribal Gambling |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2007/11/15/a-history-of-tribal-gaming/#:~:text=1979:%20Seminoles'%20first%20bingo%20hall%20opens |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=15 November 2007 |language=en |archive-date=18 January 2025 |access-date=30 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250118235904/https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2007/11/15/a-history-of-tribal-gaming/#:~:text=1979:%20Seminoles'%20first%20bingo%20hall%20opens |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gooch |first1=Teresa McKenzie |title=Bingo: The Battle Cry of the Florida Seminole |journal=The Sunland Tribune |date=1992 |volume=18 |issue=1 |url=https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1237&context=sunlandtribune#:~:text=In%20the%20twentieth%20century,%20the%20Florida |access-date=30 September 2024 |archive-date=13 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913170321/https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1237&context=sunlandtribune#:~:text=In%20the%20twentieth%20century,%20the%20Florida |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Miccosukee]] branch of the Seminoles held to a more traditional lifestyle in the Everglades region, simultaneously seeking privacy and serving as a tourist attraction, wrestling alligators, selling crafts, and giving [[Ecotourism|eco-tours]] of their land. They received federal recognition as a separate nation in 1962 and received their own reservation lands, collectively known as the [[Miccosukee Indian Reservation]], including a {{convert|333|acre|km2|adj=on}} reservation on the northern border of Everglades National Park, about {{convert|45|mi|km}} west of Miami.<ref name="miccosukee">{{cite web |url=http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/resources/hii46735.000/hii46735_0.HTM |title=Concerning the Miccosukee Tribe's Ongoing Negotiations with the National Park Service Regarding the Special Use Permit Area |publisher=Resources Committee, US House of Representatives |date=25 September 1997 |access-date=2 March 2011 |archive-date=10 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310133408/http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/resources/hii46735.000/hii46735_0.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>