The Seminole Land that was home to the tribe, had been occupied by the tribe before the arrival of the Europeans. They had never experienced the way of the Europeans especially in relation to the subject of Land Ownership. The ownership of Seminole land became the source of the bitter conflicts between the white European settlers, the U.S. and the Native American Indians.

Seminole Land
The Seminole Native Americans lived in harmony with the land which was emphasized by the their culture, religion and beliefs. The idea of an individual person having exclusive use of a particular piece of land was completely alien to Native Americans.

Seminole Land - Ownership?
The Seminole fought, as communities, with other tribes over hunting rights to their territory. But the "right" to the land was very different from the legal terms understood by the white settlers relating to individual ownership. The Seminole Indians had no concept of "private property," as applied to the land, but were soon to experience this European idea, through the constant encroachment on the tribal territories and Seminole land.

Seminole Land - Wars and Conflicts
The American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of wars, battles and conflicts between American settlers or the U.S. army, and the Native American Indians before and after the American Revolutionary War. The Seminole were under Spanish rule but became involved in several major conflicts with the United States including the War of 1812 and and conflicts between 1817–18. General Andrew Jackson retaliated and invaded Florida with more than 3,000 men to punish the Seminole. Treaties were broken and in 1835 the Seminole led by Chief Osceola began the Seminole Wars which lasted for nearly eight years.

Seminole Land - Moved to the Reservation
The Seminole were defeated in 1842 and were forced to move to Oklahoma under the Removal Act of 1830 although some retreated to the Everglades of Florida.

Seminole Land - Dawes General Allotment Act
The Dawes General Allotment Act was passed by Congress in 1887 which led to the break up of the large Indian Reservations and the sale of Indian lands, including Seminole lands to white settlers.