Florida’s Negro War: Black Seminoles and the Second Seminole War with Dr. Anthony Dixon
Press release from Matheson History Museum
February 5, 2022
4 p.m. – Free Virtual Program
Author and historian Dr. Anthony Dixon will join us virtually via Zoom webinar to share about his book Florida’s Negro War: Black Seminoles and the Second Seminole War on Saturday, February 5, at 4 p.m.
Registration is free: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bF8QWw86QEOtMhDi8DCHUA
From 1817 to 1858, the United States government engaged in a bitter conflict with the Seminole Nation. This conflict would result in three distinct wars. The Second Seminole War (1835-1842) was conducted under the Indian Removal Policy of the 1830s. This war was a result of the American plantation societies’ relentless efforts to enslave the Black Seminole population. The United States government’s objective became to return as many Black Seminoles as possible, if not all, to slavery.
Evidence proves that the efforts of the U.S. military to place Blacks in bondage were not only a major underlying theme throughout the War, but at various points, the primary goal. It is clear that from the onset of the war, the United States government, military, and state militias grossly underestimated both the determination and the willingness of the Black Seminole to resist at all costs. Thus, this book not only makes the argument that the Second Seminole War was indeed a slave rebellion, but perhaps the most successful one in United States history.
Anthony Dixon
Anthony E. Dixon, Ph.D. is a Public Historian, Archivist, Lecturer, and Author. His focus is on the African Diaspora. He has conducted lectures, served as a panelist, researched, and published pertinent information concerning the African Diaspora. His work is particularly focused on the African Diaspora in the United States and Florida. He speaks to large diverse audiences throughout the United States.
He is the author of three books: Up from Incarceration: Volume I Dispelling Myths of the Thug Life, Florida’s Negro War: Black Seminoles and the Second Seminole War, and Florida’s African Diaspora Timeline. His research has been utilized throughout the state of Florida as well as the United States. Internationally, he published a book review of The African Diaspora: A History through Culture by Patrick Manning in the Journal of Caribbean History.
His educational background includes a B.S. in History with a minor in African American Studies from Florida A&M University, M.A.S.S. (Masters of Applied Social Science) from Florida A&M University with a concentration in History, M.I.S. (Masters of Information Science) with a concentration in Library Leadership from Florida State University and Ph.D. in History from Indiana University.