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Eye for an Eye: The Role of Armed Resistance ... - Freedom Archives

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migrated to Oklahoma. In 1855, a three-year conflict beg<strong>an</strong> between Americ<strong>an</strong><br />

military <strong>for</strong>ces <strong>an</strong>d Seminoles <strong>an</strong>d Afric<strong>an</strong> maroons . While some <strong>of</strong> these combat-<br />

<strong>an</strong>ts were rounded up <strong>an</strong>d removed from Florida, the entire Seminole/Afric<strong>an</strong><br />

maroon community was never completely uprooted. Even in the West, conflict<br />

would continue with the Seminoles <strong>an</strong>d their Afric<strong>an</strong> allies . In 1850, convinced<br />

that the liberty <strong>of</strong> the Afric<strong>an</strong>s was in jeopardy, 300 Afric<strong>an</strong> maroons <strong>an</strong>d Semi-<br />

nole allies moved to northern Mexico (near S<strong>an</strong>ta Rosa) where they continued<br />

their resist<strong>an</strong>ce against the slavers <strong>of</strong> Texas .'S<br />

Afric<strong>an</strong> alli<strong>an</strong>ces with the Seminoles is the best <strong>of</strong> numerous examples <strong>of</strong><br />

Red/Black solidarity <strong>an</strong>d resist<strong>an</strong>ce . <strong>The</strong> influence <strong>an</strong>d role <strong>of</strong> Afric<strong>an</strong>/indigenous<br />

solidarity is essential to establishing a tradition <strong>of</strong> armed Black resist<strong>an</strong>ce in the<br />

U .S.A. While Red/Black solidarity was certainly economic <strong>an</strong>d cultural, it was<br />

most definitely a military alli<strong>an</strong>ce . Both entities saw the necessity <strong>of</strong> solidarity to<br />

confront a common enemy. Afric<strong>an</strong> maroons realized their freedom was in jeop-<br />

ardy <strong>an</strong>d that the slaveholding society would use <strong>an</strong>y me<strong>an</strong>s to recapture what it<br />

considered property. To maintain their liberty in the Western hemisphere, it was<br />

necessary to defend themselves . To return <strong>an</strong>d liberate others it was necessary to<br />

master guerilla tactics . It is obvious the union between Afric<strong>an</strong>s <strong>an</strong>d indigenous<br />

peoples only enh<strong>an</strong>ced the Afric<strong>an</strong>'s ability to resist . Certainly much was contrib-<br />

uted by the Native nations to Black resist<strong>an</strong>ce in terms <strong>of</strong> skills, training, re-<br />

sources, as well as inspiration . To those who remained in captivity, these alli<strong>an</strong>ces<br />

were probably beacons <strong>of</strong> hope that freedom was possible . It is also import<strong>an</strong>t to<br />

view Afric<strong>an</strong>s as conscious agents in their alli<strong>an</strong>ces with Native nations . In their<br />

relations with the Seminoles <strong>an</strong>d other indigenous nations, Afric<strong>an</strong> maroons were

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