Page "Second Seminole War" Paragraph 1

Bands from various tribes in the southeastern United States had moved into the unoccupied lands in Florida in the 18th century.

These included Alabamas, Choctaws, Yamasees, Yuchis and Creek people.

The Creeks were the largest group, and included Lower Creeks and Upper Creeks, and both Hitchiti-and Muscogee-speakers.

One group of Hitchiti-speakers, the Mikasuki, settled around what is now Lake Miccosukee near Tallahassee.

Another group of Hitchiti-speakers settled around the Alachua Prairie in what is now Alachua County.

The Spanish in St. Augustine began calling the Alachua Creeks Cimarrones, which roughly meant " wild ones " or " runaways ", and which is the probable origin of " Seminole ".

This name was eventually also applied to the other groups in Florida, although the Native Americans still regarded themselves as members of different tribes.

Other groups in Florida at the time of the Seminole Wars included " Spanish Indians ", so called because it was believed that they were descended from Calusas, and " rancho Indians ", persons of Native American ancestry, possibly both Calusa and Creek, and mixed Native American / Spanish ancestry, living at Spanish / Cuban fishing camps on the Florida coast.