The Most successful Black revolutionary you never heard of....John Horse.

[franksterr]

Few Americans know his story, but the Black Seminole warrior John Horse (1812-1882) was probably the most successful black freedom fighter in U.S. history. His accomplishments were amazing, despite his obscurity. In Florida, he rose to lead the holdouts in the country's largest slave uprising. For forty years afterwards he led his people, the African allies of Seminole Indians, on an epic quest from Florida to Mexico to secure a free homeland.[12]

Over a long life he defeated leading US generals, met two Presidents, served as an adviser to Seminole chiefs, a Scout for the US Army, and a decorated officer in the Mexican military. He defended free black settlements on three frontiers, and was said to love children, whiskey, and his noble white horse, "American." In 1882, he fulfilled his quest for a free homeland with the final act of his life, securing a land grant in Northern Mexico. His descendants live on the land grant to this day.

The life story of John Horse structures the trail narrative (although the narrative covers a wide range of other topics as well). To get as complete a biography of John Horse as possible, see Kenneth Wiggins Porter's Black Seminoles or Kevin Mulroy's Freedom on the Border, which adds some details to Porter. Both resources are described under selected books. As these books demonstrate, the known facts of John Horse's life are scarce, barely filling one or two chapters in all. To document his life, therefore, Rebellion draws on archival images and an evocation of his world to create an authentic portrait of his life and times.[13]

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Did all of the Black Seminoles follow John Horse?
No. After 1837 John Horse became the de facto leader of the community, but there is no evidence that the Black Seminoles ever formally selected a leader. Several individuals were prominent in Florida and the West.

In 1835, at the outset of the war in Florida, Abraham was recognized as the head of the maroon community, as he had been since the 1820s. Another prominent warrior was John Caesar, the historic ally of the Indian chief King Philip. With Philip, Caesar was credited with organizing the slave uprisings outside of St. Augustine in 1835-1836. The U.S. Army killed Caesar during the war.[14] Abraham, meanwhile, became the Army's leading hostage. After working with General Jesup, he later fell into disfavor with other Black Seminoles for reasons that have never been entirely clear, but that may have been related to his history of intrigues, some to the benefit of slaveholding parties in Florida and out west.[15]
As Abraham fell from grace, John Horse rose through his daring and uncompromising actions during the Florida war. By the climactic Battle of Lake Okeechobee (1837), he led the vanguard of black militants among the Seminole allies.
Out west, he represented the Black Seminoles in two trips to Washington, and the army recognized him as principal spokesman for the community. From 1850 to the mid-1860s he was the primary leader of the Black Seminoles in Mexico, although it should be noted that almost half of the community remained in Oklahoma, where they retained their own leaders. By the 1870s, younger Black Seminoles were following new leaders in Texas. John Horse retained a patriarchal status and appears to have remained the leading figure in the Mexican community until his death in 1882.[16

http://www.johnhorse.com/black-seminoles/faq-black-seminoles.htm

[Tuff Gong]

Pretty cool!

[blugiant]

luv da story aff john horse

[Nunya]

Never heard about him before this, but am not likely to forget him now. Thanks!

[kia027]

Thank you for sharing!

[jah_yout]

you never heard of

i'm familiar with the great john horse but most don't know---and they're not gonna teach you this stuff during "black history month";
in fact most americans know very little american history...
part of it is that the history taught in schools is total cow manure...and most of the population doesn't seem to care