Narratives of Hernando de Soto's expedition through the Southeast
in 1539-1542 describe Indian towns and temples and the farming
peoples who built them. Intrusions by Europeans and, later,
American settlers led to rapid disruption and decline.
The Creek confederation, with English encouragement, destroyed the
Indian population of Spanish Florida, but in the Creek War of 1813-14
was itself defeated by the Americans.
Some displaced Creeks joined relatives in Florida and formed the Seminole
tribe. The rest were removed to Indian Territory - unsettled
regions west of the Mississippi - where the majority of
Seminoles soon joined them.
After the American Revolution, Cherokees adapted quickly to the life of their white neighbors. However, the discovery of gold and increasing demand for their land brought years of struggle; federal troops finally forced the removal of most Cherokees to Indian Territory by 1839.
