John Brown (Seminole Chief)
Encyclopedia
John Frippo Brown, a Seminole
of the Tiger Clan, was a Confederate States Army
officer during the American Civil War
. He was elected by the tribal council as the last principal chief of the Seminole Nation before Oklahoma
statehood.
, Brown was the eldest child of Dr. John Frippo Brown, Sr., a physician from Scotland, and Lucy Redbeard, of the Seminole Tiger Clan
. His sister, Alice Brown Davis, in 1922 was appointed as the Seminoles' first woman chief. Brown had five other siblings, including Andrew Jackson Brown.
Brown served in the Confederate Army as an officer under the Seminole chief John Jumper
. He represented the Seminole Nation in postwar negotiations and signed the Reconstruction Treaty of 1866.
In 1867, Brown's parents died in a cholera
epidemic. His 15-year-old sister Alice moved to Wewoka to live with him.
as the Chief of the Seminole, although the majority of the tribe followed the leadership of John Jumper. The tribe soon elected its own chief and chose Jumper, who resigned soon afterward. Brown, who was a member of the Tiger Clan and Jumper's son-in-law, was next elected chief. His younger brother Andrew Jackson Brown served as treasurer.
Brown served as "governor" of the tribe from 1885 to 1901, when Hulputta Micco defeated him. Following Micco's death in 1905, Brown was re-elected and served until tribal government was abolished in 1906 in preparation for admitting the Indian and Oklahoma territories as the state of Oklahoma.
Brown negotiated the Seminole agreement with the Dawes Commission
in 1897 and served as a delegate to the Sequoyah Constitutional Convention
in 1905. This was an effort to write a constitution for what the Native Americans in Indian Territory hoped would be an all-Indian-controlled state, to be admitted separately from the eastern section of present-day Oklahoma. They were unsuccessful in gaining US Congressional approval for such an action.
As chief of the tribe, Brown traveled to Washington, D.C., frequently to meet with national leaders. During that time he befriended U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt
.
He married Lizzie Jumper, and after her death married twice more. Together, he had at least twelve known children.
Seminole
The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creeks from what is now Georgia and Alabama, who settled in Florida in...
of the Tiger Clan, was a Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
officer during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He was elected by the tribal council as the last principal chief of the Seminole Nation before Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
statehood.
Early life and education
Born October 23, 1842, near Fort Gibson, OklahomaFort Gibson, Oklahoma
Fort Gibson is a town in Cherokee and Muskogee counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 4,054 at the 2000 census. It is the location of Fort Gibson National Cemetery and is located near at the end of the Cherokees' Trail of Tears at Tahlequah, Oklahoma.Colonel Matthew Arbuckle of...
, Brown was the eldest child of Dr. John Frippo Brown, Sr., a physician from Scotland, and Lucy Redbeard, of the Seminole Tiger Clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
. His sister, Alice Brown Davis, in 1922 was appointed as the Seminoles' first woman chief. Brown had five other siblings, including Andrew Jackson Brown.
Brown served in the Confederate Army as an officer under the Seminole chief John Jumper
John Jumper
John Jumper was a Chief of the Pro-Confederate band of the Seminole. He was also a Baptist pastor.- References :...
. He represented the Seminole Nation in postwar negotiations and signed the Reconstruction Treaty of 1866.
In 1867, Brown's parents died in a cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic. His 15-year-old sister Alice moved to Wewoka to live with him.
Chief of the Seminole Nation
After the Seminole Nation agreed to the Reconstruction Treaty of 1866, there was a period of friction due to the U.S. government's recognition of Big John ChupcoJohn Chupco
John Chupco was a leader of the Hvteyievike Band of the Seminole during the time of their forced relocation to Oklahoma. From 1861-1866, he served as chief of the Seminole who supported the Union; the tribe divided over their loyalties during the war, with many supporting the...
as the Chief of the Seminole, although the majority of the tribe followed the leadership of John Jumper. The tribe soon elected its own chief and chose Jumper, who resigned soon afterward. Brown, who was a member of the Tiger Clan and Jumper's son-in-law, was next elected chief. His younger brother Andrew Jackson Brown served as treasurer.
Brown served as "governor" of the tribe from 1885 to 1901, when Hulputta Micco defeated him. Following Micco's death in 1905, Brown was re-elected and served until tribal government was abolished in 1906 in preparation for admitting the Indian and Oklahoma territories as the state of Oklahoma.
Brown negotiated the Seminole agreement with the Dawes Commission
Dawes Commission
The American Dawes Commission, named for its first chairman Henry L. Dawes, was authorized under a rider to an Indian Office appropriation bill, March 3, 1893...
in 1897 and served as a delegate to the Sequoyah Constitutional Convention
Sequoyah Constitutional Convention
The Sequoyah Constitutional Convention was an American Indian-led attempt to secure statehood for Indian Territory as an Indian-controlled jurisdiction, separate from the Oklahoma Territory...
in 1905. This was an effort to write a constitution for what the Native Americans in Indian Territory hoped would be an all-Indian-controlled state, to be admitted separately from the eastern section of present-day Oklahoma. They were unsuccessful in gaining US Congressional approval for such an action.
As chief of the tribe, Brown traveled to Washington, D.C., frequently to meet with national leaders. During that time he befriended U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
.
Personal life
Brown owned a ranch southeast of Wewoka and, along with his brother Andrew, ran the Wewoka Trading Company. Ordained as a minister, he was the pastor of the Spring Baptist Church from 1894 until his death.He married Lizzie Jumper, and after her death married twice more. Together, he had at least twelve known children.