The word “Seminole” is derived from the Muscogean word simanó-li, or “runaway,” reflecting a common heritage, as Upper Creeks from Alabama, Lower Creeks from Georgia, other affiliated tribes and escaped African slaves all sought sanctuary in Spanish Florida. Not civilized enough for some, apparently, for when the United States acquired Florida in 1821, it began herding the Seminoles, through a succession of treaties, to progressively smaller and less desirable parts of the state. Ultimately, in 1834 federal officials set Jan. 1, 1836, as a deadline for removal of the Seminoles from Florida to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma).