"A powerful and stirring story." --San Antonio Express-News

"An epic tale of desperate, unwitting fugitives who would--without exaggeration--defeat armed forces both white and Indian, make possible settlement of the West, earn the country’s highest military honors, and have nothing to show for it." --Miami Herald

"This fascinating story chronicles the lives of fugitive slaves who aligned themselves with Seminole Indians in Florida beginning in the early 1800s, fought with them in the Second Seminole War, and were removed, along with them to Indian Territory, where they struggled to remain free. To prevent reenslavement, their remarkable leader, John Horse, led much of the group to Mexico…. Recommended." --Library Journal

"Porter spoke directly with Chief Horse’s descendants and with older black Seminoles who either knew him or had heard first-hand stories about him…. A gripping account of a people’s struggle both for identity and freedom." --Naples Daily News

"This book’s sweep is broad, its story is provocative, and the human saga it evokes is compelling. No exercise in political correctness, this is a detailed, factual account of a remarkable people’s struggle for survival over multiple generations and in the face of calamitous challenges. This history will surprise, while it intrigues. Kenneth Porter has made an enduring contribution, for which we are indebted to him." --Tampa Tribune

Kenneth W. Porter, former professor of history at the University of Oregon, began researching Black Seminole history in the 1930s. When he died in 1981, he was still editing the 700 pages of his life’s work. Originally published in 1996, his book remains the definitive work on the subject.

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"Accesble and straightforward, the book highlights the role of the Black Seminole leader, Chief John Horse, and tells the moving story of a people's search for a home and an identity."
--Tropical Breeze (Pinellas County, FL)

"an epic tale of desperate, unwitting fugitives who would -without exaggeration- defeat armed forces both white and Indian, make possible settlement of the West, earn the country's highest military honors, and have nothing to show for it." "Their odyssey begins in Seminole-held Florida at the turn of the 19th century, diverts to the Indian Territories of Oklahoma, where they were forcibly relocated after the Second Seminole War, onward to the violent interiors of Mexico, where they were conscripted to fight the Comanches, then back north to the bloodied prairies of Texas, where they achieved legendary status -and several Congressional Medals of Honor- as cavalry scouts. At the dawn of a new century, their trail ended nowhere." "But this quite book makes clear they won what they had fought for: Freedom."
--Miami Herald

"This book's sweep is broad, its story is provocative, and the human saga it evokes is compelling. No exercise in political correctness, this is a detailed, factual account of a remarkable people's struggle for survival over multiple generations and in the face of calamitous challenges. This history will surprise, while it intrigues. Kenneth Porter has made an enduring contribution, for which we are indebted to him."
--Tampa Tribune

"'The Black Seminoles is a powerful and stirring story that will appeal to readers interested in black history, Indian history, Texas borderland history and U.S. military history."
--San Antonio Express-News

"entertaining to both military and social history buffs." "It provides a unique glimpse into the lives of Seminoles, Black Seminoles, military leaders, as well as the interrelationships among their leaders. The Black Seminoles is a must read for anybody interested in Seminole or Black Seminole history."
--Florida Heritage

"a gripping account of a people's struggle both for identity and freedom."
--Naples Daily News

"This fascinating story chronicles the lives of fugitive slaves who aligned themselves with Seminole Indians in Florida beginning in the early 1800s, fought with them in the Second Seminole War, and were removed, along with them, to Indian Territory, where they struggled to remain free." "Recommended for all American history collections."
--Library Journal

"The work is at its strongest when describing the maroons' campaigns in Florida, Mexico, and Texas. It offers important new information on John Horse's visit to Washington in 1845-1846 and on the maroons' experience in the Laguna de Parras in southwest Coahuila from 1859 to 1870." "a welcome contribution to the growing body of literature on African American history in the Southeast and Southwest."
--Journal of American History

"The Black Seminoles is an important contribution to black history, Indian history, Texas borderlands history, and U.S. military history."
--Southwestern Historical Quarterly

"The story ends sadly, but before it does, there are many exciting tales told." "the material is absolutely fascinating."
--Journal of Southern History

"A valuable work for anyone interested in the Indian-Fighting Army, or in some 'rattling good history'."
--NYMAS Newsletter (New York Military Affairs Symposium)

"the book's narrative power is unexcelled. There are exciting battle scenes and heartrending personal stories. The Black Seminoles survived slave catchers, government betrayal, and attempts at extermination as they asserted their humanity and expressed their love of freedom. This book is a worthy monument for them and to Kenneth Porter's lifelong quest."
--Florida Historical Quarterly

"The book tells a compelling and tragic story of a people, unwanted and unaccepted, who searched assiduously for land and freedom in Florida, Indian Territory, Mexico, and Texas." "The Black Seminoles: History of a Freedom-Seeking People is a valuable volume. . . This book enlightens readers about the struggles of these blacks who fought so desperately to avoid the horrors of slavery by searching on several frontiers for land where they could be free. While other blacks took the underground railroad to Canada, these people took a long route to Florida, Indian Territory, Mexico, and Texas. In the last two decades, historians have devoted more attention to the Black Seminoles and perhaps one day mainstream United States history will include their story."
--Mississippi Quarterly

"Encompassing African American history, Native American history, and Florida history, Porter's study will be of interest and value to historians and history enthusiasts alike. . . Porter's exceptional research sheds new light on this unfamiliar topic and encourages others to further our undersanding of the Black Seminoles' role in American history. The Black Seminoles is a delightful, though-provoking study on a subject that deserves more attention."
--Alabama Review

"The authoritative scholarly chronicle of a people who battled fiercely to remain free."
--The Midwest Book Review

“It offers insights into the politics of fear and greed resulting in abuse of minority peoples”
--The Berks-Mont News

“Black Seminoles serves as a compelling narrative and great introduction to Black Seminole history.”
--The Chronicles of Oklahoma