The 1836 Attack on the Cape Florida Lighthouse
Welcome back to our Seminole Spaces series! In this series we explore the places and spaces that are important to Seminole history, culture, and tourism. This week, we explore a little bit of Key Biscayne, in particular focusing on the Cape Florida Lighthouse. Seminole warriors attacked the lighthouse in 1836 during the Second Seminole War, in response to increasing removal pressures and Western settlers. Cape Florida and the Lighthouse were also significant in history for providing a pathway to freedom for Seminoles and fugitive slaves to travel to the Bahamas.
Seminole Ancestors on Key Biscayne
Seminole ancestors have been at Key Biscayne long before the first brick was ever placed at the lighthouse complex. Although the archaeological evidence does not show the entirety of occupation in Biscayne Bay, human occupation at the site is documented at over 10,000 years. During the ice age, sea levels were incredibly low compared to today and the Florida peninsula was probably twice as wide.
The landscape was also much different, more akin to a broad savannah or grassland. Much of the archaeological evidence of these first peoples in Biscayne Bay has been lost to the water. As the ice age receded, the water filled in, covering much of the physical evidence of occupation. There are a handful of sites along the bay shoreline, but the majority are most definitely submerged.
Although we know there has been human occupation at Biscayne Bay for tens of thousands of years, the bulk of physical evidence of occupation begins about 2500 years ago with the Seminole ancestor tribe the Tequesta. Unlike many contemporary tribes of the time, the Tequesta were unique in that they survived almost entirely off of the bounty of the sea. The Tequesta occupied the area around Miami and Biscayne Bay from approximately 500 BCE through Spanish Contact. Shell middens reveal that the Tequesta people hunted a wide variety of marine life, including mako sharks, swordfish, and whales.
They skillfully navigated both coastal waters and the interior waterways of the Everglades using canoes. These middens also provide evidence of an extensive trade network, where the Tequesta exchanged coastal goods (such as pumice, marine shells, shark teeth, and dried whale meat) for inland resources like stone tools and minerals used for making paint. Spanish contact would decimate this tribe. Those who remained in Florida would be ancestors to the Seminoles of today.
Biscayne Bay, NPS Image by Matt Johnson
The Cape Florida Lighthouse
Cape Florida was named as far back as 1513 with the landing of Ponce de Leon on the shores of La Florida. The Cape Florida Lighthouse is the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County. Constructed in 1825, it has survived over 200 years of change, war, and progress. Originally, it was a 65-foot tall structure with wooden stairs, intended to protect ships from the treacherous Florida coastline. Protecting merchant ships from both pirates and the coastline, the lighthouse would operate for eleven years before taking its first major damage.
Just before the lighthouse was built, the Spanish would cede Florida to the United States in the Adams-Onis Treaty. It would be officially transferred to the United States in 1821. Tensions between Seminoles and the United States began to rise. As we discussed in last week’s post about Seminole Removal, the United States almost immediate began a series of campaigns aimed at constraining and controlling Seminole lands.
As these tensions escalated, Seminoles continued to push back against the much larger military force controlled by the U.S. government. During this time, the United States also incentivized Western citizens to turn in Seminoles and fugitive slaves, many of which were part of these Seminole communities. Civilians could receive cash or land incentives, further escalating tensions between Westerners and Seminoles. Seminoles turned to mainly guerilla warfare, conducting coordinated series of raids and attacking Western holdings. Places like the Cape Florida Lighthouse, as well as one previously highlighted Seminole Space Indian Key would become targets for these raids.
1830 drawing of the Cape Florida Lighthouse, State Archives of Florida.
1836 Attack on the Cape Florida Lighthouse
The Dade Massacre would spark the start of the Second Seminole War in 1835. Following that explosion of war, Seminoles would begin more coordinated raids against Western settlers and holdings. Not only were they trying to discourage them from settling on Seminole lands, but they were often also seeking food, weapons, and resources. Due to the intense pressure from the U.S. government for Seminole removal, as well as the incentives described above for civilians to turn Seminoles in, there were limited opportunities to purchase or trade for the necessary goods for survival. Raids like these supported Seminole war efforts.
Seminoles would attach the Cape Florida Lighthouse on July 23, 1836. This was not altogether unexpected: there were a number of attacks earlier that spring that even prompted the main lighthouse keeper Captain Dubose to move his family to Key West. There were also a series of recent visits by a U.S. Navy Lt. intended to fortify the lighthouse, which possibly could have made it a larger target in Seminole eyes. During the attack, the lighthouse was staffed by the assistant lighthouse keeper John W.B. Thompson and a slave Aaron Carter. Thompson would survive, while Carter would not. Later, a letter from Thompson detailing the attack would be published.
In it, Thompson describes coming under heavy gunfire from approximately 30 to 40 Seminole warriors. They exchanged gunfire into the night, and Seminoles would eventually set the lighthouse, keeper’s cottage, and kitchen on fire. Thinking Thompson was dead, they would also strip the area for supplies, including his own personal sloop. The U.S. Navy forces that responded to the explosions on the Cape would find the sloop gutted of its resources when they came to rescue Thompson. After the Seminole raid on the Cape Florida Lighthouse, it was mostly burned. The tower was subsequently rebuilt in 1846 and remains the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade.
A Pathway to Freedom
It is important to note that the Cape Florida Lighthouse is also an incredibly significant site along the Underground Railroad. It had long been a port of escape for fugitive slaves and Seminoles trying to avoid removal. With the transfer of control from Spain to the United States in 1821, many feared what would happen. Many who were free under Spanish rule were not under the United States. It was often a secret port or meeting place for fugitive slaves and Seminoles escaping removal to rendezvous with ship captains willing to transport them to the British Bahamas. Cape Florida was designated a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Site in September 2004.
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Today, you can still visit the Cape Florida Lighthouse on Key Biscayne at the Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. Visitors can come experience the lighthouse for themselves and climb the 109 steps to the top to look out over Biscayne Bay. The park features a 1.5-mile bike path that visitors can stroll. You can also rent single or quad bikes to bike your way around at the concession stand at the Lighthouse Café inside the park.
Eight fishing platforms and a section of the seawall are available for fishing. Biscayne Bay is one of the best fishing locations in South Florida, with a diverse fish population. A Florida State fishing license is required. There are also a number of hiking trails open to the public on the west side of the park.
You can also experience history with the help of guided tours of the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage. Often voted one of the top ten beaches nationwide, this picturesque setting holds a lot of history! Although the raid on the Cape Florida Lighthouse was a single moment in time, it is significant in highlighting the tensions, pressures, and desperation of the Seminole people to survive an escalating war.
Author Bio
Originally from Washington state, Deanna Butler received her BA in Archaeological Sciences from the University of Washington in 2014. Deanna moved to Florida in 2016. Soon, she began working for the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Tribal Historic Preservation Office. Deanna was the THPO’s Archaeological Collections Assistant from 2017-2021. While at the THPO, Deanna worked to preserve, support, and process the Tribe’s archaeological collection. She often wrote the popular Artifact of the Month series and worked on many community and educational outreach programs. Now, Deanna works for the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Seminole Media Productions Department. She lives in Lakeland, FL with her husband, two sons, and dog.
