They grew corn, squash, beans, and
pumpkins. They also hunted, fished,
and gathered wild plants.
After the Seminole reached Florida, they
were joined by runaway slaves from
Georgia. In 1817–18 U.S. troops tried
to recapture the slaves by attacking
Seminole towns. This conflict became
known as the First SeminoleWar.
In 1832 the U.S. government tried to
get the Seminole to move to Indian Territory
(now Oklahoma). Most refused.
From 1835 to 1842 they fought U.S.
troops in the Second SeminoleWar.
After the war most Seminole moved to
Indian Territory.
A few hundred Seminole were able to
stay in Florida by hiding in the swamplands.
In the 1850s U.S. troops tried to
force them out. That conflict was called
the Third SeminoleWar.
At the end of the 20th century there
were about 12,000 Seminole. Most lived
in Oklahoma or Florida.
#More to explore
Creek • Native Americans
Sendak, Maurice
Maurice Sendak is a U.S. artist and children’s
author. Many of his picture stories
blend true-life situations with
imaginary scenes. He is best known for
his 1963 book titled Where theWild
Things Are.
Maurice Bernard Sendak was born on
June 10, 1928, in New York City. As a
child Maurice drew pictures and wrote
A photograph taken in the 1920s shows a
group of Seminole wearing traditional
clothing. They are standing in front of their
houses.
Maurice Sendak stands among enlargements
of the pictures he drew for Where the
Wild Things Are.
64 Sendak, Maurice BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
stories. After high school he trained at
an art school in New York City.
The first children’s books Sendak illustrated
were Marcel Ayme’s TheWonderful
Farm (1951) and Ruth Krauss’s A
Hole Is to Dig (1952). Sendak went on
to illustrate more than 80 children’s
books by a number of different authors.
In the mid-1950s Sendak began writing
and illustrating his own books. In 1963
Sendak published Where theWild Things
Are, which made him famous. In 1964
Sendak earned the Caldecott Medal for
his illustrations for the book.
In the 1970s Sendak turned his talents
to television and theater. He created
opera versions of some of his stories, and
he designed sets for the stage. Sendak
also continued producing children’s
books into the 1990s.
#More to explore
Literature for Children
Seneca
The Seneca were the largest of the five
Native American tribes that formed the
Iroquois Confederacy. The tribes of the
confederacy lived in what is now the
U.S. state of New York. They all spoke
similar languages. The Seneca traditionally
lived in western New York.
Like the other Iroquois, the Seneca lived
in longhouses. Longhouses were large,
rectangular homes made of a wooden
frame covered with bark. For food, the
Seneca grew corn, beans, and squash.
They also fished and hunted.
In the 1600s European traders began
arriving in Seneca territory. The Seneca
traded furs with them for guns and
metal tools. During the American
Revolution (1775–83) the Seneca sided
with the British. After the Americans
won the war, the Seneca lost much of
their land. A small group of Seneca fled
to Canada, but most stayed in New
York. In 1817 some Seneca settled in
Ohio. In 1831 they gave up this land in
return for land in Indian Territory (now
Oklahoma).
At the end of the 20th century there
were about 9,000 Seneca in the United
States. Most lived in New York and
Oklahoma. Another 1,000 lived in
Canada, mainly in Ontario.
#More to explore
Iroquois • Native Americans
Cornplanter was a chief of the Seneca in
the 1700s.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Seneca 65
Senegal
The country of Senegal sits on the west
coast of Africa. Senegal has produced
several famous writers, including
Leopold Senghor, the country’s first
president. Dakar is the capital and largest
city.
Geography
The Atlantic Ocean forms Senegal’s
western border. Senegal shares land borders
with Mauritania, Mali, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, and The Gambia. The
Gambia extends into Senegal from the
coast. The small part of Senegal south of
The Gambia is called the Casamance
region.
Most of the land is flat and low. In the
west are small plateaus, or areas of flat,
raised land. Low mountains rise in the
east. Senegal has four major rivers: the
Senegal, the Saloum, the Casamance,
and the Gambia. Most of the country is
hot year-round. The south gets more
rain than the north.
Plants and Animals
Grasses and scattered trees grow in
much of Senegal. Forests are thicker in
the south. Mangrove trees grow along
the southern coast.
Senegal’s animals include monkeys,
panthers, warthogs, and wild dogs.
Some chimpanzees, elephants,
hippopotamuses, antelope, lions, and
leopards live in a national park in the
southeast.
People
Senegal has several large ethnic groups,
including the Wolof, the Fulani, the
Serer, the Tukulor, the Diola, the
Malinke, and the Soninke. TheWolof
are the largest group. French is the
national language, but most people
speak the language of their group. Most
of the people follow the religion of
Baobab trees grow in a grassy area of
Senegal.
66 Senegal BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Islam. More than half of the population
lives in the countryside.
Economy
