Bolek (died 1819), also spelled as Boleck, and known as Bowlegs by European Americans, was a Seminole chief. He was the younger brother of King Payne, who succeeded their father Cowkeeper (known to the Seminole as Ahaya) as leading chief in Florida. Bolek succeeded King Payne in 1812 when he was killed.
Bolek was one of several children born to Ahaya (Cowkeeper) and his wife. He and his older brother King Payne were groomed by their mother's brother (in the matrilineal system) to become chiefs and take leading roles among the Seminole.
Bolek was designated as a village chief while a young man; he was based near the Suwanee River of western Florida, where he began to oppose United States influence in Spanish Florida during the early 19th century. He prevented Georgian slaveholders from pursuing runaway slaves into Seminole territory. Some of the fugitives married into the Seminole people; others created communities nearby as allies and were known as Black Seminoles.
In 1812, Bolek and his brother King Payne began raiding frontier settlements along the Florida-Georgia border. Seminole bands fought several engagements with militia forces; Payne was killed in 1812 and Bolek suffered serious wounds during the same skirmish against Georgia militia forces under Daniel Newman. An expedition by Colonel John Williams the following year destroyed hundreds of Seminole villages and captured numerous horses and cattle. Border warfare between the Seminole and Georgia settlers contributed to US involvement in the Creek War of 1813-1814.
During the First Seminole War, American forces under General Andrew Jackson advanced into northern Florida capturing Kinache's village of Miccosukee and occupied the British settlement of St. Marks before reaching Bolek's abandoned village. They captured two Englishman, a Robert Ambrister and Peter Cook, who were marched back to St. Mark and, charged with assisting the Seminole, executed by American forces. Although this created an international incident, Jackson continued his offensive and recaptured Pensacola.
The US purchased Florida from Spain in 1819, and the Seminole expected they would have more to do to try to keep the Americans from their territory. Bolek died that year and was succeeded as principal chief by his maternal grandnephew, Micanopy, who led through the Second Seminole War.
Another member of the Cowkeeper dynasty was Billy Bowlegs.
| Preceded by King Payne |
Leading chief of the Seminoles 1812–1819 |
Succeeded by Micanopy |