Second Seminole War and the Limits of American Aggression

<p>The Second Seminole War (1835-1842) was the last major conflict fought on American soil before the Civil War. The early battlefield success of the Seminoles unnerved US generals who worried it would spark a rebellion among Indians newly displaced by President Andrew Jackson's removal policies. The presence of black warriors among the Seminoles also agitated southerners wary of slave revolt. A lack of decisive victories and a series of bad decisions--among them the capture of Seminole leader Osceola while under the white flag of truce--damaged the US Army's reputation at home and abroad. Desertion was rampant as troops contended with the subtropical Florida wilderness. And losses for the Seminoles were devastating; by the war's end only a few hundred remained in Florida.</p><p>In this ambitious study C. S. Monaco explores the far-reaching repercussions of this bloody expensive campaign. Taking an interdisciplinary approach Monaco not only places this protracted conflict within a military context but also engages the various environmental medical and social aspects to uncover the war's true significance and complexity.</p><p>By examining the Second Seminole War through the lenses of race Jacksonian democracy media and public opinion American expansion and military strategy Monaco offers an original perspective on a misunderstood and often-neglected chapter in our history.</p>