Seminole Wars Help Establish American Counterrevolutionary Strategy
According to Sarkesian, America experienced four distinct conflicts that helped shaped their present day participation and relations when dealing with revolutions/ counter-revolutions. One such conflict was the Seminole Wars, specifically, the Second Seminole War, that found America engaged with small guerrillas of the Seminole Nation in Florida from 1835-1842. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines revolution as "...the overthrow or renunciation of one government or ruler and the substitution of another by the governed" and as "activity or movement designed to effect fundamental changes in the socioeconomic situation." By Sarkesian's own admission, the Seminole Wars were not of a true revolution/counterrevolution nature (17); however, because the Seminole's did in fact present a force dedicated to renounce the Americans as their governing body--Spain ceded all claims to Florida to America in 1821 (http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/flafacts/semwar.html)--and since the Seminole's were determined to prevent the Americans from altering their way of life, they were in effect, attempting to preserve their own socioeconomic status while the white man continued their campaigns to snuff out all that remained of Indian resistance East of the Mississippi (Sarkesian 17).
"WHITE SETTLERS MASSACRED BY THE SEMINOLES: During...
Prepared by User:Albury (Donald Albury) by modifyi...
English: U.S. Marines searching for the Indians am...It is also important to note that America had just finished the War of 1812, in essence, finally shaking off the last shreds of British control in the American New World. Therefore, the internal dilemma of an America coping with its own aggressive posture, in regards to a newfound Nationalism, and the immediate encroachment of the Seminoles from the southern portion of the continent was a volatile mixture, all but guaranteeing the destruction of the Seminole Tribe. The hero of the first Seminole War (1817-1818), Andrew Jackson rode the coattails of War Hero status into the American Presidency. Although, the final treatment and dealings with the Seminoles came under President Van Buren's reign,