American Actions During The First Seminole War - 842 Words

Throughout its history, the United States has claimed to be a democracy that fights for freedom for all. Americans have opposed imperialistic states and have fought against empires. However, based on specific definitions of imperialism, U.S. leaders have been guilty of fighting multiple wars to build their empire, even if their explicit reasons for doing so suggest otherwise. Examples of these imperialistic trends include American actions during the First Seminole War, the Mexican-American War, and the annexation of the Philippines. According to historian Tony Smith, imperialism is defined as â€Å"the effective domination by a relatively strong state over a weaker people whom it does not control as it does its home population, or the effort to secure such domination.† Further, â€Å"the dominant power assumes sovereignty over the subject people in the form of annexation, colonialism, or an avowed protectorate.† By this definition, the U.S. is an empire. Evidence of t his imperial nature exists as far back as 1816 and the First Seminole War. During that time, the Spanish owned Florida, but President Monroe believed that â€Å"the peninsula was a natural appendage to the United States, and†¦hankered to possess it.† After Spain was unable to fulfill Andrew Jackson’s demand that a British-built fort occupied by blacks within the Florida territory be removed, the U.S. built Fort Scott. Using the supply route that Fort Scott created, the U.S. surrounded, sieged, and destroyed the SpanishShow MoreRelatedThe First Seminole War1587 Words   |  7 PagesThe First Seminole War was the first of three conflicts in the early 19th century that involved the United States Army and the Seminole population in Florida. At the time, Florida was still under the control of Spain. Most of its population consisted of the Seminole Native Americans and African Americans. The dates of the First Seminole War are debated but most believe that it occurre d between 1816 and 1818. This war took place after the War of 1812 and tensions were still high between the UnitedRead MoreAndrew Jackson Racist Ideology Essay1339 Words   |  6 Pagesgenocide of the Seminole peoples during the First Seminole War. Jackson’s racist perception of the Seminole Indians was the result of his experiences fighting Indians during the Creek War, which resulted in his larger national mandate to remove the Seminole from their land for European settlers to inhabit. The First Seminole war defined the overarching genocide against the Seminole peoples through Jackson’s leadership of the United States Army, which took lands and relocated the Seminole to the interiorRead MoreUS Presidents: Andrew Jackson Essay1694 Words   |  7 Pagescontroversial figures in American history. Many praise him for his role in bringing about popular democracy and individual rights; however, Jackson’s role in the Indian Removal Act, his extreme racism, and his s upport for slavery cause many to question his legacy. Jackson’s involvement in the Seminole Wars is particularly disturbing since he not only authorized but actively encouraged the use of force against the women and children of the Seminole tribe. While Jackson was by no means the first leader to targetRead MoreSignificance Of The Second Seminole War1337 Words   |  6 Pagesorder to understand the significance of the Second Seminole War, one must first examine the First Seminole War. Frustrated with Seminole protection of runaway slaves, Andrew Jackson and more than three thousand men entered northern Florida in 1816 and began to decimate Seminole populations. Despite most of these campaigns being unsanctioned by the United States government and protested by the British and the Spanish, Jackson was received as a war hero throughout the nation. The Adam-Onis Treaty ofRead MoreAndrew Jackson : Conqueror Of Florida1489 Words   |  6 Pagesthat has been built through conquest s and wars due to its rich geography and lands which attracted many powerful nations like Britain and Spain. One of these conquests took place in the nineteenth century where an American general took siege of Florida, a Spanish territory by then. Andrew Jackson was the man whose mission was to seize Florida in the year 1818 after agitations from the various attacks that were carried out by the Seminoles to the American people, the latest being the Fort Scott attackRead MoreThe History of the Seminole War in Florida580 Words   |  2 Pagesthere has been many wars that had taken place. Wars happen because societies can come across conflict, different opinions, or simply people on country may be interested in anothers land or resources. A war that can relate to this is the second Seminole War which first began in the 19th century. This war started because of discrimination over the Native American people and the drive to have them relocate for their land. After many attempts and one war before the second seminole war America realizedRead MoreThe Second Seminole War2447 Words   |  10 PagesThe events leading up to the Second Seminole War remain some of the most perverse and contentious proceedings to have occurred in American history. Between 1819, the ending of the First Seminole War, and 1835, the beginning of the Second, the United States government did everything within its power to not only remove the Natives Americans from its borders, but did so through seditious and deceptive legislature. It was during this time that the expansion of the power of the president and a completeRead MoreContinental Marines Essays1245 Words   |  5 Pagesbranch of the Armed Forces. The first Commandant of the Continental Marines was Captain Samuel Nicholas, who was born in Philadelphia in 1744. He was commissioned to be a â€Å"Captain of Marines† by the 2nd Continental Congress on November 5th 1775. Nicholas soon established Tun Tavern as the recruiting headquarters. Tun Tavern’s owner, Robert Mullen, was so successful at recruiting people into the Marines, that he was commissioned as a Captain and is now known as the first Marine Corps Recruiter. TheRead MoreTrail of Tears: Forceful Removal of Indians in the US837 Words   |  3 PagesThe forceful removal and exodus of thousands of Native Americans from their lands east of the Mississippi River during the 1830s is often called the Trail of Tears. This removal of Native Americans from their lands was a result of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which was signed by then-President Andrew Jackson one year into his presidency and which President Martin Van Buren ensured was carried out. When Andrew Jackson became President of the United States in 1829, he based his decision of signingRead MoreAndrew Jackson : The Champion Of The Common Man892 Words   |  4 Pagesthe War of 1812. With his tremendous popularity as â€Å"war hero,† he subsequently achieved the popular vote and rained down on the nation as the seventh president of the United States, where his fiery nature reflected in his audacious executive decisions and shaped him into one of the most polarizing figures in American history. Although some depict Andrew Jackson as the beloved Champion of the Common Man, his malicious and tyrannical actions as an army general and president reveal the American people