I was doing a little study concerning one of the other threads regarding slavery. While covering those areas that were American States, versus those areas in what is now know to be the United States but were actually at the time prior to the Louisiana Purchase (1803) belonging to France. Being lead to the ,"treaty of Paris," circa 1763 I was finding out how some other lands, like Florida came into being. Then I bumped into the Seminoles. The Seminoles, it seems, have had the longest war the U.S. has ever fought. It pretty much started when the slaves of the other slave holding states would escape and seek refuge in what is now known as Florida, which was held at the time by Spain. The Seminoles and the escaped slaves got along extremely well. So well in fact that the Seminoles and the newly freed slaves fought against the U.S.A. on the side of Great Britain in the war of 1812. After the war of 1812 American and American territorial slave owners and U.S. military went to Florida to war with the Seminoles, Spain, and the Seminoles new ally, the freed slaves. The slaves of course were supposed to be retrieved and given back to their rightful owners. Then Andrew Jackson and a few thousand troops marched in and in 1819 Spain finally gave up and ceded Florida to the U.S. There is so much history to get in here I do not want to have all of the fun, but here is the catcher. After all is said and done the Seminole wars (1,2 and 3) lasted from 1817 through 1843, when things calmed down, with no treaty or truce signed by all of the heads of the Seminoles. Many, with the advent of the "Indian Removal Act," initiated and signed by Andrew Jackson, went to Oklahoma. While many of the tribe still live in south Florida with the war according to the books, still active. Kind of like Mount St. Helens, very quiet and waiting.
I think the current Seminoles are busy making money off tourism, and I believe that there was a big financial settlement over 50 years ago.( But still debate over it') There are other "native" American "tribes" with more issues and unsettled claims. But there are still people wanting to eradicate or otherwise misuse them. There are currently legal battles over the "buffalo" and other wildlife. And even fights over hair styles for "Indian" boys.
