Part 2/12:
The broader context of this battle lies within a tumultuous history filled with escalating tensions between the U.S. government and Indigenous tribes in Florida, which had been brewing since the end of the First Seminole War in 1819. Following the acquisition of Florida from Spain, the U.S. intensified its efforts to remove Native American tribes from the region, particularly the Seminole. The Treaty of Pay's Landing, signed in 1832, mandated the Seminole's relocation west of the Mississippi River. This treaty was riddled with flaws; it lacked the legitimate consent of the Seminole leaders and blatantly ignored the tribe's steadfast refusal to abandon their homeland. The U.S. government's insistence on enforcing this treaty, despite the Seminole resistance, sparked the flames of war.