The Seminole Wars Authority podcast explains a period that's rarely mentioned in history books. The Seminole Wars involved the US and Seminole Indians in the early 1800s. The outcome should have changed military tactics. But the missteps recurred in future wars. Host Patrick Swan serves on the board of the Seminole Wars Historic Foundation and is a US Army combat veteran. He shares expertise, having served in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. He interviews individuals who study Seminole history.
The wars attempted to move Seminoles from Florida to what's now Oklahoma. But they waged a valiant resistance. The Seminole Wars Authority podcast reveals how difficult the eviction was. Spain ceded Florida to the United States when it seemed Americans would conquer it. But it wasn't that simple.
The US employed Napoleonic warfare strategies that didn't work in Florida's swamps. These weren't open battlefields and the Seminoles used guerilla tactics to resist capture. Seminole Wars Authority podcast guest John Missall says the wars were no-win contests. He and his wife, Mary Lou, authored books on these wars. He says the same flawed ideas caused devastation in Vietnam and Afghanistan.
Florida is now known for Walt Disney World and its beaches. But it was once a massive battlefield with 400 forts. Tampa and Orlando changed their names, unlike Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers. But they were forts too. The podcast explains what it was like for Seminoles to endure four decades of pressure to leave. It also explains life for US soldiers there.
The podcast celebrates the Seminoles' tenacity. A few hundred of them didn't leave, and they remain unconquered. They're now proud symbols of Florida who protect Everglades sanctuaries. Florida State University boasts a Seminole mascot. Bushnell, Florida, houses the Seminole Wars Foundation-the recording site for this podcast.
Missall says the lesson learned is not to force people from their homes. He says trying to take something from someone makes it dearer to them. It's his opinion that the Seminoles may have moved on their own if they weren't forced to. The Seminole Wars Authority podcast examines the repercussions of senseless warfare.
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