The Seminole Wars

                While Florida was under English control (Between the late 1790s and the early 1830s) Florida served as a safe haven for native tribes and runaway slaves alike. Conflict that arose in during the revolution between the Seminoles, who at the time were backed by the British, and the American settlers had reached a boiling point in Florida as the Seminoles were pushed out of their territory. The United states army became involved as small skirmishes broke out. This was the beginning of the first seminole war (1817-1818). The army that was sent by the united states, under the command of Andrew Jackson, was tasked with pushing the Seminoles further into the heartland Florida. Spain sold Florida to the united states in 1821. The united states began pushing the Indian tribes westward onto reservations. While many of the seminole tribes moved westward, a few decided that they would stay and defend their homeland and took up positions in the Florida everglades.
                 From the everglades, The seminoles were able to wage a very effective gorilla war. The seminoles were able to ambush forces that outnumbered them five fold and inflict massive casualties while sustaining minimal injuries and deaths. The second seminole war lasted from 1835 to 1842 at which point the seminole leadership had been severely depleted by the US army. Although no official end to the war took place, fighting stopped in 1842 when many of the newer seminole leaders decided that it was best for their tribes if they moved onto reservation in the western united states.
                 The third seminole war occurred in 1844 when the few seminoles left in Florida came into conflict with white settlers who were trying to claim land in Florida. The third war ended in 1850 after severe fighting left the seminole population dwindling at around 200.


Source:https://dos.myflorida.com/florida-facts/florida-history/seminole-history/the-seminole-wars/