First Seminole War: Andrew Jackson invades Florida

Background. Tensions between Seminoles and American settlers escalated in the early 1800s due to enslaved people fleeing Georgia into Spanish Florida. The U.S. War Department ordered General Andrew Jackson to take command in December 1817 to bring Seminoles under control. This directive precipitated the First Seminole War, following the destruction of the Negro Fort in July 1816 and earlier skirmishes like the seizure of Fowltown in November 1817.

The Invasion. Jackson gathered forces at Fort Scott in March 1818, including 800 U.S. troops. His expedition destroyed several Seminole, Mikasuki, and Black Seminole towns, pursuing allies across northern Florida. The campaign included the capture of San Marcos de Apalache and a brief occupation of Pensacola. Resistance was effectively ended by May 1818, though the war's official dates vary among historical sources.

Aftermath. The invasion culminated in the Arbuthnot and Ambrister incident in April 1818, where Ambrister was executed. Congress later condemned Jackson's actions, though he was exonerated in February 1819. Spain ceded Florida to the United States in 1819 via the Adams–Onís Treaty, with possession taking place in 1821. The campaign influenced the Treaty of Moultrie Creek in 1823.