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How did Florida become a State

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Eventually, Jackson withdrew after being condemned within the United States and abroad, including Spain, which did not participate in the war. However, a brief canon exchange occurred between US and Spanish forces, but the war took place mainly on Spanish territory. During the time of the conflict, the US had been in negotiations to acquire Florida from Spain as its own territory, and for a while, Jackson's actions caused Spain to stop negotiations. The conflict also left a stain on Jackson's reputation for having executed two British citizens without an adequate trial.<ref>For more on the period up to the First Seminole War in Florida's history, see Wasserman, Adam. <i>A People’s History of Florida, 1513-1876: How Africans, Seminoles, Women, and Lower Class Whites Shaped the Sunshine State</i>. Sarasota, Fla.: A. Wasserman, 2010.</ref>
==When did the United States acquire Florida Territory? ==
[[File:DadeMassacre.jpg|thumb|left|Figure 2. The Dade Massacre showed Seminole tactics using guerilla warfare were effective and eventually led to the United States changing its war strategy.]]
Florida was eventually [How did the United States acquire Florida?| purchased by the United States in 1819 ] and became a territory in 1821. Jackson, despite the earlier condemnation of his actions, was appointed military governor of Florida. The Seminole tribes continued to be a problem, at least seen by the now emigrating white settlers, in that there was no treaty governing where Seminoles and white settlers could settle. The Treaty of Moultrie Creek was supposed to give central Florida an area for Seminole tribes to settle. Still, tribes were generally unhappy as the United States effectively controlled goods, trade, and provisions needed to settle there. Runaway slaves continued to come to native lands, and relations between Seminoles and the US government became worse.  Many Seminoles refused relocation, and skirmishes broke out between settlers, soldiers, and Seminoles. The conflict that became the Second Seminole War started in 1835-1842 and became very costly. Seminoles fought against the United States and now also their Creek allies. The Dade Massacre and other guerilla attacks by the Seminoles proved effective in the early stages of the war, and the massacre effectively escalated the conflict (Figure 2).
In 1836, the United States sent General Thomas Jesup to fight the Seminoles. Realizing he could not defeat the Seminoles fighting their guerilla tactics, he decided to attack civilians in their villages and farmlands the Seminoles used for food. This starved and led to the Seminole population to be decimated. Finally, tricking the Seminole chiefs Osceola and Micanopy that Jesup wanted to make a peace treaty with them, Jesup instead captured the chiefs and had them executed, forcing the eventual surrender of the Seminoles. Many Seminoles were then relocated to Oklahoma (Indian Territory), with a few remaining behind. Large numbers of Seminoles died trying to reach Indian Territory in the Trail of Tears events.

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