Florida was still
in the hands of the Spaniards, and he had never a doubt that some day
this territory would have to be conquered and annexed. Moreover
Jackson believed for some years after 1815, according to General
Eaton, that Great Britain would again make war on the United States,
using Florida as a base. At all events, it can have caused the General
no surprise--or regret--to be called again into active service on the
Florida border before the close of 1817.
The hold of the Spaniards upon Florida had been so far weakened by the
War of 1812 that after the restoration of peace they occupied only
three important points--Pensacola, St. Marks, and St. Augustine. The
rest of the territory became a No Man's Land, an ideal resort for
desperate adventurers of every race and description. There was a
considerable Indian population, consisting mainly of Seminoles, a
tribe belonging to the Creek Confederacy, together with other Creeks
who had fled across the border to escape the vengeance of Jackson at
Tohopeka. All were bitterly hostile to the United States.
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