The
Seminole Wars, also known as the
Florida Wars, were three conflicts in
Florida between the
Seminole—the collective name given to the amalgamation of various groups of
Native Americans and
African Americans who settled in Florida in the early 18th century—and the
United States Army. The First Seminole War was from 1816 to 1819 (although sources differ), the Second Seminole War from
1835 to 1842 and the Third Seminole War from 1855 to 1858. They were the largest conflicts in the United States between the
War of 1812 and the
American Civil War. Taken together, the Seminole Wars were the longest and most expensive (both in human and monetary terms) Indian Wars in United States history and one of the most expensive of all wars ever fought by the U.S. as a percentage of
gross national product.