Marines were thrown into some of the harshest terrain imaginable, battling not just Seminole warriors, but the unforgiving Everglades itself. 

This episode covers patrols in chest-deep water, unbearable heat, and endless miles of unmapped swamp. It’s gritty, tactical, and full of lessons that would echo over a century later in Vietnam. 

Seminoles were launching coordinated attacks across Florida. The U.S. Army struggled to respond. Their tactics didn’t work in the swamps, and the terrain gave the Seminoles every advantage.

That’s when Marines entered the fight. Archibald Henderson saw an opportunity to prove what the Corps could really do. Over the next year, Marines would patrol, fight, and push deeper into Florida than anyone had before. They earned respect on the ground and recognition back in Washington. 

This episode covers the Dade Massacre and the lead-up to the Second Seminole War. What started with Tecumseh’s efforts to unite Native nations eventually sparked internal conflict within the Creek, which bled into the formation of the Seminole resistance in Florida. Treaties were signed, promises were broken, and when diplomacy failed, the fighting began. 

We’ll follow Tecumseh’s southern campaign, the Creek War, the rise of Osceola, and the slow, violent unraveling of Native-American and U.S. relations in the Southeast. This all builds to the attack on Major Dade’s column, a moment that shattered any illusion of peace. 

In this episode, we’re picking up right after the American Revolution, when the United States emerged as the dominant force in North America. While hundreds of Native tribes still existed, their military strength and organization couldn’t match the newly formed U.S. government. 

We’ll look at how Marines, though rarely involved early on, began encountering Native forces in places like Reading, Pennsylvania, and Florida. We’ll cover battles, ambushes, leadership decisions, and the broader consequences that shaped U.S. expansion and Native resistance.

This episode marks the beginning of Marine involvement in the American Indian Wars. It traces how early settlements like Jamestown quickly shifted from fragile peace to brutal conflict. From the 1622 Powhatan massacre to the growing wars of the 1600s, we follow how land, trade, and power shaped choices on both sides. It’s a story of shifting alliances, betrayal, and survival—laying the groundwork for centuries of bloodshed to come.