This volume details the crucial chapter in the history of the Indian Wars. The Seminole of Florida were one of the largest tribes of Native Americans living in peace with settlers. They traded with the Americans, the English and the Spanish, lived in cabins, planted crops and raised cattle. However, by 1815, frontier Americans had grown increasingly envious of their relative wealth and land, and resentful of their harboring of former slaves. They entered into three successive wars with the Seminole tribes, the second, seven-year-long war proving extremely costly in terms of money and manpower as the Seminole emerged as a stubborn and effective fighting force, especially in forest and swamp conditions. Ultimately, however, the sheer weight of the opposing forces overwhelmed them, and only a few dogged resistors clung to the idea of freedom until the third war led to the surrender of the chief. This book reveals the dramatic stories behind the three fierce Seminole wars, fought over a period of 41 years. Illustrated with careful reconstructions of the colorful and varied clothing and uniforms worn by both sides, the author discusses the organization and history of a tribe that fought to the bitter end, albeit unsuccessfully, in the pursuit of freedom....

The first regular army regiments of African Americans were authorized by Congress in July 1866, and African American soldiers have played an important role in the conflicts of their country ever since. These brave men fought not only tirelessly against the enemy, but also against prejudice and discrimination within the armed forces, striving to be given the chance to show their worth and fight for their country. Their efforts culminated in the integration of the armed forces, starting in 1946.

This book covers the history of African-American soldiers, from the American Civil War and their initial involvement on the western frontier during the Plains Wars, where they were nicknamed "Buffalo Soldiers" by their Native American enemies. It then examines their role during the age of "American Imperialism," campaigning across Cuba and Mexico before distinguishing themselves in the trenches of World War I. Finally, it examines their participation in World War II, where almost half a million African Americans fought and died for their country and the subsequent desegregation of the armed forces. Accompanied by color illustrations and rare photographs, the text chronicles the actions of these units, their uniform and appearance and how they were to eventually overcome discrimination and prejudice....

Civil Rights in America is one of the theme books in the Cambridge Perspectives in History series. Ron Field provides a comprehensive survey of the history of civil rights in America. Topics include: an examination of the concept of civil rights and its relation to the Constitution. The activities and impact of the Klu Klux Klan; labour relations; the development of the Civil Rights Movement; and the contemporary experience of African Americans and other minority groups. The book is illustrated and includes primary sources....

The Ironclad was a revolutionary weapon of war. Although iron was used for protection in the Far East during the 16th century, it was the 19th century and the American Civil War that heralded the first modern armored self-propelled warships. With the parallel pressures of civil war and the industrial revolution, technology advanced at a breakneck speed. It was the South who first utilized ironclads as they attempted to protect their ports from the Northern blockade. Impressed with their superior resistance to fire and their ability to ram vulnerable wooden ships, the North began to develop its own rival fleet of ironclads. Eventually these two products of this first modern arms race dueled at the battle of Hampton Roads in a clash that would change the face of naval warfare.

Fully illustrated with cutting-edge digital artwork, rare photographs and first-person perspective gun sight views, this book allows the reader to discover the revolutionary and radically different designs of the two rival Ironclads - the CSS Virginia and USS Monitor - through an analysis of each ship's weaponry, ammunition and steerage. Compare the contrasting training of the crews and re-live the horrors of the battle at sea in a war which split a nation, communities and even families....