ABSTRACT
The war of American Independence affected not only the eastern seaboard of the United States but its internal frontiers too, stretching from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. The participants included not only Britain, Spain, and the United States but numerous American Indian nations. All had diverse aims. The Indian peoples sought the preservation of their lands and way of life. The Patriots wished to protect both their frontier settlements and the possibility of future expansion. Spain wanted to recover East and West Florida, while Britain sought to protect her existing influence with the native peoples, especially regarding trade.
