A new Monroe presidency episode is now available!
Oct. 11, 2026

Plausible Deniability: Monroe, Jackson, and the First Seminole War

Plausible Deniability: Monroe, Jackson, and the First Seminole War

Year(s) Discussed: 1817-1818

Explore a critical juncture in American political history as President James Monroe navigates escalating border violence and foreign filibustering operations along the southern frontier. This episode examines executive leadership under pressure as the administration attempts to suppress the privateering operations at Amelia Island while reacting to fraught relations with the Seminole. Listen to learn more about how ambiguous instructions and strategic silence ultimately shaped the course of events of the First Seminole War.

Sources used for this episode can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com.

Special thanks to David Montgomery of The Siècle podcast for providing the opening quote for this episode and to Christian of Your Podcast Pal for his audio editing work on this episode!

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Featured Image: "Nea-Math-La, A Seminole Chief" by Charles Bird King [c. 1844], courtesy of Wikipedia