A Preview

The pamphlet about the Seminole War particularly captured my attention, though usually I'm more attracted to counter-culture art and school spirit. I was drawn by it's blatant propaganda and the idea that in the 1800's, anyone could own a printing press and simply publish whatever they pleased. It featured a title explaining that the "Blacks" and "Indians" were massacring the "Whites" in South Florida. It also contained a fold-out illustration (in color!) of such war crimes. It was published in 1836 and although we do not know how it was received by the community, we can definitely garner a sense for what society was like by the kinds of publications in circulation. This piece set the tone for Miami before Miami was even an established town. As the author reflects an entirely racist point of view, so the region of the South did as well. The pamphlet is a marker for the general sentiment during the time, as well as setting precedent for the future. Miami today inherently represents diversity and even so struggles with racism as mentioned by Kelly, Sokol and Nijman. The pamphlet is comparable to a cheaply produced modern-day tabloid and thus is completely subject to the intentions and thoughts of the author/publisher; it's loyalty to the truth is literally paper-thin. Nicole Wilke