Spaniards were established in what is now Florida when the Americans forced them out in 1819 and inherited the Indian "problem" that would haunt them for more than 50 years. The Seminoles hunted and fished in the Florida wilds, but conflicts arose between them and the Americans, especially over slaves who escaped from Georgia. The Seminoles adopted the slaves but this angered Georgia planters who felt they had lost their property. The Georgia planters and other land-hungry Americans forced the government to remove the Seminoles from Florida in what was called the Removal Act. Determined to remain in their homeland, the Seminoles fought back ferociously for 8 years, before most submitted.