The U.S. takes possession of Florida, having acquired the territory from Spain through the Adams-Onis Treaty in 1819. American settlers call for removal of the Seminole tribe, and in 1823, the government negotiates the Treaty of Moultrie Creek, establishing a reservation for the Seminoles in central Florida. Six chiefs, however, are allowed to keep their villages along the Apalachicola River. Seminoles live peacefully on the reservation for five years, but tensions mount as runaway slaves seek solace in or near Seminole territory and settlers call for total removal of Indians (Missall & Missall, 2004).