Mariposa War

The Mariposa War (December 1850 – June 1851), also known as the Yosemite Indian War, was a conflict between the United States and the indigenous people of California's Sierra Nevada in the 1850s. The war was fought primarily in Mariposa County and surrounding areas, and was sparked by the discovery of gold in the region. As a result of the military expedition, the Mariposa Battalion became the first non-indigenous group to enter Yosemite Valley and the Nelder Grove.^[1]

The war began in 1850 when miners entered the area of the Sierra Nevada foothills, which was traditionally occupied by the Ahwahnechee, a band of the Southern Sierra Miwok people. The miners began to take over the Ahwahnechee's land and resources, leading to tensions between the two groups.

The Ahwahnechee, led by their chief Tenaya, fought back against the miners, resulting in a series of skirmishes that escalated into a full-scale war. The California state government, under Governor John McDougall, sent the Mariposa Battalion led by James D. Savage to subdue the indigenous people.^[2][3]

The war ended in 1851 with the capture of Tenaya and the surrender of his band. The Ahwahnechee were subsequently removed from the Sierra Nevada foothills and forced to live on reservations. The war resulted in the deaths of an unknown number of Ahwahnechee and several miners, and the displacement of the indigenous people from their ancestral lands.^[4]

The Mariposa War was a part of the broader historical context of the California genocide and the American Indian Wars. The broader historical context the Mariposa War was also a part of the idea of the "Indian Problem" that took place during the California genocide and the American Indian Wars. Many white American settlers thought it was time to get rid of Native Americans.^[4] The United States government, California state government, and non-indigenous settlers implemented policies of displacement, forced removals, and genocide of Native American tribes during this period.