1850–1858 •
Act for the Government and Protection of Indians, April 22, 1850. Passed by the legislature of
California, it allowed settlers to continue to the
Californio practice of capturing and using Native people as forced workers. It also provided the basis for the enslavement and trafficking in Native American Native labor, particularly that of young women and children, which was carried on as a legal business enterprise. Raids on villages were made to supply the demand, the young women and children were carried off to be sold, the men and remaining people often being killed. This practice did much to destroy Native tribes during the
California Gold Rush. •
Gila Expedition April to September 13, 1850. A costly failure by California Militia to punish the
Yuma for the
Glanton Massacre, that nearly bankrupted the state. •
Yuma War 1850–1853, triggered by the
Glanton Gang's abuse of the
Yuma on the lower
Colorado River. After the failure of California's 1850 Gila Expedition to quell the rising, Major
Samuel P. Heintzelman, led Federal troops against the Yuma in the
Yuma Expedition, establishing
Fort Yuma and making a peace with the Yuma in October 1852. •
Garra Revolt 1851, by
Cahuilla and
Cupeño near
Warner's Ranch, led by
Antonio Garra tried to unite all of the tribes of
Southern California to drive out the Americans. It was put down in a campaign by Major
Samuel P. Heintzelman, leading a detachment of U. S. Army soldiers and State Militia and by the capture of Garra by the Cahuilla leader
Juan Antonio. •
First Pitt River Expedition, April 28, to September 13, 1850.
U. S. Army Expedition to establish relations with the
Achomawi (
Pit River),
Atsugewi (Hat Creek) and
Modoc. •
Bloody Island Massacre, May 15, 1850, 200
Pomo people killed by a U. S. Army detachment under
Nathaniel Lyon, on an island in
Clear Lake near
Upper Lake, California. This was in retaliation for the killing of two Clear Lake settlers who had been enslaving and murdering the Pomo. •
El Dorado Indian War 1850–1851, California State Militia against the Native Americans in
El Dorado County. •
Mariposa War 1850–1851, California State Militia against the
Yosemites and
Chowchillas. • Commissioners
McKee,
Wozencraft, and Barbour negotiated eighteen treaties with California Native peoples at various ranches and army posts, mainly in southern and central California. (March 1851 - January 1852) •
Land Claims Act of 1851 •
Bridge Gulch Massacre April 23, 1852, more than 150
Wintu people were killed by about 70 American men led by
William H. Dixon, the Trinity County sheriff. The massacre of this band was in response to the killing of Colonel John Anderson by another band of Wintu. •
Indian Appropriation Act of March 3, 1852. The Act authorized
five Federal military reservations to be made from up to 25,000 acres of Public Domain lands.
Sebastian Indian Reservation was established by the first superintendent
Edward F. Beale. Col.
Thomas J. Henley, the second superintendent, in 1854, established the
Nome Lakee Indian Reservation;
Nome Cult Farm;
Fresno Indian Farm; and
Kings River Indian Farm. In the following years the U.S. military, or California Militia volunteer companies of citizens, began rounding up the Indians, driving them to the reservations and keeping them there by force. A Superintendent of Indian Affairs was appointed for California to oversee them. • U.S. Senate rejected the 18 treaties negotiated with Native peoples in present day California on July 7, 1852, in a secret vote. For the next 50 years the documents remained classified. Also see
California Indian Reservations and Cessions. •
Yontoket Massacre, 1853 massacre of
Tolowa people at the village of
Yontocket by company of citizens from
Crescent City in
Klamath County (now
Del Norte County,
California). •
Achulet Massacre, an 1854 massacre of more than 65 Tolowa people by settlers of Klamath County, California. •
Kaibai Creek Massacre, August 17, 1854. 42
Winnemem Wintu men, women and children are killed by a party of white settlers at a village at
Kabyai Creek, on the
McCloud River. •
Klamath and Salmon River Indian War, Klamath War or Red Cap War of 1855, against
Yuroks and
Karuks. •
Klamath River Massacres (January 22, 1855). Whites in
Klamath County, California, commenced a "war of extermination against the Indians", in retaliation for the murder of six settlers and the theft of some cattle. •
Klamath River Reservation established November 16, 1855, "a strip of territory commencing at the Pacific Ocean and extending one mile in width on each side of the Klamath River, for a distance of 20 miles." •
Mendocino Indian Reservation established in 1856. It was closed in 1866, its inhabitants moved to
Round Valley Reservation. •
Tule River War of 1856. State Militia fought against the
Yokuts in the southern
San Joaquin Valley. •
Tule River Farm established in 1858. •
Second Pitt River Expedition 1857
1858–1871 •
Northeast California Indian Wars (1858–71): Local settler parties or Militia companies fought against the
Yana and Achomawi people. • Spring, 1859 Local settlers raise an expedition for two months against the
Yahi. •
California's Pitt River Expedition 1859 Yana attacked, rounded up and removed from their homeland by a state militia expedition. • August 5, 1861. Skirmish in the Upper
Pit River Valley with the Achomawi. • August 15–22, 1861. Expedition from Fort Crook to the Pit River • August 19. Skirmish near Kellogg's Lake, Cal. • 1865 Mill Creek Fight, 40 Yahi killed by settler posse following the Workman Massacre. • 1865 Silva Massacre, 30 Yahi killed by settler posse. • 1866 Three Knolls Massacre, 40 Yahi killed by settler posse, including
Ishi's father • 1867 Camp Seco Massacre, 45 Yahi killed by settler posse. • 1871 Kingsley Cave Massacre, 30 Yahi killed by settler posse. •
Bald Hills War (1858–1864) Involving first California Militia, then settler Volunteers, then U. S. Army forces, and finally California Volunteers against the
Chilula,
Lassik,
Hupa,
Mattole,
Nongatl,
Sinkyone,
Tsnungwe,
Wailaki,
Whilkut and
Wiyot Native American peoples. •
Wintoon War 1858–1859 •
Federal Peacekeeping fails, State inaction, Settler militia campaigns 1859–1861 •
1860 Wiyot Massacre •
1st California Volunteer Campaign 1862 •
Smith River Reservation (1862–1868), acted as a replacement for the flooded Klamath River Reservation and as a POW camp for the Native people captured in the Bald Hills War. •
Two Years War 1863–1864 •
Mendocino War 1859–1860 against the
Yuki. •
Bitter Spring Expedition 1860 Major
James Henry Carleton, with reinforced
First Regiment of Dragoons, Company K, attacked suspected
Paiute raiders along the
Los Angeles - Salt Lake Road. • August 3–12, 1861. Scout from
Fort Crook to
Round Valley, in
Mendocino County •
Owens Valley Indian War (1862–1865) War against the
Owens Valley Paiutes or
Numa and their allies. •
Lt. Colonel Evans Campaigns •
Keyesville Massacre (April 19, 1863) •
Captain McLaughlin's Campaign (April 24 - July 31, 1863) •
Owens Lake Massacre (January 6, 1865) •
Mojave Desert Indian Campaign 1866 - 1870
Chemehuevi raids resulting in the killing of some miners and ranchers in the
San Bernardino Mountains and
Mojave Desert during 1866 provoked retaliation by a
San Bernardino County posse. •
Skirmish of Rabbit Springs 1867 Defeat of Chemehuevi at Rabbit Springs by a county posse. • Federal Cavalry patrol Mohave Desert from
Camp Cady and other posts along the
Mojave Road 1868–1870 •
Skirmish at Rainy Springs Canyon March 12, 1867 U.S. Cavalry from
Fort Independence pursue and defeat
Panamint Shoshone raiders after their raid on the
Spanish Mines.
1872–1880 •
Modoc War, or Modoc Campaign (1872–1873): 53
Modoc warriors under
Captain Jack held off 675 men of the U.S. Army for 13 months. Major General
Edward Canby was killed during a peace conference. •
Calloway Affair of 1880 War between the U. S. Army and the Chemehuevi was averted following the murder of
Oliver P. Calloway near what is now
Blythe, California. == See also ==