# List of American Indian Wars

The American Indian Wars were numerous armed conflicts fought by governments and colonists of European descent, and later by the United States federal government and American settlers, against various indigenous peoples within the territory that is now the United States. These conflicts occurred from the 16th century to the 20th century and in all parts of the country, beginning with the Tiguex War in 1540 in present-day New Mexico and ending with the Renegade period of the Apache Wars in 1924 in the Southwestern United States.
According to a dataset of conflicts between Native American communities and colonial powers, the frequency of conflict increased dramatically in Mexico and the United States during the second half of the 19th century, as contact between the two groups became more frequent.

## 16th century wars

| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
| Battle of Mabila (Oct 1540) | Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto | Mississippian Culture | Death of chief Tuskaloosa, over 2,500 Indians and 200 Spaniards |
| Tiguex War (winter 1540–41) | Spanish conquistador | Puebloan | |
| Mixtón War (1540-1542) | New Spain Tlaxcaltec | Caxcanes | Assimilation or enslavement of all Caxcan natives, Spanish access to northern silver deposits |
| Chichimeca War (1550–90) | New Spain Tlaxcaltec Caxcanes | Chichimeca Confederation | Changes to Spanish indigenous policies, pursuit of voluntary conversion instead of forced conversions |

## 17th century wars

| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
| Navajo Wars (c. 1600–1866) | Crown of Castile (c. 1600–1716) Spain (1716–1821) Mexico (1821–48) United States (1849–66) | Navajo | Long Walk of the Navajo (1863–68) Navajos moved to reservations |
| Anglo-Powhatan Wars (1610–46) | English colonists | Powhatan Confederacy | Treaty of Middle Plantation |
| Pequot War (1636–38) | Massachusetts Bay Colony Plymouth Colony Saybrook Colony Connecticut Colony Mohegan Narragansett | Pequot | Pequot defeated Treaty of Hartford |
| Beaver Wars (1642–98) | Iroquois England Dutch Republic | Huron Erie Neutral Odawa Ojibwe Mississaugas Potawatomi Algonquin Shawnee Wenro Mahican Innu Abenaki Miami Illinois Confederation other nations allied with France France | |
| Kieft's War (1643–45) | New Netherland | Munsee | |
| Peach War (1655) | New Netherland | Munsee | |
| Esopus Wars (1659–63) | Dutch settlers Iroquois Confederacy | Esopus tribe of Lenape Indians | |
| Chowanoc War (1675–77) | Province of Carolina | Chowanoc | |
| King Philip's War (1675–78) | New England Confederation Mohegan Pequot | Wampanoag Nipmuck Podunk Narragansett Nashaway | Colonial victory in southern theatre Native victory in northern theatre |
| King William's War (1688–97) | France New France Wabanaki Confederacy | England Massachusetts Bay Colony English America Iroquois Confederacy | |

## 18th century wars

| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
| Queen Anne's War (1702–13) | France  New France Spain New Spain Wabanaki Confederacy Caughnawaga Mohawk Choctaw Timucua Apalachee Natchez | England (until 1707) English America  Great Britain (from 1707) British America Muscogee (Creek) Chickasaw Yamasee | |
| Tuscarora War (1711–15) | | | Power of Tuscaroras broken Tuscaroras retreat from the coast Southern Tuscaroras migrate to New York |
| Fox Wars (1712–33) | France | Fox Meskwaki (Red Earth People) Renards Outagamis | |
| Yamasee War (1715–17) | Colonial militia of: South Carolina North Carolina Virginia Catawba (from 1715) Cherokee (from 1716) | Yamasee Ochese Creeks Catawba (until 1715) Cherokee (until 1716) Waxhaw Santee | Power of the Yamasee was broken South Carolina colonists establish uncontested control of the coast The Catawba become the dominant tribe in the interior |
| Chickasaw Wars (1721–63) | Great Britain Chickasaw | France Choctaw Illini | |
| Dummer's War (1722–25) | New England Colonies Mohawk | Wabanaki Confederacy Abenaki Pequawket Mi'kmaq Maliseet | Dummer's Treaty |
| King George's War (1744–48) | France  New France Wabanaki Confederacy | Great Britain British America Iroquois Confederacy | |
| Father Le Loutre's War (1749–55) | France  New France Wabanaki Confederacy | Great Britain British America | |
| Seven Years' War (1754–63) | Great Britain British America  Prussia Portugal (from 1762) Hanover Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Iroquois Confederacy Hesse-Kassel Schaumburg-Lippe | France French Canada Holy Roman Empire Austria  Saxony Bavaria  Russia (until 1762) Spain (from 1762) Sweden (1757–62) Abenaki Confederacy Mughal Empire (from 1757) | |
| French and Indian War (1754–63) Part of the Seven Years' War | Great Britain British America Iroquois Confederacy Catawba Cherokee (until 1758) | France  New France Wabanaki Confederacy Abenaki Mi'kmaw militia Algonquin Lenape Ojibwa Ottawa Shawnee Wyandot | |
| Anglo-Cherokee War (1758–61) Part of the Seven Years' War | Great Britain | Cherokee | |
| Pontiac's War (1763–66) | Great Britain | Ottawa Ojibwe Potawatomi Huron Miami Wea Kickapoo Mascouten Piankeshaw Delaware Shawnee Wyandot Mingo Seneca | Native Americans concede British sovereignty, but compel British policy changes Portage around Niagara Falls ceded by Senecas to the British |
| Lord Dunmore's War (1774) | Colony of Virginia | Shawnee Mingo | |
| American Revolutionary War (1775–83) | United States France Spain Vermont  Netherlands Iroquois Oneida Tuscarora Watauga Association Catawba Lenape Choctaw | Great Britain Loyalists German Auxiliaries Iroquois Mohawk Onondaga Cayuga Seneca Cherokee | Treaty of Paris Britain recognizes the independence of the United States of America End of the First British Empire |
| Cherokee–American wars (1776–94) Part of the American Revolutionary War | United States | Cherokee | |
| Second Cherokee War (1776) Part of the Cherokee–American wars | | | |
| Northwest Indian War (1785–95) | United States Chickasaw Choctaw | Western Confederacy Great Britain British North America | Treaty of Greenville British withdrawal American occupation of the Northwest Territory |
| Oconee War (1785–94) | European Colonists | Muscogee | |

## 19th century wars

| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
| Battle of Sitka (1804) | Russia | Tlingit Kiks.ádi Clan | The "Sitka Kiks.ádi Survival March" commences |
| Tecumseh's War (1811–13) Part of the War of 1812 | United States | Tecumseh's Confederacy | Peace treaty |
| War of 1812 (1812–15) | United States Choctaw Nation Cherokee Creek Allies | United Kingdom British North America Tecumseh's Confederacy Spain (1814) | Treaty of Ghent Defeat of Tecumseh's Confederacy U.S. nationalism strengthened |
| Peoria War (1813) Part of the War of 1812 | | | |
| Creek War (1813–14) Part of the War of 1812 | United States Choctaw Nation Lower Creeks Cherokee | Red Stick Creek | Treaty of Fort Jackson |
| First Seminole War (1817–18) | United States | Seminole Spanish Florida | |
| Texas–Indian wars (1820–75) Part of the Apache Wars | Republic of Texas United States | Comanche | |
| Arikara War (1823) | United States | Arikara | The Arikara eventually settled with the Mandan and Hidatsa on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota |
| Winnebago War (1827) | United States | Prairie La Crosse Ho-Chunks with a few allies | Ho-Chunks cede lead mining region to the United States |
| Black Hawk War (1832) | United States Ho-Chunk Menominee Dakota Potawatomi | Black Hawks British Band Ho-Chunk and Potawatomi allies | |
| Second Seminole War (1835–42) | United States | Seminole | 3,800 Seminoles transported to the Indian Territory 300 remain in Everglades |
| Second Creek War (1836) | | | |
| Comanche Wars (1836–75) Part of the Texas–Indian wars | Spain Mexico Republic of Texas United States Choctaw Nation | Comanche | |
| Osage Indian War (1837) | | Osage Nation | |
| Cayuse War (1847–55) | United States | Cayuse | |
| Ute Wars (1849–1923) | United States | Ute Paiute Navajo Apache | Utes moved to reservations |
| Apache Wars (1849–1924) Part of the Texas–Indian wars | United States (1849–1924) Confederate States (1861–65) | Apache Ute Yavapai Comanche Cheyenne Kiowa Havasupai Hopi Navajos Papagos Hualapai Yuma Mohave | Apaches moved to reservations American Indian Wars conclude with Renegade period |
| Jicarilla War (1849–55) Part of the Apache, Ute and Texas-Indian Wars | United States | Apache Ute | |
| Yuma War (1850–53) | United StatesCupeno (1852–53)Cocopah (1853) Paipai Halyikwamai Mountain Cahuilla (1851) | Yuma Mohave Cocopah (1850–53)Cahuilla Cupeno (1851) | |
| Mariposa War (1850–51) | | | |
| Walker War (1853) Part of the Ute Wars | | | |
| Sioux Wars (1854–91) | United States Canada Crow Pawnee Eastern Shoshone | Sioux Lakota Dakota Cheyenne Arapaho Kiowa Comanche | |
| First Sioux War (1854–56) Part of the Sioux Wars | | | |
| Klickitat War (1855) | United States | Klickitat Cascade | |
| Rogue River Wars (1855–56) | United States | Rogue River people | Indians relocated to Siletz, Grand Ronde, and Coast Reservations |
| Third Seminole War (1855–58) | United States | Seminole | |
| Yakima War (1855–58) | United States | Yakama | Peace treaty |
| Puget Sound War (1855–56) Part of the Yakima War | United States | Nisqually Muckleshoot Puyallup Klickitat Haida Tlingit | Indians relocated to: Siletz Reservation Grand Ronde Reservation Coast Indian Reservation |
| Klamath and Salmon River War (1855) | | | |
| Tintic War (1856) Part of the Ute Wars | | | |
| Tule River War (1856) | United States California | Yokuts | |
| Coeur d'Alene War (1858) Part of the Yakima War | | | |
| Mendocino War (1858) Part of the Yakima War | | Yuki | |
| Fraser Canyon War (1858) | United Kingdom Colony of British Columbia | Nlaka'pamux | |
| Bald Hills War (1858–64) | United States California | "Wintoons" Whilkut "Redwoods" Chilula Hupa "Mountain tribes" Chimariko Lassik Mattole Nongatl Sinkyone Tsnungwe Wailaki | |
| Mohave War (1858–59) | United StatesMaricopa | Mohave Hualapai | |
| Paiute War (1860) | United States | Paiute Shoshone Bannock | |
| Yavapai Wars (1861–75) | United States | Yavapai Apache Yuma Mohave | |
| Owens Valley Indian War (1862–67) | United States | Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Kawaiisu Tübatulabal | |
| Dakota War of 1862 (1862) Part of the Sioux Wars | United States | Dakota Sioux | |
| Goshute War (1863) | | | |
| Colorado War (1864–65) Part of the Sioux Wars | United States | Cheyenne Arapaho | Military and congressional hearings against John Chivington |
| Snake War (1864–68) | United States | Snake Indians | |
| Hualapai War (1865–70) Part of the Yavapai Wars | United States | Hualapai Yavapai Havasupai | |
| Black Hawk's War (1865–72) Part of the Ute, Apache and Navajo Wars | United States | Hualapai Yavapai Havasupai | |
| Powder River War (1865) Part of the Sioux Wars | United States | Sioux Cheyenne Arapaho | |
| Red Cloud's War (1866–68) Part of the Sioux Wars | United States | Lakota Cheyenne Arapaho | Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) Legal control of Powder River Country ceded to Native Americans Creation of the Great Sioux Reservation (including the Black Hills) |
| Comanche campaign (1867–75) Part of the Texas–Indian Wars | United States | Cheyenne Arapaho Comanche Kiowa | Medicine Lodge Treaty Comanche surrender and relocation |
| Modoc War (1872–73) | United States | Modoc | |
| Red River War (1874–75) | United States | Cheyenne Arapaho Comanche Kiowa | End of the Texas–Indian wars |
| Great Sioux War of 1876 (1876–77) Part of the Sioux Wars | United States Canada | Lakota Northern Cheyenne Arapaho | Legal control of Powder River Country ceded to the United States |
| Pecos War (1876–77) | | Apache | |
| Buffalo Hunters' War (1876–77) Part of the Apache and Texas–Indian Wars | United States | Comanche Apache | |
| Nez Perce War (1877) | United States | Nez Perce | |
| Bannock War (1878) | United States | Bannock Shoshone | |
| Cheyenne War (1878–79) | United States | Cheyenne | Northern Cheyenne Reservation created |
| Sheepeater Indian War (1879) | United States | Shoshone | |
| White River War (1879) Part of the Ute Wars | United States | Ute | |
| Victorio's War (1879–80) Part of the Apache Wars during Renegade period | United States Mexico | Apache | |
| Geronimo's War (1881–86) Part of the Apache Wars | United States | Apache | |
| Crow War (1887) | United States | Crow | |
| Ghost Dance War (1890–91) Part of the Sioux Wars | United States | Sioux Miniconjou Hunkpapa | |

## 20th century wars

| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 |
| Crazy Snake Rebellion (1909) | United States | Creek |
| New Mexico Navajo War (1913) | | |
| Bluff War (1914–15) Part of the Navajo and Ute Wars | United States | Ute Paiute |
| Colorado Paiute War (1915) | | |
| Posey War (1923) Part of the Ute Wars | United States | Ute Paiute |