In what years did the Mariposa War go on?

The Mariposa War went on from 1850 to 1851, with the main conflict usually dated from December 1850 to June 1851. It was also called the Yosemite Indian War and took place in California’s Sierra Nevada during the Gold Rush era.

The conflict grew as miners and settlers moved onto Native American lands, causing violence, food shortages, and retaliatory raids. California authorities authorized the Mariposa Battalion, a state-backed militia led by James D. Savage, to pursue Indigenous groups in the region. The campaign involved Native communities including the Ahwahneechee, Southern Miwok, and Chowchilla.

One important event occurred in March 1851, when the Mariposa Battalion entered Yosemite Valley while searching for Indigenous leaders. That episode later became part of the popular origin story of non-Native American “discovery” of Yosemite, although Native peoples had lived in and known the valley for generations.

A common mix-up is confusing the Mariposa War with other California Indian conflicts of the same period, including the Garra Revolt of 1851 in Southern California. The standard historical dating for the Mariposa War itself is 1850–1851.