Navajo Wars

The term Navajo Wars covers at least three distinct periods of conflict in the American West: the Navajo against the Spanish (late 1500s through early 1820s); the Navajo against the Mexican government (1821 through 1848); and the Navajo against the United States (after the 1847-48 Mexican-American War). These conflicts ranged from small-scale raiding to large expeditions mounted by governments into territory controlled by the Navajo. The Navajo Wars also encompass the widespread raiding that took place throughout the period; the Navajo raided other tribes and nearby settlements, who in return raided into Navajo territory, creating a cycle of raiding that perpetuated the conflict.