This timeline does not include the Navajo-Spanish War which also includes most of the Pueblo-Navajo conflicts nor the Apache-American War of the 1800s. This article covers primarily the conflicts between traditional enemies as cited in the initial article. Harsh weather conditions, drought in particular, could cause an increase in raiding between neighbors. Rarely were the conflicts extermination wars since that would have eliminated a critical source of future supplies. Sedentary nations with an agricultural base tended to be the defenders while nomadic groups often initiated the raids.
Here is a list of frequent actions and specific encounters for the area.
1398 Last Hohokam town at Casa Grande destroyed
Pre 1600 Numerous raids between Apacahe and Pueblo towns
1540 First encounter/ skirmish between Spanish and Apache.
1580-5 Navajo-Acoma Pueblo War
1580s Navajo vs Hopi. Serious raiding between the tribes
1583 Dec 4. Acoma vs Spanish Scouting party. 13 Spanish killed
1584 Jan 21 Spanish (80) main force destroys Acoma Pueblo (500) after 3 day
siege
1626-80 Southern Utes conduct numerous raids into Hopi territory
1680 Pueblo (Keresan, Tewa and other Northern towns) Revolt forces
Spanish to vacate New Mexico. Several ambushes and assaults
on garrisons occur. Siege of Bead Water (Santa Fe) Aug 15.
Analco Aug 20 had hand to hand combat among the buildings. Spanish
sortie with 2 guns supported by two groups of slave/allies armed with bows.
1680-1 Utes, Navajo and Apaches raid weakened Pueblos especially the Hopi
1680-1 Sandia border Pueblos vs raids by Navajo and Comanche
1686 Navajo vs Havasupai
1688 Spanish attempt to re-conquer the Pueblos achieve little success
1690s Navajo begin annual ritual of attacking Witchita and Pawnee villages
in the Kansas-Oklahoma region. As many
as 5000 warriors participate. Pawnees are
sometimes supported by French allies from Missouri.
1692-96 Spanish re-conquest of New Mexico. Spanish vs most Pueblo groups
1692 Hopi + Paiute + Apache short term alliance vs Spanish
1697 Navajo (5000) warband defeated by Pawnee + French trappers in
Oklahoma (?)
1698 Navajo (~4000) warband destroys 3 Pawnee towns in lower Kansas (?)
Native Nations and Traditional Enemies
Back to Time Portal Passages Summer 2002 Table of Contents
Back to Time Portal Passages List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 2002 by Rudy Scott Nelson
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com