Group of battles between Mormons and Native Americans between 1865 and 1872 in Utah, United States
The largest armed conflict in Utah's history, the Black Hawk War disrupted Mormon settlement in central and southern Utah for nearly a decade.
Key Facts
- Duration
- 1865 to 1872
- Estimated engagements
- ~150 battles, skirmishes, and raids
- Tribes involved
- 16 Ute, Southern Paiute, Apache, and Navajo tribes
- Most intense years
- 1865 to 1867
- Utah Territory war expenditure
- 1.5 million (approx. $36.28 million in 2025) USD
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Tensions between Mormon settlers expanding into central and southern Utah and Native American tribes over land and resources escalated in the mid-1860s. Ute war chief Antonga Black Hawk emerged as a leader of resistance, uniting members of Ute, Southern Paiute, Apache, and Navajo groups against encroachment on their traditional territories.
From 1865 to 1872, approximately 150 battles, skirmishes, and raids were fought primarily in Sanpete and Sevier counties and surrounding areas of Utah Territory. The conflict pitted Mormon settlers against Native American warriors led by Antonga Black Hawk, with the most intense fighting concentrated between 1865 and 1867 before intermittent hostilities continued until federal troops intervened in 1872.
The conflict forced the abandonment of several Mormon settlements and significantly hindered the expansion of Mormon communities in the region. The Utah Territory spent $1.5 million prosecuting the war and subsequently sought reimbursement from the United States federal government, highlighting the broader political and financial strain the conflict imposed.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Antonga Black Hawk.