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Chichimeca War
From the 1540s, Spain fought a long war against nomadic and semi-nomadic indigenous tribes on the Chichimeca frontier of New Spain, one of North Amer…
Timeline
- 1540–1545Northern corridor between Zacatecas and Guanajuato · New SpainAs silver mining developed and caravans pushed north, Spanish forces intruded into Chichimec hunting grounds and migration routes; sporadic raids escalated into organized tribal resistance and retaliatory colonial expeditions.
- 1541–1542Jalisco-Zacatecas frontier · New SpainThough the Mixtón War of 1541-1542 was suppressed, Chichimec tribes strengthened their ties, and attacks on Spanish convoys and settlements intensified through the 1540s, forcing colonial authorities to send more military expeditions.
- 1546–1550Chichimeca frontier · Chichimeca frontierSpain organized multiple 'fire and blood' expeditions to root out resisting tribes but failed to eliminate guerrilla-style resistance. Around 1550, colonial authorities began to realize that purely military means could not control the northern frontier.
Sources
- Chichimeca War https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chichimeca
- Soldiers, Indians, and Silver: The Northward Expansion of New Spain, 1550-1600 — Philip Wayne Powell (1952)