The Mariposa War (December 1850 - June 1851) occurred between Native Americans and miners in Mariposa in central California. The conflict arose following the California Gold Rush when thousands of settlers, immigrants and prospectors entered Native American lands through the California Trail. In several campaigns, the specially-raised Mariposa Battalion brutally raided and destroyed the villages of Native Americans throughout the region. The war is part of the California genocide, in which thousands of indigenous peoples of California were killed by agents and forces of the United States government and private citizens in the 19th century.