▁the ▁rein for cement ▁of ▁v angu ards ▁sent ▁by ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁the ▁Ind ies ▁to ▁explore ▁the ▁Car ib ana ▁country ▁and ▁gather ▁information ▁on ▁al li ances ▁or ▁host ilities ▁was ▁the ▁main ▁goal ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁vic ero ys ▁and ▁their ▁ad el ant ados . ▁Although ▁mass ▁kill ings ▁and ▁at roc ities ▁were ▁not ▁a ▁significant ▁factor ▁in ▁native ▁dep op ulation , ▁no ▁main stream ▁scholar ▁dismiss es ▁the ▁sometimes ▁hum ili ating ▁circumstances ▁now ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁precip itated ▁by ▁civil ▁dis order ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Spanish ▁cruel ty . ▁▁ ▁The ▁P equ ot ▁War ▁in ▁early ▁New ▁England . ▁ ▁In ▁mid - 1 9 th ▁century ▁Argentina , ▁post - in dep end ence ▁leaders ▁Juan ▁Manuel ▁de ▁Ros as ▁and ▁Jul io ▁Argent ino ▁R oca ▁engaged ▁in ▁what ▁they ▁presented ▁as ▁a ▁" Con quest ▁of ▁the ▁Des ert " ▁against ▁the ▁n atives ▁of ▁the ▁Argent in ian ▁interior , ▁leaving ▁over ▁ 1 , 3 0 0 ▁ind igen ous ▁dead . ▁ ▁While ▁some ▁California ▁tribes ▁were ▁settled ▁on ▁res erv ations , ▁others ▁were ▁h unted ▁down ▁and ▁mass ac red ▁by ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁American ▁sett lers . ▁It ▁is ▁estimated ▁that ▁at ▁least ▁ 9 , 4 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 6 , 0 0 0 ▁California ▁Indians ▁were ▁killed ▁by ▁non - Ind ians , ▁mostly ▁occurr ing ▁in ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 7 0 ▁mass ac res ▁( defined