 "The Plains Herder" by N.C. Wyeth, 1909. | |
| Date | 1870 - 1921 |
|---|---|
| Location | Western United States |
| Deaths | ~54 |
The Sheep Wars[1], or the Sheep and Cattle Wars[2][3], refers to a series of armed conflicts in the western United States, which were fought between sheepmen and cattlemen over grazing rights, from about 1870 to 1921. Sheep wars occurred in many western states though they were most common in Texas and the border region of Wyoming and Colorado. Generally, the cattlemen saw the sheepherders as invaders, who destroyed the public grazing lands, which they had to share on a first-come first-serve basis. Because of a limited amount of natural resources, such as grasslands and spings for water, the conflicts were mainly fought for control of those areas. Between 1870 and 1921, over 120 battles occured in eight different states or territories. At least fifty-four men were killed and some 53,000 sheep were slaughtered.[4][5][6]