Humans have inhabited the Lava Beds country of northern California for thousands of years. The Modoc War unfolded there in 1872 and 1873, when the United States sought to remove the area's original inhabitants in favor of white settlers. The war ended with the forced removal of Modocs from their homeland. Administered by the National Park Service, Lava Beds National Monument is preserved to this day for its Modoc War battle sites and its dense network of lava formations. I authored this historic resource study, as part of my work as an NPS historian.