The different “world views” of the white man and the Indian were destined to clash. The Modoc War was a clash of cultures, which resulted as control of the land shifted from the Modoc to the white man.
 
Historians have traditionally evaluated the causes and conduct of the Modoc Indian War of 1872-73 using sociological factors such as prejudice, racism, and class structure. However, geographical considerations such as the nature of the terrain and its tactical use combined with disparate land use perceptions and practices, which were the critical factors in the causes and conduct of the war, are examined in this book.