The Skull Creek massacre refers to the murder of at least 19 Karankawa people in Mexican Texas by Texian Militia in February 1823. Before 1823, there were few settlers of European heritage from the United States in the state of Texas. With the formation of the First Mexican Republic in 1823 and the opening of Mexican Texas to colonists from the United States, white people began to settle in the state. The subsequent pushing of Native Americans off of their land, combined with Native American raids on the new settlers' cattle, led to deep hostility and conflict between the two groups.