Circumstances leading to the war include Minnesota becoming a state the same year as the 1858 Dakota Treaty in which the Dakota lost the northern half of their reservation. Settler population in the area then exploded, leading to a serious food shortage for Dakota people in 1862. The federal government had guaranteed payments and food to the Dakota and they were two months late with them. The Civil War was also happening at this time and many traders refused credit to starving Native people because they thought perhaps the payments would never come. Additionally the Indian agents and superintendents were defrauding the Dakota of massive amounts of money and good due to them. An attempted raid on a warehouse containing flour led to a confrontation Aug 4th which did not lead to a gunfight but trader and government reaction to this raid led to the war. Five white settlers killed by young Dakotas in this initial attack.