The Navajos were living in relative peace with the Anglo-American settlers. Their homeland stretched from Arizona to Western New Mexico. They tended to their homes, farms and livestock. There were truces and treaties made between the US army and the Navajos but these were broken all the time. The Navajos claimed that the army let other native tribes and Mexicans slaughter their livestock and capture Navajos for slaves. The army took over the Navajo's best grazing land and killed off the livestock of a Navajo leader named Manuelito. The Navajos retaliated by attacking supply trains and harassing army patrols.1,000 Navajos attacked Fort Defiance, and nearly succeeded.
