Question

This 1887 law divided Indian tribal lands into family plots, but also required Indians to adopt "American" ways.

Answer 1

The law you are referring to is the Dawes Act, also known as the General Allotment Act. This legislation aimed to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream American society by breaking up their tribal land holdings and assigning individual plots of land to tribal members. The goal was to promote private land ownership and agricultural practices among Native Americans, with the belief that this would lead to their integration and assimilation into American society. However, the Dawes Act had devastating effects on many tribes, as it led to the loss of a significant amount of tribal land and the destruction of communal landholding practices.