Question
The most important motivation for the Dawes Act was Anglo-American hunger for Indian lands. The act provided that after the government had doled out land allotments to the Indians, the sizeable remainder of the reservation properties would be opened for sale to whites. Consequently, Indians eventually lost 86 million acres of land, or 62 percent of their total pre-1887 holdings.
Still, the Dawes Act was not solely a product of greed. Many religious and humanitarian “friends of the Indian” supported the act as a necessary step toward fully assimilating the Indians into American culture. Reformers believed that Indians would never bridge the chasm between “barbarism and civilization” if they maintained their tribal cohesion and traditional ways. J.D.C. Atkins, commissioner of Indian affairs, argued that the Dawes Act was the first step toward transforming, “Idleness, improvidence, ignorance, and superstition… into industry, thrift, intelligence, and Christianity.”
In reality, the Dawes Severalty Act proved a very effective tool for taking lands from Indians and giving it to Anglos, but the promised benefits to the Indians never materialized. Racism, bureaucratic bungling and inherent weaknesses in the law deprived the Indians of the strengths of tribal ownership, while severely limiting the economic viability of individual ownership. Many tribes also deeply resented and resisted the government’s heavy-handed attempt to destroy their traditional cultures.
What are two arguments in favor of the Dawes Act? What are two arguments against the Dawes Act?
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**Arguments in Favor of the Dawes Act:**
1. Supporters believed the Dawes Act would help Native Americans assimilate into American society by adopting individual land ownership and farming practices.
2. Reformers thought it would promote education and economic independence among Native Americans, leading to improved lives.
**Arguments Against the Dawes Act:**
1. The act resulted in the significant loss of Native American land, with millions of acres transferred to white settlers.
2. It undermined traditional tribal structures and cultures, causing resentment and resistance among Native American communities.
1. Supporters believed the Dawes Act would help Native Americans assimilate into American society by adopting individual land ownership and farming practices.
2. Reformers thought it would promote education and economic independence among Native Americans, leading to improved lives.
**Arguments Against the Dawes Act:**
1. The act resulted in the significant loss of Native American land, with millions of acres transferred to white settlers.
2. It undermined traditional tribal structures and cultures, causing resentment and resistance among Native American communities.