Use the excerpt from the Dawes Act to answer the question.
[T]he President of the United States [is authorized] . . . to allot the lands in said reservation in severalty to any Indian located thereon in quantities as follows:
• To each head of a family, one-quarter of a section;
• To each single person over eighteen years of age, one-eighth of a section;
• To each orphan child under eighteen years of age, one-eighth of a section; and
• To each other single person under eighteen years now living, one-sixteenth of a section[.]
What was the purpose of allotting land to American Indians in this manner?
A
.
to ensure that all members of American Indian tribes benefited equally
B.
to encourage American Indians to move west of the Mississippi River
C.
to create a reservation system to provide land for American Indians
D.
to weaken American Indian culture and force them to assimilate
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The correct answer is:
D. to weaken American Indian culture and force them to assimilate.
The Dawes Act aimed to break up communal tribal landholdings and promote individual land ownership among American Indians, which was intended to encourage assimilation into American society and weaken tribal identities and cultures.
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