The Dawes Act of 1887 (not 1877) aimed to assimilate Native Americans into American society by allotting them individual plots of land. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of your points:
A. Allotted reservation land to Native American families based on status (gender, age, etc): The Act divided tribal lands into individual allotments, typically giving 160 acres to heads of families, with smaller allotments for single individuals and children. This measure aimed to promote individual land ownership, which was a fundamental aspect of American agricultural society.
B. Stated that un-allotted land would be turned over to the U.S. government: The Act allowed for the distribution of surplus lands not allotted to Native Americans to be opened up for settlement by non-Native Americans, often leading to loss of tribal land.
C. Prevented communal land ownership, as was common on Native American reservations: The Dawes Act fundamentally aimed to dismantle the communal land system that many Native American tribes practiced and replace it with individual land ownership, which the U.S. government believed would help to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream society.
D. Required Native American children to attend boarding schools: Although this particular mandate was more associated with policies implemented later in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Dawes Act reflected the broader goal of assimilation, which included educating Native American children in boarding schools, often far from their families and cultures, to instill Euro-American values and practices.
In summary, the Dawes Act was a significant piece of legislation aimed at breaking up Native American reservations, promoting individual land ownership, and facilitating assimilation into American society.
9 answers