Dawes Act

Definition

The Dawes Act, also known as the General Allotment Act, was a federal law passed in 1887 that aimed to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream American society by breaking up tribal lands and allotting individual parcels to tribal members. This policy had significant impacts on the civil rights of indigenous groups in the United States.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Dawes Act authorized the federal government to survey tribal lands and divide them into individual allotments, which were then assigned to tribal members as private property.
2. The goal of the Dawes Act was to encourage Native Americans to abandon their communal tribal lifestyle and adopt a more individualistic, agricultural way of life.
3. Any remaining unallotted tribal lands were declared 'surplus' and made available for sale to non-Native Americans, leading to a significant loss of Native American land.
4. The Dawes Act had a devastating impact on Native American culture and sovereignty, as it eroded traditional tribal structures and undermined the ability of tribes to govern themselves.
5. The Dawes Act was part of a broader assimilation policy known as the 'Civilization Program,' which aimed to force Native Americans to adopt European-American cultural and economic practices.

Review Questions

• Explain how the Dawes Act impacted the civil rights of Native Americans.
  • The Dawes Act undermined the civil rights of Native Americans in several ways. First, it eroded tribal sovereignty by breaking up communal tribal lands and assigning individual allotments, weakening the ability of tribes to self-govern. Second, the sale of 'surplus' lands to non-Native Americans resulted in a significant loss of Native American land, depriving them of their traditional territories and resources. Finally, the Dawes Act was part of a broader assimilation policy that sought to force Native Americans to abandon their cultural practices and adopt European-American ways of life, infringing on their rights to maintain their unique identities and traditions.
• Analyze the Dawes Act's impact on the relationship between the U.S. government and Native American tribes.
  • The Dawes Act significantly strained the relationship between the U.S. government and Native American tribes. By undermining tribal sovereignty and land rights, the act represented a clear violation of previous treaties and agreements made between the government and Native American nations. The Dawes Act was also part of a broader assimilation policy that sought to forcibly integrate Native Americans into mainstream American society, rather than respecting their right to self-determination and cultural autonomy. This erosion of tribal rights and the government's disregard for the unique status of Native American tribes as sovereign nations further damaged the already tenuous trust between indigenous groups and the federal authorities.
• Evaluate the Dawes Act's long-term consequences for the civil rights and cultural preservation of Native Americans.
  • The Dawes Act had devastating long-term consequences for the civil rights and cultural preservation of Native Americans. By breaking up tribal lands and forcing assimilation, the act undermined the ability of indigenous groups to maintain their traditional ways of life and self-govern. The loss of land and the erosion of tribal sovereignty led to a significant decline in the economic and political power of Native American communities, making it increasingly difficult for them to protect their rights and preserve their cultural heritage. The Dawes Act was part of a broader pattern of federal policies that sought to erase Native American identity and forcibly integrate them into mainstream American society, a process that had lasting impacts on the civil rights and cultural autonomy of indigenous peoples in the United States.

Related terms

Allotment: The process of dividing tribal lands into individual parcels and assigning them to Native American heads of households under the Dawes Act.

Assimilation: The policy of the U.S. government to integrate Native Americans into mainstream American culture and society, often at the expense of their traditional ways of life.

Tribal Sovereignty:

The inherent right of Native American tribes to self-govern and make decisions about their own affairs, which was undermined by the Dawes Act.