How did the Dawes Act affect the Native Americans?
I have a test in HISTORY tommarow what do I do ?
The Dawes Act forced Native Americans to register with the federal government and move to distant areas.
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http://academic.udayton.edu/Race/02rights/native09.htm
The Dawes Act, also known as the General Allotment Act, was signed into law in 1887 with the intention to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream American society. However, its impact on Native Americans was largely negative.
To understand how the Dawes Act affected Native Americans, we can follow these steps:
1. Research the purpose of the Dawes Act: The Dawes Act aimed to break up Native American tribal land ownership and allocate individual plots of land to Native Americans, with the hope that they would adopt agricultural practices and assimilate into American society.
2. Examine the process of land allotment: Under the Dawes Act, tribal lands were divided into individual allotments. Each Native American family was assigned a plot of land, and any remaining land was opened up to white settlers. The idea behind this was to encourage private land ownership and reduce communal tribal ownership.
3. Consider the loss of tribal lands: The allocation of individual plots often led to the loss of large portions of tribal lands. Excess land that was not claimed by Native Americans was sold to non-Natives, resulting in significant loss of territory for Native American tribes.
4. Analyze the impact on culture and traditions: Forced assimilation was a key aspect of the Dawes Act. Native American children were often sent to boarding schools, where they were forbidden to speak their native languages or practice their cultural traditions. This had a detrimental impact on the transmission of indigenous cultural knowledge from one generation to another.
5. Evaluate the economic consequences: Agriculture, which the Dawes Act aimed to promote, was not successful on many Native American reservations due to unsuitable land conditions. This resulted in economic hardship for many Native American families who lost their traditional means of sustenance.
6. Consider the long-term effect: The Dawes Act's policies disrupted Native American tribal structures and land tenure systems. By breaking up communal land ownership, it weakened tribal sovereignty and autonomy, leading to further erosion of Native American rights and resources in the years that followed.
In summary, the Dawes Act negatively impacted Native Americans by dividing their tribal lands, undermining their cultural heritage, and further marginalizing their communities. It caused significant loss of tribal territory, cultural disintegration, and economic challenges that continue to be felt by Native American communities today.