138 years ago today, Grover Cleveland signs the Dawes Act. It authorized the President to survey Native American tribal land and divide it into individual allotments. Those who accepted allotments and lived separately from the tribe were granted United States citizenship.
The Dawes Act of 1887 was a major shift in Native American land policy. The act provided 160 acres of farming land and 320 acres of grazing land to each Indian family on the reservation. The remaining tribal land was declared surplus and opened for white purchase. The tribes were meant to disappear before the allotment act.
The Dawes Act was one of the most devastating acts for Native American people. They didn't understand private land ownership.
The Dawes Act of 1887 was a major shift in Native American land policy. The act provided 160 acres of farming land and 320 acres of grazing land to each Indian family on the reservation. The remaining tribal land was declared surplus and opened for white purchase. The tribes were meant to disappear before the allotment act.
The Dawes Act was one of the most devastating acts for Native American people. They didn't understand private land ownership.