Land For Sale

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DAWES ACT

The Dawes Act was a U.S law put into place in 1887 for the purpose of pushing Native Americans into White Society Over 90 million acres were taken from Native Americans U.S Government forced relocation resulting in Indian Wars across the Midwest. All Native Americans were affected negatively leading them to a life of poverty, filth and depression

During the 1800’s European immigrants began settling in the western territories next to Native American territories. As a result, competition of resources along with cultural differences led to conflict. Passed in 1887 by President Grover Cleveland, the Dawes Act allowed for the U.S government to sell Native American land to non- native US citizens to help with the disagreement and to push Native Americans into the U.S society. The 160 acres of farmland or 320 acres of grazing land were awarded to each Native American family if they accepted the “allotment divisions”. Not only did they have to accept the Act but they had to enroll to “assume a capitalist and proprietary relationship with property”. Only when they did accomplish these tasks, were they granted full U.S citizenship. However, Native Americans were not accustomed to the life of a rancher or farmer, and the lands given to them were not suitable for farming. As a result of the allotment, land owned by Native Americans decreased from 138 million acres in 1887 to 48 million acres in 1934. The impact of the Dawes Act not only affected the Native Americans who accepted the allotment, it also destroyed reservations, leading them to a life of poverty, filth, and depression.

The map of the Native American Territories that have been slowly taken away by the Dawes Act.