The Dawes Act, 1887 (AQA GCSE History): Revision Notes
The Dawes Act, 1887
Background and context
Following the decisive victory at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, white Americans' attitudes towards Plains Indians began to shift dramatically. The government concluded that allowing Plains Indians to maintain their traditional nomadic lifestyle was no longer acceptable. This marked a turning point in federal policy, leading to a systematic approach aimed at fundamentally transforming how Plains Indians lived and organised their society.
The American government decided that the solution to what they termed "the Indian problem" was complete assimilation. Rather than continuing costly military campaigns, they would force Plains Indians to abandon their cultural practices and adopt white American ways of life. This policy shift represented a move from military conquest to cultural destruction through legal means.
This policy shift marked a fundamental change in the U.S. government's approach to dealing with Plains Indians - moving from direct military confrontation to systematic cultural elimination through legislation.
Reservation life before 1887
Life on reservations had become increasingly difficult for Plains Indians, creating conditions that the government used to justify the Dawes Act. Several critical problems had developed:
Land and resources: Plains Indians were allocated the poorest quality land that white settlers didn't want. This land was often unsuitable for farming and made it extremely difficult to grow crops successfully. The failure of agriculture on these lands created a cycle of poverty and dependence.
Overcrowding and disease: Reservations became severely overcrowded as multiple tribes were forced into confined spaces. This overcrowding led to deadly outbreaks of diseases brought by white people, including smallpox and measles. Plains Indians had no natural immunity to these European diseases, resulting in devastating death rates.
Tribal conflicts: Different Plains Indian tribes with historically distinct territories and sometimes hostile relationships were forced to live together on the same reservations. This artificial mixing created tension and conflict between groups who had previously been enemies, making cooperation difficult.
Cultural suppression: Plains Indians living on reservations faced intense pressure to abandon their traditional clothing, spiritual practices, and cultural customs. They were expected to dress like white Americans and give up ceremonies, dances, and rituals that had been central to their identity for generations.
Political control: In the early 1880s, the government actively worked to undermine traditional Plains Indian leadership structures. They established councils that they could control through threats and bribery, effectively destroying the authentic political systems that had governed these communities for centuries.
Shrinking territory: Reservation boundaries were repeatedly reduced in size, making it impossible for Plains Indians to continue their traditional nomadic hunting lifestyle. The constant reduction of available land forced them into increasingly smaller areas.
These deteriorating conditions on reservations were not accidental - they were systematically created to make Plains Indians more willing to accept the government's assimilation policies, including the allotment system that would follow.
The Dawes Act, 1887: key provisions
The Dawes Act represented a comprehensive attempt to completely restructure Plains Indian society. Senator Henry Dawes championed this legislation as a "civilising" measure, though its true purpose was to break up tribal unity and open more land for white settlement.
Allotment system: The Act dismantled communal reservation lands and divided them into individual plots called allotments. Each adult male received approximately 160 acres, while each child received 80 acres. This system was designed to force Plains Indians to become individual farmers rather than maintaining their traditional communal lifestyle.
Citizenship pathway: Plains Indians who accepted these individual land allotments were offered the opportunity to become American citizens. This was presented as a privilege, but it required them to completely abandon their tribal identity and allegiance. They had to prove they could successfully farm their allotted land and adopt "civilised" American customs.
Government trusteeship: The federal government retained control over the allotted land for 25 years. During this period, Plains Indians had to demonstrate their farming capabilities to government officials. If they failed to meet government standards, their land would be confiscated and sold to white settlers. This created a system where Plains Indians could lose their land even after accepting the government's terms.
Boarding school system: The Act established state-funded boarding schools specifically designed to educate Plains Indian children in white American culture. Children were forcibly removed from their families and communities, often for years at a time. These schools prohibited students from speaking their native languages, practising their religions, or maintaining any connection to their cultural heritage.
Legal status change: The Act fundamentally altered the legal standing of Plains Indians from members of sovereign tribal nations to individuals subject to American law. This destroyed the treaty-making relationship between tribes and the federal government that had existed since the nation's founding.
The Dawes Act was promoted as beneficial to Plains Indians, promising them individual land ownership and American citizenship. However, the reality was that it served primarily to break up tribal lands and make them available for white settlement while destroying Plains Indian cultural identity.
Impact and consequences of the Dawes Act
The implementation of the Dawes Act had devastating consequences for Plains Indian communities, effects that would last for generations.
Agricultural failure: Most Plains Indians lacked the farming experience necessary to succeed as homesteaders. Their traditional lifestyle had been based on hunting buffalo and seasonal migration, not sedentary agriculture. The small allotment sizes were often insufficient to support families, even for experienced farmers. As a result, many Plains Indian families faced starvation and extreme poverty.
Cultural destruction: The Act deliberately targeted Plains Indian cultural identity for elimination. Children in boarding schools were taught that their traditional culture was "backwards and uncivilised." They faced punishment for speaking their native languages or participating in any cultural practices. This systematic approach aimed to "kill the Indian, save the man", effectively committing cultural genocide.
Family separation: The allotment system and boarding schools broke apart traditional extended family structures that had been central to Plains Indian society. Children separated from their families lost connection to their cultural knowledge, languages, and spiritual practices. Many families never fully reunited, creating lasting trauma across generations.
Land loss: The 25-year government trusteeship period often resulted in Plains Indians losing their allotted land. Many could not meet the government's farming requirements or pay associated taxes and fees. When this happened, the government would sell the land to white settlers, usually at very low prices. This process transferred millions of acres of Plains Indian land to white ownership.
Economic dependency: Rather than creating self-sufficient farmers as promised, the Dawes Act often left Plains Indians economically dependent on government assistance. Without the skills, resources, or adequate land to succeed in agriculture, many families relied on government rations and aid to survive.
President Cleveland defended the Act, arguing that moving Plains Indians off isolated reservations would improve their quality of life and help them assimilate more quickly into white American culture. However, the reality proved far different from these optimistic claims.
The Dawes Act is considered one of the most devastating policies in American Indian history. Rather than helping Plains Indians as promised, it systematically destroyed their culture, broke up their families, and transferred their land to white settlers. The effects of this cultural genocide continued to impact Plains Indian communities for generations.
Timeline of key events
- 1876: Battle of the Little Big Horn - Custer's defeat changes American attitudes towards Plains Indians
- Early 1880s: Government begins undermining traditional Plains Indian leadership through controlled councils
- 1887: Dawes Act passed, beginning systematic breakup of reservations
- 1887-1890s: Implementation of allotment system and establishment of boarding schools
- 1890s onward: Widespread loss of Plains Indian land as families fail to meet farming requirements
Key Points to Remember:
- The Dawes Act of 1887 was designed to destroy Plains Indian tribal unity by dividing reservations into individual allotments of 160 acres for adults and 80 acres for children
- The Act offered American citizenship to Plains Indians who accepted allotments and proved they could farm successfully, but required them to abandon their tribal identity
- Boarding schools were established to forcibly assimilate Plains Indian children into white American culture, prohibiting their native languages and cultural practices
- Most Plains Indians lacked farming experience and received poor quality land, leading to widespread failure, starvation, and eventual land loss to white settlers
- The Act resulted in cultural destruction, family separation, and the transfer of millions of acres of Plains Indian land to white ownership, representing one of the most devastating policies in American Indian history