1. The Dawes Act of 1887
By Matt Michniewicz, Cameron Harrell, Tae Hoon Park, and Jacob Friedman

2. The Dawes Act (February 8th, 1887)
encouraged Native Americans to give up their culture; become farmers
Native Americans sent to reservations
reservations: broken into 160 acre or 320 acre plots for each head of family
government sold left over land to white settlers

3. Henry Dawes Congressman from Massachusetts
Sponsored General Allotment Act (the Dawes Act)
Goal: to create independent farmers out of Indians

4. Native American Life Before…
150 million acres belonged to them
Hunted buffalo, elk, deer, kept some horses, went fishing
NO private property

5. Tribes To Be Effected Most tribes in the Great Plains
***************************
“FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES”
(negotiated in 1893) Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws and Seminoles

6. Effects On Native Americans
Children went to school to be trained as American citizens
Before: 150 million acres remained in Indian hands
After: 2/3 of that land was gone

7. Failure of the Dawes Act
Not enough land to farm
Wrong/no tools
Did not have money to be successful

8. Reactions
“The Indian may now become a free man… This bill may therefore be considered as the MAGNA CARTA of the Indians of our country.”
-leader of “Friends of the Indians”
======the other side====
“We do not want our land cut up in little pieces…” – Nez Perce

9. The Aftermath
Land selected for Indians were soon controlled by non-Indians
Indians then received inadequate payment for the land they gave up
Indians usually spent money right away (not used to managing money) -

10. Bibliography