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How Did The Dawes Act Contribute To The Decline Of Native Americans

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Before Columbus arrived, Native Americans were already here in present day United States. They already had established their civilizations and the continent was filled with several hundred tribes with their own culture. However, centuries later their population massively declined due to various reasons. The decline of Native Americans was contributed to by reasons such as constant and relentless wars against them, their own illusion of a wrong prophecy and dishonest acts and treaties made to eliminate them and their culture. Americans in the mid 1800’s had imagined the west to be “virgin lands” that was awaiting the settlements of white people. They never considered Native Americans to be actual people but small obstacles in their path of …show more content…

Most of them however very dishonest and made in a way that was profitable for the government and not the Indians. Acts forced the Indians into smaller reservations and in conditions that they weren’t promised for. Acts like these ultimately led to the decline of the Native Americans. Among such act one that was brought out by the federal government was “The Dawes Act”. This was one of those act that was brought out to “destroy forever the tribal structure that was the cornerstone of Indian culture” (Brinkley 397). Through this act the government wanted to completely eliminate what was left of the Native Americans and assimilate them into society of Whites. This act required Indians to abandon everything in connection with their tribal practice and to adopt the new life of being a farmer and landowner. ““The Dawes Severalty Act of 1887” provided for the gradual elimination of most tribal ownership of land” (Brinkley 398). This was one of the way the tribal unity was destroyed by this act. Further activities done by the government in accordance with this act also helped in declining the Native Americans. The government made the “Indian children go to boarding schools run by white”, “...stopped Indian religious rituals and encouraged the spread of Christianity and the creation of Christian churches on the reservations”. (Brinkley 398). This way the government slowly but ultimately declined what was left of the Native Americans and their

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