The Dawes Act Flashcards
What was the Dawes Act?
. The Act essentially made the Natives landowners and full rights of citizenship due to the fact they now payed tax.
. The Act divided up the Reservations into plots of allotments which were then given to Native Americans.
What were the disadvantages the Act?
. Much of the land the Natives had received was bought up by white settlers due to the Natives being unable to farm it.
. Even though the selling of land bought in money for the Natives they were often unable to manage such sums and therefore slipped further into poverty and debt.
. It further threatened Native American culture and belief as the Act ignored the Native belief that land belonged to all creatures and could not be owned by an individual.
. As a direct result of the Act the Natives lost an Additional 2million acres of land.
What did the 1898 Curtis Act do?
. It ended the exemption of the five civilised tribes from the Dawes Act.
