Final answer:
Option (1), The treaties signed by Governor Stevens aimed to assimilate indigenous peoples into mainstream society and acquire their land for U.S. expansion, often leading to loss of land, culture, and self-sufficiency for the tribes involved.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of the treaties signed by Governor Stevens with tribal leaders was multifaceted, but ultimately, they were not chiefly designed ‘To protect the rights and land of indigenous peoples.’ The treaties served as a tool for the United States government to acquire land from tribes and to pursue policies of assimilation and civilization, which would ‘civilize natives’ by converting them from hunters to farmers on smaller tracts of land. While these treaties often promised to establish peaceful relations and provide economic opportunities, they were part of a broader federal policy that intended to assimilate indigenous peoples into mainstream society, relocate them to reservations, and thus allow for continued westward expansion by non-indigenous settlers.
Many tribes faced the difficult choice of signing these treaties under the threat of force, loss of land, or economic necessity. While some provisions, such as annual stipends, were included as compensation, tribes frequently did not receive the full benefits promised to them and faced further alienation, dependency on the government, and loss of their traditional way of life. In addition, over the long term, lands set aside in reservations became targets for encroachment and exploitation by settlers, eroding the initial promises of the treaties even further.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the primary purpose of these treaties was option 4, ‘To establish peaceful relations between indigenous peoples and the U.S. government,’ but this often came at the expense of the rights and lands of the indigenous peoples, and with the ulterior motive of assimilating them into a society that was dramatically different from their traditional ways.