Final answer:
The aim of placing Native Americans on reservations was rooted in military control, cultural assimilation, and economic exploitation, with humanitarian reasoning used as a justification for what was essentially a policy of Manifest Destiny.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Americans, including General George Crook, wanted to put the Natives on reservations primarily for reasons related to military control, cultural assimilation, and economic exploitation. The idea of placing Native Americans on reservations was partially influenced by sentiments like those of James Doolittle, who saw it as a more humane alternative to extermination, thus presenting it as an act of humanitarian reasons. Through policies like the creation of boarding schools and the Dawes Act, the government sought to assimilate Native Americans into Euro-American culture, while at the same time, white settlers pursued their belief in Manifest Destiny by exploiting lands for economic gains such as mining and ranching. The policy of Americanization ultimately sought to eradicate Native cultures, replacing tribal community life with American societal norms. Over time, the Federal government pursued initiatives to restore Native culture within reservations, demonstrating a complex relationship between cultural preservation and assimilation efforts.