Question

What was the primary purpose of assimilation policies?

a. To civilize American Indians
b. To introduce settlers to American Indian customs
c. To promote interracial marriages among American Indians and settlers
d. To take over American Indian land

Answer 1

The primary purpose of assimilation policies was to civilize American Indians by adopting Euro-American cultural norms, exemplified by the enforcement of the Dawes Act and the establishment of boarding schools like the Carlisle Indian School.

Step-by-step explanation:

The primary purpose of assimilation policies was to civilize American Indians by forcing them to abandon their traditional cultures, languages, and social customs in favor of Euro-American ways of life. This goal was rooted in the belief that American Indians needed to be assimilated into the broader American society as a means of 'civilizing' them, according to the Euro-American standards of the time. The Dawes Act ultimately served as a mechanism to assimilate Native Americans while also facilitating the acquisition of their lands by settlers. Through these policies, American Indian children were removed from their homes and placed in boarding schools like the Carlisle Indian School, where all aspects of their Native identity were to be discarded.