Question

How did the Dawes Act of 1887 affect American Indians’ lives?

Answer 1

I said

"They were treating the Plain Indians horrible after coming into their land and kicking them off, taking their resources as well. They were weakening these tribes and harming their cultures; It was wrong of Americans to think they were better then these people and to treat them so horribly. Forcing them to assimilate into American culture and putting them in reservations was wrong. The policies with allotments were also unjustifiable.The Dawes act was trying to force Native Americans to do American jobs like farming and it wanted to make them d things that they shouldn't have to."

Step-by-step explanation:

Did your answer include the following?

the possible positive effects of the Dawes Act

the possible negative effects of the Dawes Act

how the Dawes Act changed American Indians’ lives

how the examples you read show the effects of this act

Answer 2

The objective of the Dawes Act was to assimilate Native American Indians into mainstream US society by annihilating their cultural and social traditions. The land allotted to the Indians included desert or near-desert lands unsuitable for farming. In addition, the techniques of self-sufficient farming were much different from their tribal way of life. Many Indians did not want to take up agriculture, and those who did want to farm could not afford the tools, animals, seed, and other supplies necessary to get started. There were also problems with inheritance. Often young children inherited allotments that they could not farm because they had been sent away to boarding schools. Multiple heirs also caused a problem; when several people inherited an allotment, the size of the holdings became too small for efficient farming.