Native American and U.S. Policy in the Late 1800s to Early 1900s

What was the main goal of the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887?

• To assimilate Native Americans by dividing their lands into individual parcels

• To grant Native Americans full U.S. citizenship

• To establish boarding schools for Native American children

• To return surplus land to Native American tribes

Which act granted U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans born in the U.S.?

• The Dawes Severalty Act

• The Indian Reorganization Act

• The Indian Citizenship Act

• The Meriam Report

What was one of the major consequences of the boarding schools for Native American children?

• They became fluent in multiple languages

• They maintained strong connections to their cultural heritage

• They suffered cultural disconnection and loss

• They were able to return to their tribes with new farming skills

What did the 1928 Meriam Report reveal about U.S. government policies towards Native Americans?

• They had improved the quality of life for Native Americans

• They had no significant impact on Native American societies

• They had oppressed Native Americans and hurt their cultures

• They had successfully assimilated Native Americans into U.S. society

What was a significant effect of the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act?

• It continued the sale of surplus Native American land

• It urged tribes to engage in active self-government

• It abolished the Dawes Severalty Act

• It ended the practice of sending Native American children to boarding schools

Why were some Native Americans opposed to the idea of U.S. citizenship during the time of the Dawes Severalty Act?

• They wanted to maintain their own self-governed nations

• They believed it would grant them more power

• They thought it would improve their voting rights

• They were eager to assimilate into U.S. society

What was one of the challenges Native Americans faced even after the 1924 Indian Citizenship Act?

• They were immediately granted voting rights in all states

• They faced no discrimination in voting

• They were still barred from voting in some states

• They were given equal opportunities in education

How did the focus on expansion impact U.S. policy towards Native Americans in the late 1800s and early 1900s?

• The U.S. government gave money to groups of people, including Native Americans, to build on U.S. land.

• It led to several meetings between the U.S. and Native Americans and the U.S. eventually gave up on expansion.

• The U.S. government supported Native American governments so they could both expand in North America.

• It led to many practices aimed at destroying Native American identities so the U.S. could claim more lands.

How does the text describe the relationship between Dawes Act and Native American boarding schools?

• Both were focused on farming, with the Dawes Act increasing Native American farming land and boarding schools teaching farming methods.

• The Dawes Act allowed the U.S. government to take land from Native Americans and build boarding schools on it for all U.S. children to attend.

• Both helped Native Americans become citizens of the U.S. by providing money and places that Native Americans could go to vote.

• Both had the purpose of assimilating Native Americans into the U.S. way of life and the money from the Dawes Act was used to open more schools.

Read the following sentences from the text.

“However, as more and more of North America was claimed by the U.S., Native Americans found themselves living in the areas under U.S. control, but without citizenship. This meant they did not have voting power over laws and elected officials that affected them. Therefore, some Native Americans wanted U.S. citizenship. On June 2, 1924, the U.S.Congress granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the U.S. by passing the Indian Citizenship Act….However, even after the 1924 Indian Citizenship Act was passed, some Native Americans were still not allowed to vote because the right to vote was governed by state laws. Some states continued to bar Native Americans from voting until 1957. Additionally, even in the states where they had the right to vote, Native Americans faced discrimination, like difficult tests and scare tactics. It wasn’t until the 1965 Voting Rights Act that U.S. federal law protected their right to vote.

What conclusion can you draw from this evidence?

• Native Americans were elected to U.S. government positions soon after the 1924 Indian Citizenship Act was passed.

• Once the 1924 Indian Citizenship Act was passed, all states in the U.S. rushed to change their laws to make sure that Native Americans could vote.

• The U.S. government wanted to make sure that Native Americans who wanted to vote in the U.S. could read and write in the English language.

• Native Americans had good reasons for fighting for citizenship, but getting U.S. citizenship didn't fix all the problems they thought it would.