American Indians Allotment Case

Background Fighting between American Indians and settlers began almost immediately after settlers settled in the New World. As time went on Americans needed more land to accommodate the growing populations, in turn they pushed the American Indians out farther west. However, after the Revolution was won miners, settlers, and cattle ranches became interested in the Indian lands. Chiefs did not give up their land therefore instigating bloody conflicts and the creation of reservations. After Indian wars, congress introduced the Dawes Act and it passed in 1887. This act would dissolve reservations and give American Indians their own lands to farm. Americans believed that this would help the American Indians assimilate more to white ways. In addition to farming, American Indians could sell the remaining land they did …show more content…
Supporters of allotment believed that it would decrease the violence between the two groups. The selling of unused land would help farmers not to impede on the Indian lands and both groups would not murder each other. However, many were afraid that if the bill was not passed Indians would become extinct due to America’s expansion. Dawes ensured that the “allotment bill would ensure that the Indians had enough land to survive.” The hope of assimilation was also a key component in the case for allotment. Settlers believed that because of how big America had grown there was not a way to be apart from American society, thus they would go extinct if they did not abandon their reservations and start a new life. Other settlers mentioned that the buffalo were going extinct, therefore no Indian could live off of hunting anymore, but instead work on a farm that would give them an increased work ethic and sense of pride. Not only would the Indians pride increase, but the end of government handouts would disappear, saving the government