The Dawes Act of 1887, despite its negative implications, was necessary to guarantee Native Americans the right to citizenship, which the Civil Rights Act of 1866 failed to accomplish. In principle, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 guaranteed all people born in the US and not subject to any foreign nation the right to citizenship. The vice president, Andrew Johnson, attempted to veto the act, but the Republican-dominated Congress overrode the veto and enacted it. At the same time, there was a widespread doubt about the Congress’s ability to enforce the law. In a response, they created the 14th Amendment, which, in essence, addresses citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws. One of the constituents of this amendment that would make the
