Question

question 10 of 10

according to the dawes act, indigenous peoples had to accept individual plots of land to:

a. become citizens of the united states.
b. hunt, fish, or gather in traditional ways.
c. operate businesses on their reservations.
d. prevent their children from being taken away.

Explanation:

Analyze the Dawes Act of 1887

The Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 aimed to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream American society. It authorized the federal government to break up tribal lands into individual family plots.

Connect land allotment to citizenship

Under the provisions of the Dawes Act, those Indigenous individuals who accepted the individual allotments of land and lived separately from the tribe would be granted United States citizenship. This was a key mechanism of Cultural Assimilation designed to dismantle tribal sovereignty and communal lifestyles.

Evaluate the given options

• Option A directly aligns with the legal provision of the Dawes Act offering citizenship in exchange for accepting individual land allotments.
• Option B is incorrect because the act sought to end traditional communal lifestyles, including traditional hunting and gathering.
• Option C is incorrect because the act aimed to promote individual farming rather than reservation-based businesses.
• Option D is incorrect because, while boarding schools did separate children from families, accepting land was not a legal mechanism to prevent this.

Answer:

• A. become citizens of the United States. (Correct answer)
• B. hunt, fish, or gather in traditional ways.
• C. operate businesses on their reservations.
• D. prevent their children from being taken away.