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Question

Difficulty: MediumWestward Expansion and American Indians

"The American Indian is to become a citizen of the United States... The public school is the place where this work of assimilation is to be accomplished... They should be taught that the tribal relation must be broken up, and that the individual must stand upon his own feet, a man among men, and a citizen among citizens. They should be taught to love the American flag, to respect the government, and to obey the laws."

— Thomas Jefferson Morgan, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Annual Report, 1889

Which of the following federal policies from the late nineteenth century was most directly designed to achieve the goals described in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The negotiation of treaties guaranteeing tribal control over communal hunting grounds
  2. B
    The establishment of federal programs to subsidize traditional indigenous agricultural practices
  3. The partition of tribal reservations into individual land allotmentsAnswer
  4. D
    The creation of self-governing reservations independent of state and federal jurisdiction

Answer

The partition of tribal reservations into individual land allotments
The correct answer is correct because the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 divided tribal lands into individual family allotments to promote private land ownership and break up tribal unity, aligning with the assimilationist goal of integrating Native Americans as individual citizens.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus context and central argument
The excerpt by Thomas Jefferson Morgan advocates for breaking up tribal relations, educating youth for assimilation, and transforming Native Americans into individual citizens.
Understanding the core focus of the source is necessary to identify the matching federal policy.
2
Identify the primary late-nineteenth-century federal policies related to Native Americans
The Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 was the landmark legislation of this era that aimed to assimilate Native Americans by ending tribal land ownership.
This matches the policy goal of dismantling the tribal relation and encouraging individual property ownership.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the policy that aligns with individual property ownership and breaking tribal bonds
The partition of reservations into individual plots (allotments) under the Dawes Act directly matches the goal of breaking tribal ties and establishing individual citizenship.
Allotment policy was intended to replace communal tribal identity with individual citizenship and agricultural land ownership.

Key Concept

Federal policy of assimilation and the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Westward Expansion and American Indians

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