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Difficulty: MediumWestward Expansion and American Indians

"By the proposed distribution of our lands in severalty, we see the certain and speedy destruction of our tribal governments and the absorption of our people by the white race. Our system of holding land in common has been the shield of our existence. To destroy it is to open the door to speculation and to leave our people landless and homeless."

— Creek Nation delegation, petition to the United States government, 1885

Which of the following federal policies of the late nineteenth century was the Creek delegation responding to in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The negotiation of new treaties intended to protect tribal sovereignty and land holdings
  2. B
    The hands-off (laissez-faire) approach of the federal government toward western land development
  3. The passage of legislation to divide tribal lands into individual family farmsAnswer
  4. D
    The enactment of constitutional amendments guaranteeing citizenship and voting rights to Native Americans

Answer

The passage of legislation to divide tribal lands into individual family farms
The correct option is correct because the Creek delegation's petition directly opposes the 'distribution of our lands in severalty' and the end of 'holding land in common.' This directly refers to the federal policy of allotment, which was codified in the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887. This act sought to break up tribal reservation lands into individual family plots to force assimilation and open remaining lands to white settlement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus to identify the central concern of the Creek Nation delegation.
The Creek delegation is protesting the 'distribution of our lands in severalty' and the loss of 'holding land in common.'
Understanding the primary source's focus on land ownership structure is essential to identifying the relevant policy.
2
Recall late nineteenth-century federal Indian policies dealing with land division.
The Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 was the primary federal policy designed to end communal reservation land ownership and distribute it to individual households.
This policy matches the delegation's description of dividing land in severalty, which was actively being debated in Congress in the mid-1880s.
3
Evaluate the answer choices to identify the one that describes the Dawes Act allotment policy.
The correct option describes the division of tribal lands into individual family farms.
This option directly corresponds to the historical intent and mechanism of the Dawes Act.

Key Concept

The Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 and the policy of assimilation
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Topics

Westward Expansion and American Indians

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