Advanced Placement US History (AP US History) Practice Exam

What was the ultimate purpose of the Dawes Act regarding Native Americans?

1. To maintain tribal lands

2. To promote individual land ownership

3. To encourage cultural assimilation

4. To establish religious freedoms

The correct answer is: To promote individual land ownership

The Dawes Act, enacted in 1887, aimed primarily to promote individual land ownership among Native Americans as a means of assimilating them into American society. Prior to this act, Native American tribes held communal lands, often leading to conflicts with American settlers and the federal government’s vision of land use. By allotting individual plots of land to Native American families, the government sought to encourage practices of agriculture and land cultivation similar to those of European Americans, thereby undermining tribal governance and cultures. Through this process, the intention was to foster not only economic self-sufficiency but also the conversion of Native Americans to Western lifestyles, which would gradually lead to their assimilation into the broader American society. Although the Dawes Act was marketed as a means to improve the lives of Native Americans, it ultimately resulted in significant loss of tribal lands and the erosion of Native cultures. The other options reflect aspects of Native American experiences but do not capture the main aim of the Dawes Act, which was fundamentally about individual land ownership and assimilation rather than maintaining tribal lands, religious freedoms, or cultural preservation.