On This Date in Minnesota History: February 8

February 8, 1887 – “Congress passed the Dawes Act, named for its author, Senator Henry Dawes of Massachusetts. Also known as the General Allotment Act, the law allowed for the president to break up reservation land, which was held in common by the members of a tribe, into small allotments to be parceled out to individuals.”¹

“The stated objective of the Dawes Act was to stimulate assimilation of Indians into American society. Individual ownership of land was seen as an essential step. The act also provided that the government would purchase Indian land ‘excess’ to that needed for allotment and open it up for settlement by non-Indians.”<sup>2

1</sup>http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/fed-indian-policy/

²http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawes_Act

Henry L. Dawes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HenryLDawes.jpg

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