LAD #25: Dawes Severalty Act

The purpose of the Dawes Act of 1887 was to replace the lands previously held by Native Americans with individually owned properties. It relocated Native Americans to predetermined reservations. All the natives were forced onto a section of land that could be surveyed at any time. Each person was granted a certain amount of land, and the head of the family received one-quarter of the land. Native Americans were allowed to live elsewhere in the United States if they were not granted land on a reservation. This act was only valid for 25 years, at which point the President would decide to terminate or continue the act. Finally, it granted all Native Americans the benefits of being under American law and equal rights as Americans. The government still held power to use the land as they deemed necessary for 5 years, after which point the natives would be able to keep the land forever.