Progressive Era Policies: The Dawes Act And Indian Boarding Schools

The Effects of American Policies on Native Americans. The Progressive Era policies, such as the Dawes Act and Indian Boarding Schools, aimed to integrate Native Americans into mainstream American society.The Dawes Act, passed in 1887, sought to convert tribal land into individual parcels and force Native Americans to assimilate into American culture. The Indian Boarding Schools, established in the late 19th century, aimed to take Native American children away from their families and assimilate them into American culture by forbidding them from speaking their native language and practicing their culture.

During the Progressive Era, the U.S. government's policies towards Native Americans were motivated by a belief that they were "primitive" and in need of "civilizing." This perspective was shaped by a prevailing narrative of the time, which portrayed Native Americans as a "vanishing race" that needed to be assimilated into mainstream American society. Unfortunately, the policies that were implemented with this belief led to significant harm to Native American communities.

The Dawes Act, for example, was passed in 1887 with the aim of converting tribal land into individual parcels and forcing Native Americans to assimilate into American culture. This policy had disastrous consequences for Native American communities, leading to the loss of their

government towards Native Americans during the Progressive Era were not implemented in the best interests of Native Americans, but rather in the interests of the U.S. government and white settlers. These policies were motivated by a belief that Native Americans were "primitive" and in need of "civilizing," which led to the loss of Native American land and resources, as well as cultural genocide and trauma for generations of Native Americans. It is important to acknowledge and address the harm caused by these policies in order to move towards a more just and equitable