The Dawes Severalty Act, formally called the General Allotment Act of 1887, was a U.S. law aimed at transforming Native American life by breaking up tribal landholdings and pushing Indigenous people to assimilate into Euro-American society.
At the time, most Native land was held communally by tribes, a system the U.S. government viewed as an obstacle to westward expansion and “civilization.” The Dawes Act authorized the federal government to divide reservation land into individual plots, or allotments. Typically, Native American heads of household received 160 acres, single adults received 80 acres, and children received 40 acres.
Once land was allotted, any “surplus” land — meaning land left over after allotments were distributed — was opened to non-Native settlement, railroads, and corporations. This provision became the most devastating aspect of the law.
Allottees were often given U.S. citizenship, but their land was placed in federal trust for 25 years, during which it could not be sold. After that period, many Native landowners faced heavy taxes, fraud, or pressure to sell, leading to widespread loss of land anyway.
The consequences were severe. Between 1887 and 1934, Native Americans lost about two-thirds of their land, shrinking from roughly 138 million acres to 48 million acres. Tribal governments and cultural practices were undermined, poverty increased, and community cohesion was badly damaged.
The policy was eventually признed a failure. In 1934, the Indian Reorganization Act ended allotment and restored some degree of tribal self-governance.
In essence, the Dawes Act was presented as a reform but functioned as a tool of land dispossession and forced assimilation, leaving long-lasting impacts on Native communities that are still felt today.
