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A Guide to Primary Resources for U.S. History
Reshaping the Nation and the Emergence of Modern America: 1877 to 1930s Back to History Unit

(a) explaining the relationship between territorial expansion, westward movement of the population, new immigration, growth of cities, and the admission of new states to the Union;


Dawes Allotment Act
California State University, San Marcos: Native American Documents Project

Description: From the Native American Documents Project, the Dawes Allotment Act of 1887 stipulated land grants for Indians living on reservations.



Teaching Tips:

"Do Now" Suggestions
  • Show on a map the reserved lands for Native Americans. Have students compare the allotted land for Native Americans versus that for settlers moving west.
  • Find out what students already know by posing the following questions, how did Manifest Destiny and the increase of westward expansion impact Native Americans?
Suggestions for Using this Resource as Part of a Lesson
  • Have students read Section One of the Act, and discuss as a class the implications of the act. Give an outline of the remaining sections.
  • After students have read section one of the document have them compare it to previous settlement allotment acts for western land. Are the stipulations of the Act the same as ones for white settlers?
  • Have students research the Native American reaction to the Act. What forms of legislation were proposed to counteract or support the act? Have students pick one of the affected tribes and discuss the impact that the act had upon their lives.

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