General Allotment Act

Definition

Also known as the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887, this legislation divided tribal lands into small parcels for individual Native Americans with surplus lands sold off to white settlers.

Analogy

Imagine if your favorite park suddenly got divided into small personal gardens. Some people might benefit from having their own space, but overall community enjoyment would be lost. Plus, any leftover space could be sold off to outsiders who don't value it as much as you do.

Related terms

Reservation System: A system established by treaties between various Native American tribes and the US government which confined tribes to specific geographic areas known as reservations.

Manifest Destiny: A belief prevalent during the 19th century that American settlers were destined by God to expand across North America.

Trail of Tears: The forced relocation during the 1830s of Eastern Woodlands Native Americans to areas west of the Mississippi River, resulting in thousands of deaths.