What was the primary purpose of the Dawes Severalty Act passed by Congress in 1887?

The Dawes Severalty Act, passed in 1887, aimed primarily to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream American life. This legislation was founded on the belief that Native Americans could integrate into American society if they adopted European-style farming practices and individual land ownership. The act sought to break up communal tribal lands and allocate individual parcels to Native Americans, thus promoting the idea of private property. By doing so, it was hoped that Native Americans would abandon their traditional lifestyles and customs in favor of a more Westernized way of living.

The act also intended to extend certain rights and privileges associated with land ownership, such as more direct access to U.S. legal and economic systems. While the act included provisions for U.S. citizenship for those who accepted the allotted lands and lived separately from their tribes, the key underlying goal was to promote assimilation rather than simply confer citizenship.