The Dawes Act, approved by Congress in February of 1887, provided for the relocation of Indians to specified reservations. It was one of the early attempts to help "Americanize" native Americans so that they would have a better chance of assimilating into society eventually and this government action aimed to do just so.This document stated that all Indians would be assigned a section of land to live on; this land could also be surveyed at any time. The act also designated how much land each person would be appropriated. Naturally, the head of the family received the most land. However, if they were not given land in a reservation, Indians were permitted to live elsewhere in the United States. The Dawes Act specified that this act was only binding for 25 years. At that point, the president could make the decision whether or not to extend its life. The act provides that all Indians will have the benefit of being under American law and will have equal rights as Americans. The government retained its power to use the land for any public use it deemed necessary or helpful.
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