Dawes Severalty Act (1887) Commentary by G. Mehera Gerardo, Youngstown State University

Explanation and Analysis of the Document

Section 1

Section 1 of the Dawes Act states the main purpose of the act. The act provides the president of the United States with the right to survey and divide reservation lands among individual American Indians and American Indian families. It also stipulates the manner in which the land will be divided, providing every head of household with one-quarter section of land, every single person over age eighteen or orphan under age eighteen with one-eighth section of land, and all other unmarried people under the age of eighteen with one-sixteenth section of land. Section 1 does not specify the actual size of a section but suggests that sections will be determined based on government survey of reservations and the size of the Indian population living on each. If an American Indian receives an allotment suitable only for ranching and not for agriculture, the act guarantees that he will get an additional allotment.

Section 2

Section 2...