LAD # 25: Dawes Severalty Act of 1877

     Published in 1877, The Dawes Act allows the President the right to take the communal tribal lands, divide them up, and then divide them into shares to be held by individual residents.  Age, gender, and family status will then determine how much land each individual is granted.  This may be done by the president any time in which the land appears to be useful for agricultural and farming purposes.  Through this act, it is also now legal for this land to be purchased by the government and sold to American citizens who have a desire to settle it.  Assimilation is another key aspect mentioned in the Act, as it is expected for the natives to adopt the white culture.  However, the five civilized tribes are excluded from this request.  As a final thought, the Act gives the American government the right to place railroads, highways, ect. on the land designated for the Indians.