Changes in the Indian Territory

Question 7 • OK-Oklahoma History

Why would a non-American Indian who lived in Indian Territory welcome legislation like the Dawes Act and Curtis Act?

Answer

The legislation called for increased investment into agricultural infrastructure in Indian Territory.

The legislation called for major political reforms in tribal government, including allowing non-American Indians to vote.

The legislation called for the release of surplus lands to be sold or allotted to settlers, allowing non-American Indians to own land.

The legislation called for an end to harmful and disruptive railroad construction in Indian Territory.

Explanation

The Dawes Act and Curtis Act divided tribal lands into individual allotments and made land deemed “surplus” available for non-American Indian settlers. A non-American Indian living in Indian Territory might welcome those laws because they created opportunities to buy or claim land there. Choice C describes this effect; the acts were not chiefly intended to invest in farming infrastructure or stop railroad construction.

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