Which 1887 law allocated 160 acres to Native American males to farm and established schools?

• A. Homestead Act
• B. Morrill Act
• C. Indian Citizenship Act
• D. Dawes Act

Answer: (D)

This question shows how the United States tried to reshape Native American life through land policy and education in the late 19th century. The law in question authorized dividing tribal lands into individual allotments, typically 160 acres for the heads of families, with smaller parcels for others, and tied land ownership to farming and citizenship. It was part of a broader push to assimilate Native Americans by promoting private farming and schooling as pathways to joining Euro-American society. A major consequence was that “surplus” tribal lands could be sold to non-Native settlers, leading to a substantial loss of tribal land and sovereignty.

This fits the scenario best because the other laws have different focuses: the Homestead Act provided 160 acres to settlers, not to Native Americans; the Morrill Act funded land‑grant colleges but didn’t allot tribal lands; and the Indian Citizenship Act came later and dealt with citizenship rather than land division or schooling policies.