What was the dawes sereralty act of 1887

The Dawes Act of 1887 authorized the President of the United States to survey Native American tribal land and divide it into allotments for individual Native Americans.

This act allowed the president to divide native American territories into allotments for only individual native families. This means that each native American who accepted would live sperately on their own land and would be granted citizenship. This was an attempt to raise the natives out of poverty which failed miserably because most natives did not receive enough land for agriculture nor did they have the money, tools, or experience to farm because farming wasn't as popular with the Indians.