Forced Assimilation and Indian Resistance

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Forced Assimilation and Indian Resistance

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

In what ways did different Indian groups defy and resist colonial rule?

Imperialistic attitudes of whites toward Indians continued to evolve in the late nineteenth century. To "civilize" the Indians, the U.S. government sought to force assimilation on their children. Reservations became increasingly unpopular among whites who coveted Indian land. A new policy of allotment gained favor. It promised to put Indians on parcels of land, forcing them into farming, and then to redistribute the rest of the land to settlers. In the face of this ongoing assault on their way of life, Indians actively resisted, contested, or adapted to colonial rule.