American customs

Americanization in this article refers to the United States government efforts to assimilate Native Americans to the majority European-American culture in the 19th and 20th centuries, approximately 1880-1920. With increased waves of immigration from Europe, there was growing public support for education to encourage a standard set of cultural values and practices to be held in common by the majority of citizens. Education was viewed as the primary method in the acculturation process for minorities.
Americanization policies were based on the idea that when indigenous people learned United States (European-American) customs and values, they would be able to merge tribal traditions with European-American culture and peacefully join the majority society. After the end of the Indian Wars, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the government outlawed the practice of traditional religious ceremonies. It established boarding schools which children were required to attend, where they learned English and standard subjects, attended church, and generally had to leave tribal traditions behind.
The Dawes Act of 1887, which allotted tribal lands in severalty to individuals, was seen as a way to create individual homesteads for Native Americans. Land allotments were made in exchange for Native Americans' becoming US citizens and giving up some forms of tribal self-government and institutions. It resulted in the transfer of an estimated total of 93 million acres (6,100 km²) from Native American control. Most was sold to individuals. The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 was also part of Americanization policy.