After the Civil War, Native Americans were primarily relocated to reservations to clear land for American westward expansion and to implement a program aimed at assimilating Native Americans into American society as small-scale farmers. The U.S. government wanted to open up Native lands for white settlers, railroads, and mining, while also trying to control and "Americanize" Native populations. This relocation restricted tribes to designated portions of land under federal control, often resulting in dependency on government food rations and loss of tribal sovereignty. Additionally, reservations acted both to protect settlers from Native Americans and, purportedly, to protect Native Americans from white settlers. Key reasons for this policy included:
- Clearing land for white settlers and economic development.
- Attempting to assimilate Native Americans culturally and economically.
- Imposing federal jurisdiction, limiting tribal self-governance.
- Preventing conflicts between Native peoples and settlers.
This policy caused significant hardship for Native Americans, including loss of lands, cultural disruption, imposed poverty, and restricted freedoms.
