Civilization Fund Act

What happened

The act approved March 3, 1819, is titled "An Act making provision for the civilization of the Indian tribes adjoining the frontier settlements." Its first section says it was "for the purpose of providing against the further decline and final extinction of the Indian tribes, adjoining the frontier settlements of the United States, and for introducing among them the habits and arts of civilization."

To do that, it authorized the President, "in every case where he shall judge improvement in the habits and condition of such Indians practicable, and that the means of instruction can be introduced with their own consent," to employ "capable persons of good moral character." They were to instruct the tribes in agriculture suited to their situation and teach their children reading, writing and arithmetic, under rules the President set.

Section 2 appropriated "the annual sum of ten thousand dollars" and required an account of spending to be laid before Congress each year. The Act does not mention land.

The Department of the Interior's boarding school investigation says the Act "laid the groundwork for a general and publicly supported Indian education system." It reports that the funds were often apportioned to religious institutions and organizations and that Congress stopped the annual appropriation in 1873. Federal Indian boarding schools, which that investigation examines, came later and are not described in the Act itself.

Summarized with AI assistance from 5 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error