Bureau of Indian Affairs Created (feb 1, 1824 – aug 1, 1838)

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Created in 1824 within the Department of War, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) signified the U.S. government’s view of Native Americans as a military and administrative problem to be managed rather than sovereign neighbors. The bureau grew into an omnipresent authority that dictated nearly every aspect of Native life, executing forced relocations like the Trail of Tears, confining tribes to reservations, and controlling daily access to food rations and finances. Through its management of the reservation system and federal Indian boarding schools, the BIA acted as the primary engine for stripping tribes of their lands, suppressing traditional governance, and enforcing the systematic eradication of Native culture.

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