Indian Agents
The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of the position of Indian agent in 1793 under the Second Trade and Intercourse Act (or The Nonintercourse Act) This required land sales by/from Native Americans to be federally licensed and permitted. The legislation also authorized the President of the United States to “appoint such persons, from time to time, as temporary agents to reside among the Indians,” and guide them into forced acculturation of white American society by changing their agricultural practices and domestic activities. Eventually, the government ceased using the term temporary from the Indian agent’s job title.
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