Turning Points
in Wisconsin History
A white man praises the transformation of Indian children into "Americans," 1894
Tomah Indian School: A model institution of its kind in every way
Opened in 1893, the Tomah Indian Industrial School was intended to teach Indian children how to shed their cultural background and to become more like white, middle-class Americans. Funded primarily by the federal government, Indian boarding schools were established throughout the United States in an attempt to acculturate Indians to "American" ways of thinking and living. Only by removing Indian children from their homes for extended periods of time, could white "civilization" take root and childhood memories of Indian culture fade to the point of extinction. The children's time was carefully monitored, with boys receiving instruction in agriculture or trade and girls in the domestic arts. In this article, C.D. Woodruff praises the efforts of the instructors at the school in Tomah, Wisconsin.
| Related Topics: |
The Progressive Era Americanization and the Bennett Law |
| Creator: | Woodruff, C.D. |
| Pub Data: | Milwaukee Sentinel. 22 July 1894. Wisconsin Historical Society. |
| Citation: | Woodruff, C.D. "Tomah Indian School: A model institution of its kind in every way." Milwaukee Sentinel (22 July 1894); Online facsimile at: http://wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=722; Visited on: 4/23/2024 |
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