In 1871, Congress passed the Indian Appropriations Act, which declared that no Indian tribe would be recognized as an independent nation with which the United States could contract by treaty. The act effectively ended the treaty-making process with Native American tribes and placed them under federal control. Passed in Washington, D.C., the legislation reflected the government's shift toward assimilation and land acquisition, contributing to the displacement and suffering of indigenous peoples.

While not a major subject of mainstream poetry at the time, the act and its consequences were addressed by Native American poets and writers who lamented the loss of tribal sovereignty. Later poets, such as those of the Native American Renaissance, would draw on this history to critique U.S. policy and celebrate indigenous resilience. The act also influenced the broader literary discourse on American expansion and its moral costs.