What was one of the primary goals of the Carlisle Industrial School regarding Native Americans?

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Study for the Texas AandM University HIST106 Exam. Use flashcards and multiple-choice questions with hints and explanations. Gear up for success!

The primary goal of the Carlisle Industrial School was to educate Native American children and teach them the values, customs, and practices of Euro-American society, which is often referred to as "white man's ways." Founded in 1879 in Pennsylvania, the school was part of a broader policy aimed at assimilating Native Americans into mainstream American culture. The philosophy behind the school was encapsulated in the motto, "Kill the Indian, save the man." This approach involved erasing indigenous cultural identities and replacing them with Western ideals, education, and lifestyles.

The school sought to provide vocational training, academic education, and moral instruction that aligned with the dominant Euro-American values at the time, reflecting a belief that Native Americans needed to abandon their traditional customs for survival and success in a rapidly changing society. The overarching intention was not just education for its own sake, but a systematic effort to assimilate Native Americans into a way of life that was considered 'civilized' by European-American standards.