The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 was a huge catalyst in sending the nation to the Civil War.
The process of assimilation generally had a negative impact on Native American communities, and oftentimes assimilation was not successful and was strongly resisted by the tribes. It began to break down the cohesive culture of various Native American tribes, taking children away from their families and sending them to boarding schools. At these schools, sometimes assimilation was moderately successful, but at the cost of depriving these children of their heritage and created a disconnect between them and their families.
Another aspect of assimilation that had a negative impact was the US attempt to incorporate Native Americans and their land into the greater country by offering citizenship and land allotments, forcing a political and social model on them that was inconsistent with their long-established traditions and culture.
Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
