Political Movement in the 1850's. The movement called for the economic change of America to be shifted from growing industry to agriculture. It stressed individual land ownership and self sufficiency. The movement was used in the assimilation of Native Americans into American Culture. The movement privitized tribal land, thereby dividing the tribe into competing farmers or, more accuratley, helpless drunks who sold their land for some whiskey. The Yeoman Ideal was nothing more than a clever trick to get Indian Lands. It didn't work, mostly, the Indians of that time had wised up to diplomatic agreements. Today many tribes retain land on Indian Reservations, where there are now many casinos to help "improve" the lives of the members of the tribes.