The cultural assimilation of Native Americans was an assimilation effort by the United States to transform Native American culture to European–American culture between the years of 1790–1920.[1][2] George Washington and Henry Knox were first to propose, in an American context, the cultural transformation of Native Americans.[3] They formulated a policy to encourage the "civilizing" process.[2] With increased waves of immigration from Europe, there was growing public support for education to encourage a standard set of cultural values and practices to be held in common by the majority of citizens. Education was viewed as the primary method in the acculturation process for minorities.