Oklahoma

The land that today makes up Oklahoma was added to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Throughout the 19th century, the U.S. government relocated Indian tribes from the southeastern United States to the area, and by 1900, over 30 Indian tribes had been moved to what was originally called the Indian Territories. At the same time, ranchers in Texas began to move into the area in search of new pasture lands, and the government eventually opened the land to settlement, creating “land runs” in which settlers were allowed to cross the border at a particular hour to claim homesteads. Settlers who broke the law and crossed the border sooner than allowed were called “sooners,” which eventually became the state’s nickname. Oklahoma became the 47th state in 1907, following several acts that incorporated more and more Indian tribal land into U.S. territory. After its inclusion in the union, Oklahoma became a center for oil production, with much of the state’s early growth coming from that industry. During the 1930s, Oklahoma suffered from droughts and high winds, destroying many farms and creating the infamous Dust Bowl of the Great Depression era.

More to Explore

People and Groups

Themes

Events

Related Topics

Recommended Articles

  • Dust Bowl

    Dust Bowl

    The Dust Bowl was the name given to the Great Plains region devastated by drought in 1930s depression-ridden America.

  • Trail of Tears

    Trail of Tears

    In 1838, the U.S. government ordered tens of thousands of Native Americans to move from their homelands in the southeastern states to the newly established “Indian territory” west of the Mississippi River--a forced journey known as the Trail of Tears.

  • Oklahoma City bombing

    Oklahoma City bombing

    Timothy McVeigh truck-bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Building on April 19, 1995, killing 168 people.

  • The States

    The States

    Stretching more than 3,000 miles from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the United States of America is comprised of 50 states, each with its own unique traditions and history.

Did You Know?

In the 1930s, more than a million Oklahoma residents moved to California as a result of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. They were known as "Okies,” a term that was initially pejorative but became a badge of pride for later generations.

Date of Statehood: November 16, 1907

Capital: Oklahoma City

Population: 3,751,351 (2010)

Size: 69,899 square miles

Nickname(s): Sooner State

Motto: Labor Omnia Vincit (“Labor Conquers All Things”)

Tree: Redbud

Flower: Mistletoe

Bird: Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher

Interesting Facts

  • In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, which forced the Eastern Woodlands Indian tribes off of their homelands and into “Indian Territory,” which is now the state of Oklahoma. By 1840, nearly 100,000 Indians had been evicted and close to 15,000 had died of disease, exposure to elements or malnutrition along the journey, which became known as the “Trail of Tears.”
  • In 1905, representatives from the Cherokee, Seminole, Creek, Choctaw and Chickasaw nations—known as the Five Civilized Tribes—submitted a constitution for a separate Indian state to be called Sequoyah. Although a large majority of voters supported the petition in the November election, Congress refused to consider the request for statehood. On November 16, 1907, Indian and Oklahoma territories were combined to form the state of Oklahoma.
  • During the course of the day on June 8, 1974, Oklahoma City was struck by five different tornadoes. Between 1890 and 2011, the city, which is located near the heart of “tornado alley,” was hit by a total of 147 tornadoes.
  • Oklahoma’s state capitol building is the only capitol with an oil well directly underneath it. In 1941, the “Petunia Number One” well was slant drilled through a flowerbed to reach the oil pool, which produced approximately 1.5 million bbl. over the course of 43 years.
  • Oklahoma is a Choctaw Indian word that means “red people.” It is derived from the words for people (okla) and red (humma).
  • Thirty-nine American Indian tribes are headquartered within the state of Oklahoma.

Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!

Advertisement

Related Shows

  • America The Story of Us

    America The Story of Us

    America The Story of Us is an epic 12-hour television event that tells the extraordinary story of how America was invented.

  • How The States Got Their Shapes

    How The States Got Their Shapes

    We take the shapes of our states for granted, but the map of America could have looked very different.

This Day in History

May 23

Lead Story

Police kill famous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde, 1934

On this day in 1934, notorious criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are shot to death by Texas and Louisiana state police while driving a stolen car…

Shop HISTORY

See More