Tribes of mound builders and nomadic hunters inhabited Oklahoma back as far as history can record, and later the Apache, Cheyenne, and Comanche tribes of Plains Indians wandered through the territory for generations. Spanish explorers such as Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and Hernando de Soto most likely traveled the area in the mid-1500's although they made no records about the region. Horses which were either lost by or stolen from the first Europeans, particularly Coronado and his men, were adopted by the Comanches. These were the first horses used by Native Americans, and they greatly advanced their culture. French trappers from Louisiana may also have visited the region in the eighteenth century, but Oklahoma was still completely unpopulated by whites when it became the property of the United States through the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
At the time of the Louisiana Purchase European settlers had been influencing the culture of the Indians of AmericaΓÇÖs southeast for several generations. Members of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes who inhabited parts of Georgia and Florida at that time, plowed the lands, raised herds of animals, dressed like the Europeans, and even sent their children to European style schools. Soon these tribes modeled their nations' laws after the Americans. These nations, known as the "The Civilized Tribes," eventually became wealthy, and many of their members actually owned large land tracts and many slaves. Their white neighbors soon grew jealous of the Indians and their success, so, with the sanction of Andrew Jackson's 1830 Indian Removal Act, the five tribes were forced into Oklahoma via the infamous ΓÇ£Trail of Tears.ΓÇ¥ The trail to Oklahoma was called the trail of tearss because over one quarter of the Indians who were forced on the brutish march died along the way.
In 1834, Oklahoma officially became known as "Indian Territory," the new home for the Civilized Tribes. At first, the tribes managed to prosper in the new territory as they had done in the southeastern United States. In 1844 the first paper to be published in Oklahoma was the Native American language Cherokee Advocate. The Indians established their own constitution, and began to operate profitable farms in the territory. Some of the tribes, particularly the Seminoles, resisted relocation to the Indian Territory vigorously, but by the 1840's most of the Native Inhabitants of America's southeast had been forced into Oklahoma.
When the Civil War broke out, Oklahoma officially fought on side of the Confederacy, though many individuals Oklahomans sided with the North. At that time many of the Native Americans, especially the Chickasaw and the Choctaw, were large slave owners themselves. One Cherokee warrior, Stand Watie, actually became a general in the Confederate Army. Whatever prosperity the Native Americans had managed to establish in Oklahoma was ruined by the collapse of the Confederacy, and after the war most of them found themselves poverty stricken. As punishment for siding with the South, the United States government reclaimed the entire western half of Oklahoma from the Indians and gave it to other tribes which were now being relocated form the east. The original Oklahoma tribes were forced onto an small reservation in the eastern section of the territory, and eventually most of them succumbed to disease and malnourishment.
In the late 1800's Oklahoma developed its nickname as the Sooner State. On April 22, 1889 at high noon, over 100,000 anxious settlers gathered on the Kansas-Oklahoma border in trains, wagons, and even on foot, waiting for the gunshot which officially started the stampede for Oklahoma land. By noon the next day, massive tent cities had already formed. Over-eager pioneers who quietly moved into the region prior to its officiaal opening became known as the Oklahoma Sooners. into the Less than a year later the Territory of Oklahoma was established with Guthrie as its capital. Guthrie was the only capital in United States history which was built in one day. After that initial day settlers poured onto the territory's rich grass plains in a steady steam, and in 1907 Oklahoma became the 46th state to join the Union.
In 1910 the state capital was moved from Guthrie to its present location in Oklahoma City. For several years after the rush of white settlement, Oklahoma's vast Indian population maintained their own separate governments, schools, laws, courts, and ambassadors. They even petitioned the federal government unsuccessfully for separate statehood. When Oklahoma officially became a state however, they were finally forced to realize that they would have to attempt to live within the federal system.
From 1889 to 1963 Oklahoma experienced great progress. Oil, found throughout the state in the early 20th century, became the main supporter of its economy, and manufacturing and processing began to develop. During World War I, OklahomaΓÇÖs land was overused. Severe droughts and gusting winds quickly turned the state into the proverbial "Dust Bowl." During the depression years many of the state's farmers migrated toward California; along almost everyone else who was not involved in the oil business. During World War II, however, OklahomaΓÇÖs economy gained momentum again. Over 200,000 Oklahomans served the United States Army, and the demand for oil associated with the war helped the state to establish an extremely profitable and modern industry. Today, Oklahoma is an industrially varied state. Federal water projects have restored the fertility of the state's pastures and grasslands so agriculture has returned to the region, yet the oil industry continues to dominate its economy.
Visiting the State
Alabaster Caverns State Park, near Freedom,
features the world's largest gypsum cave.
Black Mesa (4,973 ft.), in the center of the state, is
the highest point in Oklahoma.
Boiling Springs State Park, near Woodward, is a
popular place for camping, fishing, and hiking.
The Cherokee Heritage Center, in Tahlequah.
Enterprise Square is a fun museum devoted to the
American economic system.
Glass Mountains, near Orienta.
The Eighty-Niner Day Celebration, in Guthrie
Little Sahara State Park, near Waynoka, features
fifteen hundred acres of dunes.
Oklahoma City: The state capitol, downtown Myriad
Gardens, the National Cowboy Hall of Fame with
John Wayne collection, National Softball Hall of Fame
and Museum, the End of the Trail statue,
International Photography Hall of Fame and
Museum, the State Historical Society Museum (has
one of largest collections of Indian relics
anywhere), and Lake Hefner (considered one of the
best sailing lakes in the country)..
The town of Okmulgee hosts an annual Pecan
Festival.
Roman Nose State Park features fantastic
swimming, boating, fishing, and horseback riding.
"Oklahoma" the musical is performed each summer
at Tulsa and is based on the play by Lynn Riggs,
whose memorial museum is in Claremore. Tulsa is
also home to Tulsa Powwow Mohawk Park and much
cultural and cosmopolitan entertainment.
Village of Tsa-la-gi features a reconstructed 1650
Native American village.
Will Rogers Memorial, in Claremore.
Woolaroc Museum, in Bartlesville, is one of finest
Western art museums.
Famous Oklahomans
Aces Blue Eagle, famous Indian artist.
L. Gordon Cooper (b. 1927) American astronaut who orbited the earth 1963 and piloted the first space landing without automatic controls because of a malfunction.
Woodrow "Woody" Guthrie (1912-1967) Popular folk singer, guitarist, and songwriter Wrote the song "This Land is Your Land." Father of singer Arlo
Guthrie. Born Okemah, Oklahoma.
Mickey Mantle (b. 1931)Hall of Fame baseball player for the New York Yankees. Born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma.
E.W. Marland Oil magnate of Oklahoma during the 1920's. He made his fortune drilling for oil on land he leased from the Ponca tribe.
Will Rogers (1870-1935) Humorist, actor, and newspaper columnist who got his start as a rodeo roper. Famous for his trick-roping and good-natured social criticisms. Born Oologah, Oklahoma.
Fascinating Fact
The Oklahoma state constitution is the longest of any of the fifty states'. In 1907, during ratification, it took 18 hours to read.
Oklahoma adopted its flag in 1925, modifying it in 1941 and in 1988. The flag features an Osage shield which stands for defense, its small crosses for lofty ideals. The blue background symbolizes loyalty, while the olive branch and calumet pipe signify peace.
