Oklahoma: Oklahoma Territory and Statehood

The western section of what is now the state of Oklahoma became the Oklahoma Territory in 1890; it included the Panhandle, the narrow strip of territory that, taken from Texas by the Compromise of 1850, had become a no-man's-land where settlers came in undisturbed. In 1893 the Dawes Commission was appointed to implement a policy of dividing the tribal lands into individual holdings; the Native Americans resisted, but the policy was finally enforced in 1906. The wide lands of the Indian Territory were thus made available to whites.

The Civilized Tribes made the best of a poor bargain, and the Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory were united in 1907 to form the state of Oklahoma, with a constitution that included provision for initiative and referendum. Already the oil boom had reached major proportions, and the young state was on the verge of great economic development. At the same time, cotton, wheat, and corn were major money crops, and cattleland holdings, although shrinking, were still enormous.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Irrigation and an Oil Boom
• The Dust Bowl
• Oklahoma Territory and Statehood
• Cattle, Railroads, and Boomers
• Indian Territory
• The Native American Heritage
• Government and Higher Education
• Economy
• Geography
• Facts and Figures
• Bibliography

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