Changes

The state of Oklahoma is unique among US states in that it was intended to be, at least wide broad areas of it, a home for Native Americans who were moved there as the United States expanded and people . People moved into areas that once had Native Americans. However, over time, Oklahoma began to also emerge as a state with settlers who moved in from neighboring regions.

Oklahoma was part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 that greatly expanded the area of the United States (Figure 1). The region was settled by a variety of Native American populations, including the Caddoans, Siouans, and Athapascans (mainly Plains Apache). The region area was also raided and used as a hunting ground by Kiowa, Comanche, and Arapaho populations. This mostly continued through the 18th century and into the early 19th century. Things began to change by the 1830s when the growing United States focused on policies of forced Native American removals from the southeastern United States. This policy was started by the [[Why did Indian Removal cause the Trail of Tears?|1830 Indian Removal Act under Andrew Jackson]].

Since George Washington's administration, US government policy towards native populations sought to gradually assimilate Native Americans through the teaching of English, conversion to Christianity, and adoption of European styles and dress. However, Andrew Jackson disagreed with this also led to resistance policy and Andrew Jackson. After he became the 7th US president, he sought to implement a new policy focused on remove all Native Americans from the removal of indigenous groups.<ref>For more on Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Act, see: Stewart, Markcountry. <i>The Indian Removal Act: Forced Relocation</i>. Snapshots Southern states were in History. Minneapolis, Minn: Compass Point Books, 2007.</ref> While the United States recognized the region around Oklahoma as Indian Territory or Indian Country, favor of removal because they wanted to take over rich farming areas that had been developed by Native Ameican tribes in the 1830s Indian Territory was much larger than Oklahoma, with wide territories west of the Mississippi river designated as part of the Indian TerritorySouth.

However, that land gradually was reduced over time as After he became the northern regions became settled. Originally7th US president, Indian Country was he sought to implement a place envisioned to be new policy focused on the home removal of indigenous populationsgroups.<ref>For more on Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Act, a place to separate the Native Americans from settlerssee: Stewart, Mark. <i>The Indian Removal Act: Forced Relocation</i>. Snapshots in History. HoweverMinneapolis, Minn: Compass Point Books, 2007.</ref> While the value and interest United States recognized the region around Oklahoma as Indian Territory or Indian Country, in the land to the north reduced the area for Native Americans. Many 1830s Indian Territory was much larger than Oklahoma, with wide territories west of the tribes that were moved from 1830 and later were composed Mississippi river designated as part of Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw, who were the so-called Five Civilized Tribes. The Alabama Native Americans were also included overtimeIndian Territory.

This policy continued into However, that land gradually was reduced over time as the Civil War eranorthern regions became settled. Most of the tribes relocated were from southern statesInitially, as these states were Indian Country was a place envisioned to be the most vocal supporters home of indigenous populations, a place to separate the Act that Jackson signed. There was opposition from northern states, but Jackson saw this as hypocritical given that Native Americans by then had been largely removed or integrated into life in the northern statesfrom settlers. Perhaps However, the most well documented forced removal was value and interest in the Cherokee Nation removal in 1838, triggered by land to the discovery of gold in Georgia, what became known as north reduced the Trail of Tears, but overall more than 60,000 total area for Native Americans were forcibly removed across the southern states. The Five Civilized Tribes had essentially acclimated to primary tribes that the United States culture. They who mainly practiced agriculturegovernments removed were Cherokee, Creek, owned slavesSeminole, led to a new economy in the territory of OklahomaChickasaw, which included cotton plantationsand Choctaw.

This policy continued into the Civil War era. Most of the tribes relocated were from southern states, as these states were the most vocal supporters of the Act that Jackson signed. There was opposition from northern states, but Jackson saw this as hypocritical given that Native Americans by then had been largely removed or integrated into life in the northern states. Perhaps the most well documented forced removal was the Cherokee Nation removal in 1838, triggered by the discovery of gold in Georgia, what became known as the Trail of Tears. Still, overall more than 60,000 total Native Americans were forcibly removed across the southern states. The Five Civilized Tribes had essentially acclimated to the United States culture. They who mainly practiced agriculture, owned slaves, led to a new economy in the Territory of Oklahoma, which included cotton plantations.  During the 1840s, Oklahoma was transforming into an agricultural state. Many of the tribes also owned black slaves, along with cotton agriculture, increasingly led these tribes to have greater more significant connections to southern states , and that led many of the tribes to side with the South in the Civil War. For a time before the Civil War, the region was prosperous. However, there was no clear explicit agreement on which side to join in the Civil War among the tribes , and there were divisions and conflicts that even lasted after the Civil War. Many did side with the South.  Eventually, after the war, the Union decided to divide Indian Territory, where more territory was taken as punishment . The Indian Tribes in Oklahoma were punished for joining aligning with the SouthConfederacy during the Civil War.<ref>For more on Native Americans in Oklahoma until the Civil War, see: Clampitt, Bradley R., ed. <i>The Civil War and Reconstruction in Indian Territory</i>. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2015.

====The Establishment of the State====

In 1889, there was a dispute over what became Oklahoma's panhandle, between settlers and Native Americans, leading to a judge calling this area "No Man's Land," leaving the area out of Oklahoma territory (Figure 2). In the 1890s, further migration changed the territory Territory around Oklahoma into a more mixed Native American and non-indigenous and white populations. This is the time when the nickname for migrants to Oklahoma emerged, the Sooners, as lands designated for settlement were sometimes already staked before the land became officially opened for settlement. Effectively, people cheated to obtain land before it was officially opened. The railroad in this time also began to run through the state, making it also valuable land for the companies that owned the railroads and tracks.

This change created the pathway for the state of Oklahoma to emerge out of what was once Indian Territory. There were attempts by the tribes in Oklahoma to create a state called the State of Sequoyah, but this was rejected. By 1906, the white settlers had the most power in the territory Territory and they pushed for statehood under the Oklahoma Enabling Act, which then granted statehood to the territory Territory in 1907 and making Oklahoma the 46th state. By then, oil had been discovered and new settlers were arriving into the territoryTerritory, further increasing power into white settlers and families.<ref>For more on acts and other historical changes to Oklahoma territory after the Civil War, see: Blackman, Jon S. <i>Oklahoma’s Oklahoma's Indian New Deal</i>. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2013.</ref>

After 1907, Oklahoma's fortunes did go up and down with the oil industry. The state was severely affected in the Great Depression, as the economy collapsed. This period led to the Dust Bowl, as poor farming practices led to wide-scale soil loss. After the war, Oklahoma led the country Country in creating artificial lakes to help with water conservation. The economy gradually shifted away from oil and agriculture changed to practice more water and land conservation practices. In the recent Supreme Court ruling in July 2020, this has now, once again since the early 1890s, has effectively given some greater sovereignty back to Oklahoma native groups. The Five Tribes of the 19th century received a favorable result that gives the jurisdiction to prosecute criminal cases against Native Americans living in eastern Oklahoma. The ruling states that Natives cannot be prosecuted by state or local law enforcement and have to face tribal or federal courts.