What was oklahoma named after

Payne continued to flaunt the government's proclamation forbidding unlawful entry into Indian Territory and returned to Ewing with a larger group of settlers. Payne's arrest seemed to make him more popular and he continued to guide Boomers into the forbidden territory. Couch, assumed leadership of the Boomer Movement and lead four more excursions into the Oklahoma territory.

Again and again the Boomers were arrested and expelled from the area. Illegal intrusions by Mr. Couch ended in At this time political pressure was exerted to open up the Unassigned Lands to settlement. People who live in Oklahoma or who come from Oklahoma are called Oklahomans or Oklahomians. Sometimes Oklahomans are referred to as Sooners. Oklahoma, nicknamed the "Sooner State," was admitted into the Union on November 16, , becoming our Nation's 46th state.

The Oklahoma quarter features an image of the State bird , the Scissortail Flycatcher, in flight with its distinctive tail feathers spread. The bird is soaring over the State wildflower, the Indian Blanket, backed by a field of similar wildflowers. The coin's design also bears the inscriptions "Oklahoma" and " The depiction of Indian Blanket or Gaillardia symbolizes the State's rich Native American heritage and native long grass prairies that are abundant in wildlife.

The State's name is derived from the Choctaw words "okla" and "homma," meaning "red" and "people. The process to choose the coin's reverse design began in February Citizens submitted more than 1, concepts for consideration. This eventually led to the creation of ten narratives based on these concepts. A vote by Oklahoma citizens narrowed the field to five, which were sent to the United States Mint for consideration. On April 30, , Governor Brad Henry announced his recommendation of the State bird and wildflower design, based on the overwhelming number of citizen votes for this design.

The Department of the Treasury approved the design on May 25, For more about the state commemorative quarters, visit this page. Shankle, George Earlie. Irvine, Calif. Shearer, Benjamin F. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 3 Sub edition, Presents information about Oklahoma's people, geography, history, landmarks, natural resources, government, state capitol, towns and cities, and more.

Filled with the most up-to-date information, including the latest Census results. Full-color photos bring to life the story of Oklahoma.

The term derived from a section in the Indian Appropriation Act of March 2, , which became known as the "sooner clause. Illegal claimants were initially called "moonshiners," because they entered the area "by the light of the moon. So-called "legal sooners" had permission to enter before the designated time but nonetheless had the same unfair advantage. Legal sooners included employees of the government deputy marshals, revenue agents, mail carriers, land officials or of the railroad company trackmen, section hands or those with special permits Indian agents, teamsters, traders.

The clamor against sooners resulted in numerous contests and appeals to the General Land Office and in unclear title to some claims for many years. The U. Congress gave the Department of the Interior the ultimate power to make final determination in the contests.

The complex case against sooners, legal or otherwise, was first elucidated in Townsite of Kingfisher v. Wood and Fossett and later in Smith v. The federal government had ultimate authority over territorial affairs, and an elected territorial representative was seated in Congress. Congress never passed an organic act for the Indian Territory, although a few measures were proposed, and one bill was written, for that purpose.

The region never had a formal government, and it remained unorganized. Therefore, the geographical location commonly called "Indian Territory" was not a territory. In the late nineteenth century the federal government began to assume more control over events transpiring in Indian country. In March a law established a federal court system based at Muskogee, assuming judicial authority and jurisdiction that had been exercised since the Trade Act by the Western District of Arkansas.

The measure for the first time specified enclosed boundaries for the Indian Territory, now officially reduced to an area bounded by Texas on the south, Arkansas and Missouri on the east, Kansas on the north, and New Mexico Territory on the west.

Soon this area was reduced again when Oklahoma Territory was created from part of it by the Organic Act in May A governor was appointed, and a two-house territorial assembly and a judicial system were set up. A bona fide territory of the United States, Oklahoma Territory would be eligible for statehood if its population grew large enough and if its leaders followed the process prescribed by federal law. The Oklahoma Territory Organic Act even more closely defined Indian Territory, reducing it to slightly more than the eastern half of the present state.

In the Sequoyah Convention, Indian leaders sought to bypass the territorial process and bring about separate statehood for Indian Territory. However, with the union of the Indian nations and Oklahoma Territory as the State of Oklahoma, a separate, Indian-dominated territory or state was no longer viable.

During the twentieth century the generic term "Indian Territory" came to be used by historians, genealogists, and the public to represent the entire Oklahoma region during the prestatehood period. Brian C. Hosmer, "Rescued from Extinction? George A. Copyright to all of these materials is protected under United States and International law.

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