4-36 The State of Oklahoma

The great state of Oklahoma became the 46^th state to join the Union on November 16, 1907.  The name Oklahoma came from the Choctaw Indian words "okla" meaning people and "humma" meaning red. 

In 1541, Spanish explorer Coronado ventured through the area on his quest for the "Lost City of Gold."  The land became known as Oklahoma as part of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase.

In the 1820s, Five Civilized Tribes from the southeastern United States were relocated to the Indian Territory over numerous routes, the most famous being the Cherokee "Trail of Tears."  Forced off their ancestral lands by state and federal governments, the tribes suffered great hardships during the rigorous trips west.

After the Civil War, Oklahoma became a part of the booming cattle industry, bringing in the era of the cowboy.  Western expansion reached the territory in the late 1800s.  Treaties enacted after the Civil War by the U.S. government forced the tribes to give up their lands and accept individual property allotments.  There was talk of using the Indian Territory as a settlement area for African Americans emancipated from slavery.  However, the government relented to pressure, much of it coming from a group known as "Boomers," who wanted the rich lands opened to non-Indian settlement.  The U.S. government decided to open the territory to settlers by holding a total of six land runs between 1889 and 1895.  People came from across the nation and even other countries like Poland, Germany, Ireland, and Slavic nations to stake their claims.  African Americans, some former slaves of Indians, took part in the runs or accepted their allotments as tribal members.  In the years that followed, black pioneers founded and settled areas in or near Arcadia, Boley, Langston, and Taft.  On November, 16, 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th state.

Emblem/Symbol	Name of Emblem/Symbol	Adopted
Motto	"Labor omnia vincit" - Labor Conquers All Things
Nickname	Sooner State
State Seal		1906
State Bird	Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	1951
State Flower	Oklahoma Rose	2004
State Wildflower	Indian Blanket	1986
State Song	"Oklahoma"	1953
State Tree	Redbud	1937
State Flag		1925
State Insect	Honeybee	1992
State Butterfly	Black Swallowtail	1996
State Fish	White Bass	1974
State Animal	Bison	1972
State Game Animal	White-tailed Deer	1990
State Game Bird	Wild Turkey	1990
State Reptile	Mountain Boomer or Collared Lizard	1969
State Amphibian	Bullfrog	1997
State Rock	Rose Rock	1968
State Grass	Indian Grass	1972

Complete the questions below.

1.  Oklahoma became the 46^th state to join the Union on November 16, .

2.  The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is the state .

3.  "Labor omnia vincit" means .

4.  The state wildflower is the .

5.  The Cherokee Tribe relocation from the southeastern United States to the Indian Territory is known as the "."

6.  "Oklahoma" is the state .

7.  The state wild game bird is the .

8.  The state tree is the .

9.  The Black Swallowtail is the state .

10.  The state nickname is the .