Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Indian Territory Becomes the State of Oklahoma
Before Oklahoma was a state, it was Indian Territory. Native Americans who had been moved from their homelands in the East were relocated into an area of the Great Plains that included the current state of Oklahoma. Since the area was designated as Indian Territory, settlers were not allowed to claim land or settle there.
After the Civil War, parts of the Indian Territory were reclaimed by the United States government. These areas became known as unassigned lands. Right away, there were settlers who wanted to homestead there. But the government did not open up the unassigned lands to settlement right away.
A group known as the Boomers demanded the right to settle there. Led by David Payne, the Boomers settled more than once on the unassigned lands. More than once, the U.S. Army removed them.
After Payne's death, his successor, William Couch, took over where Payne had left off. Couch led settlers into the unassigned lands. Later, he tried another approach. He moved to Washington, D.C., to lobby for the opening of the unassigned lands to settlement.
