Oklahoma History Oklahoma Land Runs & Settlement Era 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Land Run of 1889 was authorized by what piece of legislation?
- The Indian Appropriations Act of 1889 (Springer Amendment) (Correct answer)
- The Homestead Act of 1862
- The Organic Act of 1890
- The Dawes Act of 1887
Correct answer: The Indian Appropriations Act of 1889 (Springer Amendment)
The Springer Amendment to the Indian Appropriations Act of 1889 authorized President Harrison to open the Unassigned Lands to settlement.
Question 2: How many land runs and openings were there in Oklahoma between 1889 and 1895?
- Five major openings (Correct answer)
- Two major openings
- Ten major openings
- One major opening
Correct answer: Five major openings
There were five major land openings in Oklahoma: 1889 (Unassigned Lands), 1891 (Iowa, Sac and Fox, Pottawatomie lands), 1892 (Cheyenne-Arapaho), 1893 (Cherokee Outlet), and 1895 (Kickapoo).
Question 3: The opening of the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache reservation in 1901 used a different method than a traditional land run. What method was used?
- A lottery system (Correct answer)
- A sealed-bid auction
- A first-come-first-served registration
- An assignment by the Land Office
Correct answer: A lottery system
The 1901 opening used a lottery system rather than a traditional land run, with registered applicants drawing numbers to determine who could claim land.
Question 4: What was the 'Hell's Fringe' or 'No Man's Land' that eventually became the Oklahoma Panhandle?
- A narrow strip of land with no territorial government that attracted outlaws and squatters (Correct answer)
- The disputed border zone between Oklahoma and Texas
- The unallotted lands of the Comanche reservation
- The area between the Arkansas River and Kansas border
Correct answer: A narrow strip of land with no territorial government that attracted outlaws and squatters
No Man's Land was a narrow strip between Kansas and Texas with no legal government; it attracted outlaws and became the Public Land Strip before being incorporated into Oklahoma Territory in 1890.
Question 5: What role did the railroads play in the Oklahoma land runs?
- They transported settlers to the starting lines and helped establish towns along their routes (Correct answer)
- They opposed the land runs to preserve Native American land
- They were prohibited from entering Oklahoma until after statehood
- They provided free land grants adjacent to their tracks
Correct answer: They transported settlers to the starting lines and helped establish towns along their routes
Railroads were crucial to the land runs, transporting tens of thousands of settlers and later establishing towns and infrastructure along their routes through Oklahoma Territory.
Question 6: The Organic Act of 1890 that created Oklahoma Territory also included what area previously known as No Man's Land?
- The Public Land Strip (Panhandle) (Correct answer)
- The Cherokee Outlet
- The Unassigned Lands
- The Greer County area
Correct answer: The Public Land Strip (Panhandle)
The Organic Act of 1890 incorporated the Public Land Strip (the Oklahoma Panhandle/No Man's Land) into the newly organized Oklahoma Territory.
Oklahoma History Oklahoma Land Runs & Settlement Era 2
The Land Run of 1889 was authorized by what piece of legislation?