Oklahoma History Oklahoma Land Runs & Settlement Era 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The first Oklahoma Land Run took place on April 22, 1889. What area was opened for settlement?
- The Unassigned Lands (approximately 2 million acres in central Oklahoma) (Correct answer)
- The Cherokee Outlet in northern Oklahoma
- The entire Indian Territory
- The Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Reservation
Correct answer: The Unassigned Lands (approximately 2 million acres in central Oklahoma)
The Land Run of 1889 opened approximately two million acres of Unassigned Lands in central Oklahoma to non-Native settlement.
Question 2: What term was used for settlers who entered the Unassigned Lands before the official starting gun on April 22, 1889?
- Sooners (Correct answer)
- Boomers
- Rushers
- Stakers
Correct answer: Sooners
Settlers who illegally entered and claimed land before the official start were called 'Sooners,' which became the nickname for Oklahomans and the University of Oklahoma's mascot.
Question 3: What was the largest land run in Oklahoma history, opening the Cherokee Outlet in 1893?
- The Cherokee Strip Land Run with approximately 100,000 participants (Correct answer)
- The Land Run of 1889 with 50,000 participants
- The Iowa-Sac-Fox Opening of 1891
- The Potawatomi Opening of 1891
Correct answer: The Cherokee Strip Land Run with approximately 100,000 participants
The Cherokee Strip Land Run of September 16, 1893 was the largest, with an estimated 100,000 participants racing to claim 6 million acres of the Cherokee Outlet.
Question 4: The Boomer movement of the 1870s-80s, led by figures like David Payne, pushed for what goal?
- Opening the Unassigned Lands in Indian Territory to white settlement (Correct answer)
- Creating a separate territory for freed slaves in Oklahoma
- Granting Oklahoma Territory full statehood
- Removing the Five Civilized Tribes from Indian Territory
Correct answer: Opening the Unassigned Lands in Indian Territory to white settlement
The Boomer movement, led by David Payne and others, campaigned to open the Unassigned Lands of Indian Territory to white homesteaders.
Question 5: Guthrie and Oklahoma City were both established on the same day during the Land Run of 1889. What approximate populations did they reach within hours?
- Both had populations of approximately 10,000-15,000 by nightfall (Correct answer)
- Guthrie had 500; Oklahoma City had 5,000
- Both had about 1,000 settlers each
- Oklahoma City had 50,000; Guthrie had 20,000
Correct answer: Both had populations of approximately 10,000-15,000 by nightfall
Both Guthrie and Oklahoma City went from empty prairie to tent cities of approximately 10,000-15,000 people within hours of the starting signal.
Question 6: The Homestead Act of 1862 provided settlers with how much land, which was the standard allotment in the Oklahoma land runs?
- 160 acres (a quarter section) (Correct answer)
- 320 acres (a half section)
- 80 acres (an eighth section)
- 640 acres (a full section)
Correct answer: 160 acres (a quarter section)
The Homestead Act granted 160 acres—a quarter section—to settlers who claimed, lived on, and improved the land for five years.
Oklahoma History Oklahoma Land Runs & Settlement Era 1
The first Oklahoma Land Run took place on April 22, 1889.
What area was opened for settlement?