Oklahoma History Case Studies & Practical Application 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A historian is studying the impact of the 1889 Land Run on Native American tribes already living in Oklahoma Territory. Which outcome best describes what happened to tribal lands as a result of the Unassigned Lands opening?
- Tribal lands expanded due to federal compensation
- Tribal nations lost control of previously guaranteed territory to settlers (Correct answer)
- Native tribes were given priority land claims in the new territory
- The Land Run had no effect on existing tribal boundaries
Correct answer: Tribal nations lost control of previously guaranteed territory to settlers
The opening of the Unassigned Lands in 1889 displaced Native American communities and eroded treaty-guaranteed territories as the federal government made land available to settlers.
Question 2: During the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention of 1906, delegates debated whether Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory should be admitted as one state or two. What was the primary argument FOR a single state?
- Two states would be more efficient to govern
- Economic and geographic unity made a single state more practical (Correct answer)
- Congress required a single state admission for all western territories
- Native American leaders insisted on a unified state
Correct answer: Economic and geographic unity made a single state more practical
Proponents of single statehood argued that combining the two territories made economic and geographic sense, as they shared resources and infrastructure.
Question 3: A student researching the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 finds that the Greenwood District was sometimes called 'Black Wall Street.' What does this nickname reveal about the district?
- It was the location of Tulsa's main financial exchange
- It was a prosperous African American business and residential community (Correct answer)
- It was a neighborhood known for its banking fraud scandals
- It was the district where Wall Street investors owned property
Correct answer: It was a prosperous African American business and residential community
The 'Black Wall Street' nickname reflected Greenwood's thriving African American-owned businesses, banks, hotels, and professional offices that made it one of the wealthiest Black communities in the nation.
Question 4: When analyzing why the Dust Bowl had such a severe impact on Oklahoma in the 1930s, which combination of factors best explains the catastrophe?
- Overgrazing by cattle and a sudden volcanic winter
- Years of drought combined with farming practices that destroyed native grassland (Correct answer)
- Federal land seizures that forced farmers to leave fields unplanted
- A series of floods followed by extreme heat waves
Correct answer: Years of drought combined with farming practices that destroyed native grassland
The Dust Bowl resulted from severe drought coinciding with decades of deep plowing that removed the native grasses whose root systems had held the soil in place.
Question 5: A policy analyst studying Oklahoma statehood in 1907 notes that the state's first constitution was unusually long and detailed. What does this suggest about the framers' priorities?
- They wanted to minimize the power of state government
- They distrusted government and sought to limit corporate and railroad power (Correct answer)
- They modeled the document strictly on the U.S. Constitution
- They wanted rapid adoption with minimal debate
Correct answer: They distrusted government and sought to limit corporate and railroad power
Oklahoma's framers, influenced by Progressive Era thinking, wrote detailed provisions to regulate corporations and railroads, reflecting distrust of concentrated economic power.
Question 6: A researcher studying the Five Civilized Tribes finds that these nations maintained written constitutions and formal governments before Oklahoma statehood. What does this demonstrate?
- The tribes were preparing to resist U.S. annexation militarily
- Native nations had sophisticated self-governance systems comparable to U.S. state governments (Correct answer)
- Written constitutions were required by federal treaty obligations
- The tribes modeled their governments after Spanish colonial administration
Correct answer: Native nations had sophisticated self-governance systems comparable to U.S. state governments
The Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, and Seminole nations had developed written constitutions, legislatures, and court systems, demonstrating advanced political self-organization.
Question 7: An economist analyzing the Oklahoma oil boom of the early 20th century would most likely identify which long-term consequence for the state's economy?
- Oil revenues diversified Oklahoma's economy away from agriculture permanently
- Dependence on extractive industries created boom-and-bust economic cycles (Correct answer)
- Oil profits were evenly distributed among Oklahoma's rural population
- The oil boom eliminated poverty in Oklahoma within a generation
Correct answer: Dependence on extractive industries created boom-and-bust economic cycles
Reliance on oil and natural resources tied Oklahoma's economy to commodity price swings, creating cycles of prosperity and hardship that persisted throughout the 20th century.
Oklahoma History Case Studies & Practical Application 2
A historian is studying the impact of the 1889 Land Run on Native American tribes already living in Oklahoma Territory.
Which outcome best describes what happened to tribal lands as a result of the Unassigned Lands opening?