The 46th state admitted to the US was Oklahoma, on November 16th, 1907. Oklahoma got its name from two Choctaw words, "okla", meaning "people", and "humma", meaning "red" for the "red people" who originally lived there. It is known as the "Sooner State" because of the "Sooners", who were a group of settlers that entered the Oklahoma District and claimed land before the designated time of the official Land Rush of 1889. The motto of the state is "Labor Omnia Vincit", which means "Labor Conquers All Things". This aligns with the philosophy that hard work can overcome any obstacle. Oklahomans invented the parking meter, pressurized flight suit, and shopping cart, among many other things. The capital of Oklahoma is Oklahoma City, the state bird is the Scissor-tailed flycatcher, the state tree is the Eastern Redbud, and the state flower is the Oklahoma Rose.
There is record of humans living in Oklahoma over 30,000 years ago. From around 500-1300AD, the Indigenous Spiro Mound Builders thrived on early trade routes and living off of the land. The Wichitas, Caddos, Apaches, and Quapaws are thought of as the original Indigenous tribes. Other tribes like the Kiowa, Comanche, Arapaho, and the Cheyenne arrived and lived off of the land. In the 1500's, Spanish explorers arrived looking for gold. Hernando de Soto and Francisco Vásquez de Coronado were both seeking gold when they arrived in Oklahoma, only to come up with nothing. The French established trade partnerships with the Indigenous tribes, but they never settled in the state. In 1803, Oklahoma became part of the US with the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson wanted to give part of the land back to the Natives, and by 1820, the government chose today's Oklahoma as "Indian Territory". By 1830, Jackson had signed the "Indian Removal Act", which allowed the government to remove the treaties they had granted and take their land back. When the Natives resisted, the military forcefully removed them. At the "Trail of Tears" of 1840, almost 100,000 Indigenous people were removed and 15,000 died of disease within a 28 year period. Oklahoma established 25 reservations for 37 tribes by 1883, and nomadic tribes who had never met were forced to settle together in close boundaries by the government. Because of land runs, auctions, and allotments, Indian Territory ended up being the Eastern part of the state instead of what they were originally promised. The "Five Civilized Tribes" were the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole nations. Because they agreed to adopt Christian beliefs and practices, obey the government, learn how to read and write, and hold slaves, they were able to assimilate with the Europeans. The Dawes Act of 1887 created a federal commission that decided which of the five tribes would be qualified for citizenship. If they did not qualify, they lost their land. By 1905, all available Indigenous land was open to settlement. Roosevelt would only allow Oklahoma Territory to enter the Union if it joined with the Indian Territory. Therefore, on November 16th, 1907, Oklahoma and Indian Territories came together to form the state Oklahoma as the 46th state admitted to the Union. Today, Oklahoma is home to 39 Native American tribes, with the second largest population of Native Americans next to Alaska.
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