Oklahoma Statehood, November 16, 1907

Survey Map of Oklahoma and Indian Territory showing distances, municipal towns, and post offices, published by George Cram, 1902 Most of the land that is now Oklahoma was acquired by the United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In the 1830s, the U.S. used the land to relocate Indian tribes and the Indian Territory was formed from the land set aside by the Indian Intercourse Act of 1834. The Indian Territory originally extended beyond present-day Oklahoma, but the size was gradually reduced over the course of the 19th century. In 1889 Congress authorized the opening land seized from the Indian Territory for homestead settlement, and a year later Congress passed an act that officially created the Oklahoma Territory. RG 233, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives

First page of the Joint Statehood Convention, Oklahoma City, July 12, 1905 Although the Oklahoma and Indian Territories had sufficient population to be admitted as separate states, Congress insisted that the territories would only be granted statehood as a single, combined state. As a result, delegates representing the citizens of the Indian and Oklahoma Territories met in Oklahoma City for a joint statehood convention. They outlined their reasons for statehood—they had sufficient land area, population, resources and character—and drafted a petition to Congress which was presented on March 7, 1906 and ordered printed. RG 233, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives

Cover of pamphlet Souvenirs of Tulsa - Indian Territory, 1906 This pamphlet is part of the file for the HR 12707, Oklahoma s statehood bill. It, along with a multitude of other documentation, was submitted as evidence that the people of the territories were primed for statehood. RG 233, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives

First Avenue, Tulsa, IT, 1906 From the pamphlet Souvenirs of Tulsa - Indian Territory RG 233, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives

High School, Tulsa, IT, 1906 From the pamphlet Souvenirs of Tulsa - Indian Territory RG 233, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives

Telegram from T.H. Marlin of the Indian Territory to Joe Cannon, March 13, 1906 Since the House bundled New Mexico and Arizona statehood with Oklahoma statehood, the bill proved very immensely controversial. Speaker Uncle Joe Cannon (R-IL) pushed the contentious bill through the House. The Senate, however, amended the bill to omit New Mexico and Arizona statehood. Cannon, despite an avalanche of telegrams from the residents of the Oklahoma and Indian Territories remained determined to resist the Senate s amendments. RG 233, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives

Engrossed HR 12707, An act to enable the people of the Indian and Oklahoma Territories to form a state constitution and State government, first page, June 16, 1906 On June 16, 1906, after months of political wrangling, Congress finally passed an act enabling the people of the Indian and Oklahoma Territories to form a state constitution and state government and to be admitted into the Union on equal footing with the existing states. Congress included a compromise measure that allowed the voters of the Arizona Territory and New Mexico Territory to decide if the territories should be admitted into the union as one state. RG 233, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives