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Why Is Oklahoma Called the Sooner State?
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A photograph of "Map of the Indian and Oklahoma Territories," 1892 map by Rand McNally and Co.
A photograph of "Map of the Indian and Oklahoma Territories," 1892 map by Rand McNally and Co.
Oklahoma Territory, 1890s A snapshot of the boundaries and ambitions that shaped the Sooner State.

Why Is Oklahoma Called the Sooner State?

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Oklahoma earned its “Sooner State” nickname from settlers who jumped the gun—literally—during the Land Rush of 1889. At noon on April 22, a cavalry bugle signaled the official start of the run for 3,100 square miles of land in what had been Indian Territory. But some settlers slipped in early to claim prime plots before the legal opening. Those early entrants became known as Sooners.

Their actions followed years of pressure from Boomers, groups who had tried to settle the land despite federal restrictions. The opening of Oklahoma Territory, carved from land promised to Native nations, along with subsequent land runs, eventually led to the dissolution of tribal governments and the creation of the state of Oklahoma in 1907.

The term Sooner began as a rebuke, used to describe those who broke the rules. But over time, it evolved into a symbol of ambition and a willingness to act, reflecting the pioneering spirit that shaped the state.

Sooner has since become part of Oklahoma’s identity, appearing everywhere from license plates to university mascots. Once a term of criticism—and even derision—Sooner has come to represent part of a story about drive, timing, and the contested, often painful forces that shaped the state.

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