Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
The Oklahoma Land Rush, 1893 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
How Significant was the Oklahoma Land Rush For Settlement on the Plains? - Summary
The Indian Appropriations Act of 1889 opened up unassigned lands in Oklahoma for settlement. Thousands of eager settlers, known as "boomers", lined up along the territory's border for the land rush. The Oklahoma Land Rush was significant for several reasons. It led to the rapid and widespread settlement of Oklahoma. This mass settlement brought infrastructure, businesses and towns to the area. Settlers claimed land for farming and ranching. This increased the economic success of farming the Plains. Oklahoma quickly became a vital agricultural area in the USA. This helped increase the food supply for the whole nation. The Oklahoma Land Rush symbolised the spirit of Manifest Destiny. It represented the opportunity for individuals to pursue the American Dream. People could own land, make a successful business and start a better life for themselves and their families. |
Reasons for the Oklahoma Land Rush
'Indian Territory' was:
East of the Mississippi River
Land set aside by the US government for the Indigenous peoples after the Indian Removal Act in 1830
Divided into sections for different tribes
In the middle of the 'Indian Territory' was unallocated land
White settlers had attempted to take this land since the 1880s
The US Army forced white settlers off of this land
Reason for land rushes | Explanation |
|---|---|
The Dawes Act, 1887 | Indigenous families received 160 acres of land. Indigenous people sold their plots because they did not want to become farmers. Unallocated land was put up for sale |
The opening up of the middle section of the 'Indian Territory' | In 1889, the US government divided the middle section of the 'Indian Territory' into 160 acre-plots. This was made available for white settlers to claim |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Many Europeans and Americans called the Indigenous peoples of America 'Indians'. This is no longer an accepted term. Please do not use 'Indians' to refer to Indigenous people in your exam answers. However, in this section, you will have to use the official name for the government policies towards Indigenous peoples. Many of the policies use the term 'Indian'. You should write the full title of these acts in your exam answers to show specific own knowledge.
Events of the Oklahoma Land Rush,1893
A land rush had a strict process:
On 22nd April 1889 at noon, the middle section of the 'Indian Territory' was open to claims
Oklahoma experienced seven land rushes in total
The Main Land Rushes in Oklahoma
Date of land rush | Acres of land available |
|---|---|
1889 | 2 million |
1893 | 8 million |
1895 | 88,000 |
The land rush in 1893 was the biggest
This is why it is known as the Oklahoma Land Rush
Examiner Tips and Tricks
A question could ask you to write a narrative account of the ways that settlement in the West developed between 1876 and 1895. A common misconception that students have is that a narrative account is a story. A narrative account answer should follow CHRONOLINK:
Put the sequence of events in chronological order
Link each section of the narrative to the next event that occurred. You should use linkage terms such as: 'as a consequence', 'this led to' or 'because'
The Oklahoma Land Rush would fall at the end of this narrative account. You will need to think of two more events that fall before this.
Consequences of the Oklahoma Land Rush
By the 1890s, the Indigenous peoples had lost the majority of their land
The Oklahoma Land Rush was another example of the US government breaking their promises to the Indigenous peoples
White settlers had succeeded in pressuring the US government for more land
The event marked a change in the government's approach to the Indigenous peoples
To provide land rushes, the US government reduced the size of reservations
Many Indigenous peoples had nowhere to live
The government increased their attempts to assimilate the Indigenous peoples
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