What It Was Like Taking Part In The Oklahoma Land Rush Of 1889

May 2024 · 1 minute read

Who participated in the Oklahoma Land Rush? According to History, individuals from all over the world, including recent immigrants from England, France, Scotland, and Ireland. Why did these immigrants move to the United States? For a variety of different reasons.

French immigrants often fled the turbulent political and economic climate of 19th century France. And as for British immigrants? Moving around had become a habit. As reported by Gale, "From moving down the street, across the country or overseas, migration was a common experience in Britain during the nineteenth century — not only for native Britons, but also for substantial numbers of immigrants who chose to make their homes in Britain."

That said, authors Karen Maguire and Branton Wiederholt argue in their paper "1889 Oklahoma Land Run: The Settlement of Payne County" that most land rush participants proved American-born. Maguire and Wiederholt describe them as, "Many thousands strong, the boomer, the settler, the gambler, the speculator, the land shark, the honest home seeker, the adventurer." No wonder federal troops had their hands full enforcing the Sooner clause, which prohibited individuals from arriving to occupy the land before the president's proclamation date.

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