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For information on the University of Oklahoma's athletic teams, see Oklahoma Sooners.
According to the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS), the term Sooners came into use in 1889, after the Unassigned Lands were settled in what was the first of the land runs. It was a derogatory term, used to describe settlers who entered the Unassigned Lands before President Harrison officially proclaimed them open to settlement until the Indian Appropriation Act of 1889.
These settlers often fiercely defended their unlawful claims (e.g., the U.S. Supreme Court case of Smith v. Townsend ). The term had negative connotations among the early legal settlers of Oklahoma Territory well into the 20th century.
In 1908, the University of Oklahoma adopted 'Sooners' as the nickname of their football team (after having first tried 'Rough Riders' and 'Boomers'). Within about a decade, the term had mostly lost its association with those who had broken the law and it became what the OHS characterizes as a "badge of pride and progressivism"; eventually (though never officially), the state of Oklahoma became known as "The Sooner State." The term Sooners now primarily refers to the students, fans and alumni, including members of the sports teams, of the University of Oklahoma.
Background information
Most of the state of Oklahoma (excluding the Panhandle) was originally Indian Territory. The Five Civilized Tribes originally agreed by treaty to relinquish their tribal lands in the eastern United States in exchange for reserved lands west of the Mississippi River; many Native Americans refused to leave and were removed by force.
After the Civil War, as white settlers demanded more and more land, the Indian Territory was split, with a western part becoming the Oklahoma Territory. The new territory was reserved for white settlement and gradually opened up to pioneers, section by section, throughout the late 19th century.
Boomers
"Boomer Sooner", the University of Oklahoma fight song, also refers to another type of Oklahoma settler. Boomers were settlers who believed that unassigned lands within the center of Indian Territory were public lands and did not belong to any Indian tribe. They organized numerous incursions into the territory in an attempt to force the non-Indian settlement of the unassigned lands. These incursions were declared illegal and United States troops were ordered to keep the settlers out of the lands. Boomers were often arrested, escorted to Kansas, and set free. Through legislation, Boomers eventually aided the effort to open up the unassigned lands for legal settlement. The result was the Land Run of 1889. At high noon on April 22, 1889, the opening of the unassigned lands was signaled by gunshot, trumpet, and cannon shot at numerous points of entry into what would soon become Oklahoma Territory.
"Boomers" was also a term associated with those who observed the official start of land runs and began the race for free land at the sound of the starting boom.
Oklahoma native and Sooners fan, Jim Ross (Good Ol' J.R.) of World Wrestling Entertainment, uses Boomer Sooner as his entrance music when he appears infront of the crowd.
See also
External link
- Explanation of "Sooner" from the Oklahoma Historical Society website
History of Oklahoma | Oklahoma culture | Agriculture in the United States
"Sooners"