Sequoyah Constitutional Convention facts for kids

The Sequoyah Constitutional Convention was a special meeting led by Native American leaders. Their goal was to create a new state called the State of Sequoyah in what was then called Indian Territory. They wanted this new state to be controlled by Native Americans, separate from the nearby Oklahoma Territory.

At this convention, they wrote a constitution, which is like a rulebook for a government. They also planned how the new government would work, drew maps for new counties, and chose people to go to the United States Congress to ask for statehood. The people in Indian Territory voted on these plans in a special election called a referendum, and most of them voted "yes."

However, when the delegates went to Washington, D.C., they didn't get a warm welcome. This was mostly because of political reasons between different parties. Even though their plan didn't work out, the convention helped set the stage for the creation of the U.S. state of Oklahoma later on.

Sequoyah
proposed U.S. state
State of Sequoyah
Seal
Nickname(s):  Indian Territory
Country	United States
Admitted to the Union	(Proposed 46th state)
Capital	Muscogee (1905 convention)
Legislature	House and Senate (proposed)
U.S. House delegation	To be defined (list)
Area
• Total	31,069 sq mi (80,468 km2)
Area rank	41st (hypothetical)
Elevation	1,300 ft (400 m)
Highest elevation (Rich Mountain)	2,681 ft (817 m)
Lowest elevation (Little River)	230 ft (70 m)
Demonym(s)	Sequoyahan
Language
• Official language	English (de facto)
Time zone	UTC-08:00 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-07:00 (CDT)
USPS abbreviation	SE
Traditional abbreviation	Sequ.

Why the Convention Happened

The Five Civilized Tribes and other tribes living in Indian Territory generally did not want to become a state. They liked having their own tribal governments. However, the United States government passed a law called the Curtis Act of 1898 in 1898. This law said that the U.S. government would stop recognizing tribal governments by March 4, 1906. This was part of a bigger plan to make Native Americans live more like other Americans.

A man named James A. Norman, who was Cherokee, thought it would be a good idea to hold a convention. He wanted to create a state that would be run by Native Americans. In 1904, he suggested naming this new state "Sequoyah." This name would honor Sequoyah, a famous Cherokee who created the Cherokee syllabary. This was the first writing system made independently for a Native American language in North America.

In July 1905, William Charles Rogers, the main chief of the Cherokee Nation, and Green McCurtain, the main chief of the Choctaw Nation, officially called for the convention. Later that month, Pleasant Porter (chief of the Creek Nation) and John Brown (chief of the Seminoles) also joined the call. The Chickasaw Nation's governor, Douglas Johnston, didn't agree with the convention, so his nation was represented by William H. Murray.

What Happened at the Convention

The convention took place in Muskogee on August 21, 1905. The leaders met in the Hinton Theater.

During the convention, they worked on several important things:

• They wrote a detailed constitution for the proposed state.
• They created a plan for how the new government would be organized.
• They drew a map showing the new counties that would be created.
• They chose delegates, or representatives, to travel to the United States Congress in Washington, D.C. Their job was to ask Congress to approve their new state.

After the convention, the people of Indian Territory voted on these proposals in a referendum. The voters strongly supported the idea, with a huge majority saying "yes" to statehood.

However, when the delegates arrived in Washington, D.C., they were not welcomed warmly. This was mainly because of "party politics." The U.S. President at the time, Theodore Roosevelt, was a Republican. Indian Territory was bordered by two states that were mostly Democratic. The Republican-controlled Congress wanted the two territories (Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory) to become one state. This would make it less likely for the new state to become a Democratic state.

On June 16, 1906, President Roosevelt signed the Oklahoma Enabling Act. This law made it clear that the Indian and Oklahoma territories would only be allowed to become a state if they joined together.

Lasting Impact of the Convention

Even though the Sequoyah Convention didn't create a separate state, its work was very important. The convention successfully created a long document, about 35,000 words, that would have governed the proposed state. This document showed that the leaders wanted to make sure elected officials didn't have too much power. It also made sure that many people from Indian Territory would have important roles in the future.

The work done at the Sequoyah State Constitutional Convention was not wasted. When representatives from Indian Territory later joined the Oklahoma State Constitutional Convention in Guthrie, they brought their experience and ideas with them. The Sequoyah Constitution was used as a big part of the new constitution for the State of Oklahoma. Oklahoma officially became a state when the two territories merged in 1907.

General Pleasant Porter, who was the Principal Chief of the Muscogee Creek Nation, was chosen to be the president of the convention. The delegates also decided to appoint the main leaders of the Five Civilized Tribes as vice-presidents. These included:

• William Charles Rogers, Principal Chief of the Cherokees.
• William H. Murray, who represented the Chickasaws (appointed by Chickasaw Governor Douglas H. Johnston).
• Chief Green McCurtain of the Choctaws.
• Chief John Brown of the Seminoles.
• Charles N. Haskell, who represented the Muscogee people (since General Porter was president).

Important People at the Convention

Many important leaders were part of the Sequoyah Constitutional Convention. Some of them went on to hold very important positions in the new state of Oklahoma:

• William H. Murray (He was president of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention and later the ninth Governor of Oklahoma. He was also the first Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.)
• Charles N. Haskell (He became the first Governor of Oklahoma.)
• Robert L. Williams (He became the third Governor of Oklahoma and the first Chief Justice of Oklahoma.)
• Henry S. Johnston (He was a leader at the Constitutional Convention and later the seventh Governor of Oklahoma. He was also the first President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate.)
• Pete Hanraty (He was a Vice President at the Constitutional Convention.)
• Albert H. Ellis (He was the Second Vice President at the Constitutional Convention.)
• Charles M. McClain (He served as the Secretary of the Constitutional Convention.)
• Charles H. Filson (He became the Secretary of Oklahoma.)