Sooners facts for kids
The word Sooners describes people who entered a part of Oklahoma called the Unassigned Lands too early. This happened before the official start of the Land Rush of 1889.
The Unassigned Lands were a large area in what was then called Indian Territory. After many people asked for it, this land was opened for new settlers in 1889. On April 22, 1889, President Benjamin Harrison announced that the land was open. People waited along the borders of the Oklahoma District. They waited for the official start at noon.
The name "Sooner" came from a rule in the official announcement. This rule said that anyone who went onto the land before the official start time could not claim any land.
At first, being called a "Sooner" was not a good thing. People called "Boomers" wanted to settle the land fairly. But Sooners were seen as cheating other settlers by getting the best land first.
Over time, this bad feeling changed. By the time Oklahoma became a state, "Sooner" became a friendly nickname for people from Oklahoma. It even had a hint of being a bit rebellious! In 1908, the University of Oklahoma football team started using "Sooners" as their nickname. Since the 1920s, Oklahoma has been known as the "Sooner State."
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Who Were the Sooners?
Many Sooners were people who could legally enter the land early. This included deputy marshals, land surveyors, and railroad workers.
Some Sooners entered the land illegally at night. They were first called "moonshiners" because they went in "by the light of the moon." These Sooners would hide in ditches. Then, when the land run officially started, they would suddenly appear. This gave them a big head start over legal settlers.
Sooners and Boomers: What's the Difference?
The term Boomer refers to people who were part of the "Boomer Movement." These were white settlers who believed the Unassigned Lands were public property. They thought anyone could settle there, not just Native American tribes.
Their idea came from the Homestead Act of 1862. This law said that any settler could claim about 160 acres (0.65 square kilometers) of public land. Some Boomers entered the land and were removed by the United States Army many times.
People who waited for the official start of the land run often found good land already taken. This land was claimed by Sooners or sometimes by Boomers. Problems with Sooners happened with every new land run. In one run in 1895, Sooners took about half of the available land.
Legal problems between fair settlers and Sooners continued for many years. Eventually, the United States Department of the Interior was given the final say to solve these arguments.
The Sooners in Sports
In 1908, the University of Oklahoma chose "Sooners" as the nickname for its football team. Before that, they had tried "Rough Riders" and "Boomers". Eventually, Oklahoma became known as "The Sooner State."
The school's fight song is called "Boomer Sooner". The school's "mascot" is a copy of an old covered wagon. It is called the "Sooner Schooner." When the OU football team scores, the Sooner Schooner is pulled across the field. It is pulled by two ponies named "Boomer" and "Sooner." There are also two costumed mascots with the same names.
See also
In Spanish: Sooners para niños
