How many rushed during the Oklahoma land openings?

Douglas W. Allen and Bryan Leonard
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Douglas W. Allen: Department of Economics, SFU, Burnaby, Canada
Bryan Leonard: School of Sustainability, ASU, Tempe, USA

Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, 2020, vol. 14, issue 2, 397-416

Abstract: At noon on April 22, 1889, a gunshot on the border of what was then called the Unassigned Lands of the Indian Territory launched the first of six well-defined land giveaways in what is now the state of Oklahoma. Contemporary newspaper and eyewitness accounts described the prairie starting line as awash in the largest gathering in the West to that date, with a subsequent massive rush, followed by the disappointment of many who were unable to make a claim. Similar outcomes were reported at the other openings, and these reports have been repeated and accepted in popular culture and the academic literature. Using recently digitized BLM land grant records, data from the U.S. Census of Agriculture, and the 1890 Oklahoma Territorial Census, we re-examine the land openings and show that the historical accounts greatly overstate the number of people actually rushing for lands.

Keywords: Homesteading; Land rush; Racing; Oklahoma (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N21 N51 N91 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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