Changes

The combined population reached 1 million, but they resisted being joined together and desired to be admitted to the United States as separate states.  Indian Territory had even gone to the lengths of creating a constitution to form a new state named Sequoyah.  The Roosevelt administration had no desire to see this happen, as he was a Republican and Indian Territory would have almost certainly been a Democratic stronghold.  Congress in 1906 authorized a constitutional convention to merge the two territories.  The convention and early government was dominated by Democrats. The '''State of Oklahoma''' was officially admitted to the Union on November 16, 1907, with a democratic constitution that prohibited liquor, established [[Jim Crow]] laws, provided for the initiative and referendum, created strong county governments, regulated railroad rates, and limited the governor to one elected term.   

The combined population reached 1 million, but they resisted being joined together and desired to be admitted to the United States as separate states.  Indian Territory had even gone to the lengths of creating a constitution to form a new state named Sequoyah.  The Roosevelt administration had no desire to see this happen, as he was a Republican and Indian Territory would have almost certainly been a Democratic stronghold.  Congress in 1906 authorized a constitutional convention to merge the two territories.  The convention and early government was dominated by Democrats. The '''State of Oklahoma''' was officially admitted to the Union on November 16, 1907, with a democratic constitution that prohibited liquor, established [[Jim Crow]] laws, provided for the initiative and referendum, created strong county governments, regulated railroad rates, and limited the governor to one elected term.   

===Politics===

===Politics===

The early years of statehood were marked with political activity.  In 1910, the Democrats moved the capital to Oklahoma City, three years before the Oklahoma Organic Act allowed, in order to move away from the Republican hotbed of Guthrie.  Socialism became a growing force among struggling farmers, and Oklahoma grew to have the largest Socialist vote in the United States at the time, with the Socialist vote doubling in every election until the outbreak of [[World War I]] in 1914.<ref>Baird and Goble, ''The Story of Oklahoma'', (1994) p. 346</ref>.  However, the war drove food prices up, allowing the farmers to prosper, and the movement faded away.  By the 1920's, the Republican Party, taking advantage of rifts within the Democratic Party, gained control in the state.  The economy continued to improve,in the areas of cattle ranching, cotton, wheat, and especially, oil.

The early years of statehood were marked with political activity.  In 1910, the Democrats moved the capital to Oklahoma City, three years before the Oklahoma Organic Act allowed, in order to move away from the Republican hotbed of Guthrie.  Socialism became a growing force among struggling farmers, and Oklahoma grew to have the largest Socialist vote in the United States at the time, with the Socialist vote doubling in every election until the outbreak of [[World War I]] in 1914.<ref>Baird and Goble, ''The Story of Oklahoma'', (1994) p. 346</ref>.  However, the war drove food prices up, allowing the farmers to prosper, and the movement faded away.  By the 1920's, the Republican Party, taking advantage of rifts within the Democratic Party, gained control in the state.  The economy continued to improve,in the areas of cattle ranching, cotton, wheat, and especially, oil. Since 1968 Oklahoma has voted for the [[Republican Party]] in Presidential elections.

 

===Oil===

===Oil===

Throughout the 1920s, new oil fields were continually discovered and Oklahoma produced over 1.8 billion barrels of petroleum, valued at over 3.5 million dollars for the decade.<ref>Baird and Goble, ''The Story of Oklahoma'', (1994) p. 366</ref> In 1920 the spectacular Osage County oil field was opened, followed in 1926 by the Greater Seminole Oil Field. When the [[Great Depression]] Oklahoma and texas oil was flooding the market and prices fell to pennies a gallon. In 1931 Governor William H. Murray, acting with characteristic decisiveness, used the National Guard to shut down all of Oklahoma's oil wells in an effort to stabilize prices. National policy became using the [[Texas Railroad Commission]] to set allotments in Texas, which raised prices as well for Oklahoma crude.

Throughout the 1920s, new oil fields were continually discovered and Oklahoma produced over 1.8 billion barrels of petroleum, valued at over 3.5 million dollars for the decade.<ref>Baird and Goble, ''The Story of Oklahoma'', (1994) p. 366</ref> In 1920 the spectacular Osage County oil field was opened, followed in 1926 by the Greater Seminole Oil Field. When the [[Great Depression]] Oklahoma and texas oil was flooding the market and prices fell to pennies a gallon. In 1931 Governor William H. Murray, acting with characteristic decisiveness, used the National Guard to shut down all of Oklahoma's oil wells in an effort to stabilize prices. National policy became using the [[Texas Railroad Commission]] to set allotments in Texas, which raised prices as well for Oklahoma crude.