Oklahoma Statehood Day marks November 16, 1907, when President Theodore Roosevelt signed the presidential proclamation admitting Oklahoma as the 46th state of the United States, honoring its rich Native American heritage, pioneer grit, and prairie spirit.
The name 'Oklahoma' is derived from two Choctaw words: okla (people) and humma (red), proposed by Choctaw Chief Allen Wright in 1866. Throughout the late 19th century, the region was divided into Oklahoma Territory in the west and Indian Territory in the east, which had been designated for Native American nations forcibly removed during the Trail of Tears. In 1905, tribal leaders met at the Sequoyah Constitutional Convention in Eufaula, drafting a constitution for a separate Native American state to be named 'Sequoyah'. Although the U.S. Congress rejected a dual-state solution, it passed the Oklahoma Enabling Act of 1906, uniting both territories. On November 16, 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt signed Proclamation 780, officially declaring Oklahoma the 46th state. The day was marked in Guthrie by a symbolic wedding ceremony between a bride representing Indian Territory and a groom representing Oklahoma Territory, celebrating their union into the 'Sooner State'.
