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The United States Grows
(1865-1900)
 The Sooner State

The Sooner State

A Short Reader

Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 4 to 6
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   3.86

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    deputy, sooners, stake, rifles, plots, state, jobs, ambitious, hopeful, alive, opportunity, territory, early, free, life, spirit
     content words:    Land Run, President Cleveland, On April, Oklahoma Land Run, So Oklahoma, In Oklahoma

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The Sooner State
By Erin Horner 		  
1     Oklahoma is the Sooner state. But what is a Sooner? The answer dates back to the Land Run of 1889. Back then, Oklahoma was still a territory. It was full of unclaimed land. President Cleveland signed an exciting new bill. This bill allowed people to legally stake out and settle on some of this land. Each interested person could claim 160 acres.
 
2     Many people jumped at this chance. They came to the Oklahoma territory from all over the world. They came looking for free land. They also came looking for a new life. On April 22, 1889, at 12:00 pm the hopeful settlers got their chance. Rifles, cannons, and trumpeters sounded at the same time. This signaled the start of the race to find land. Men entered with their wagons and horses. They all hoped to find the best plots available. It was very hectic. It was also very exciting. This became known as the "Land Run of 1889." It was also known as the "Oklahoma Land Run."

Paragraphs 3 to 4:
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