Oklahoma’s 1889 free-for-all: where settlers hurt each other for free land

Wikimedia Commons/DonBeroni

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The 1889 Oklahoma Land Run’s Deadly Cheating Scandal

The Oklahoma Land Run of 1889 turned into a bloodbath when greed met opportunity.

On April 22, some 50,000 settlers lined up to race for free homesteads, but many “Sooners” cheated by sneaking in early. When the bugle blew, these hidden cheaters “rose from the ground” to claim the best plots…

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