During the 1800s, the US government was forcibly relocating Indian tribes from all over the country into the area known as Oklahoma Territory. There was one parcel of land that was never given over to any Indian tribe - nearly 2 million acres called the Unassigned Lands. In the 1880s, many frontier Americans wanted to move into this land. Soon, landless pioneers began slipping over into this area without authorization. However, these colonists were usually quickly removed from the area by the Army.
Some people snuck over at night to stake out prime land early, hiding from the army patrols.
At noon, the cannon roared, and the hordes of people streamed over the line on wagons and buckboards, horseback, on foot and even on bicycles. Soon, nearly 10,000 people had staked out claims near the Oklahoma Station - what today is Oklahoma City. Claim jumping was common, as were boundary quarrels that led to fights and considerable bloodshed. Each person was trying to defend as large a piece of property as possible. Tents were thrown up in haphazard fashion, and confusion reined supreme.