Conclusion

What is now Oklahoma evolved from a confluence of cultures. Mississippians, Caddos, Wichitas, Spanish, English, French, and later Americans all collided in one land. Early Indigenous peoples were farmers and bison hunters with tribal organization and government. Spiro Mounds functioned as a political and religious center for the Mississippian people and also became an important trading center. In the 1700s, the Comanche empire dominated the southern plains region, including Oklahoma, using violence, diplomacy, trade, and extortion to take possession of lands and people. The coming of the Comanches displaced the Apache people who were living in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma comprises ten land regions that include plains, hills, mountains, and plateaus. Oklahoma is drained by the Red River and Arkansas River systems, which have provided for transportation and commerce over its long history. Natural resources discovered in Oklahoma included oil, zinc and lead. Oklahoma’s environmental history demonstrates the ways Oklahoma’s land and its people have influenced each other. Through the following chapters, you will learn how generations of Oklahomans have faced adversity of many kinds and have learned to work together to create a state that serves the needs of many.