Oklahoma Territorial Legislature
| Oklahoma Territorial Legislature | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses | Oklahoma Territorial Council Oklahoma Territorial House of Representatives |
|
Term limits
|
12 years |
| Structure | |
| Authority | Oklahoma Organic Act of 1890 |
| Meeting place | |
| Guthrie, Oklahoma | |
The Oklahoma Territorial Legislature was the legislative branch of the government of the Oklahoma Territory. It was organized as a bicameral legislature with a territorial council and a territorial house of representatives. They met for 120-day sessions in Guthrie, Oklahoma.
George W. Steele of Indiana, the first Oklahoma territorial governor, scheduled the election of the first legislature for August 5, 1890. The elected lawmakers met for the first time later that year. The Oklahoma Territorial Legislature met for the last time in 1905.
The territorial legislature was responsible for establishing higher education institutions in the region.
The People's Party rose during the Territorial era and voters sent several Populist candidates to the legislature. A large majority of Populist legislators were farmers. Populists elected five of 39 territorial legislators in 1890, but led through a coalition of Populists, Democrats, and renegade Republicans. They were responsible for the location of what would become Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.George Gardenhire served as the First Territorial Senate President and Arthur N. Daniels as Territorial House Speaker.
The question of where the capitol would be located was what drove the coalition that wrested power away from Republicans. Generally, the Democrats were in favor of Oklahoma City while the Republicans favored Guthrie, but the two Republicans who joined the coalition of Democrats and Populists were from Oklahoma City. With 14 Democratic lawmakers, five Populists, and two Republicans, the coalition had 21 of the 39 seats. However, a veto by the territorial governor blocked the 1890 effort to relocate the capitol.
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