Partly-printed DS as president, one page, 8 x 10, March 13, 1885. President Cleveland directs the Secretary of State to cause the Seal of the United States to be affixed to “my Proclamation dated this day, and signed by me.” Signed neatly at the conclusion by Grover Cleveland. In fine condition.
On this date, President Cleveland signed Proclamation 266, entitled ‘Prohibition of Non-Indian Settlement of Oklahoma Lands in the Indian Territory,’ which reaffirmed that lands designated as Indian Territory were reserved for the exclusive use of Native American tribes and were not open for settlement by non-Indians. Proclamation 266 was issued to prevent illegal encroachment by settlers and to maintain the government's treaty obligations to Native American tribes. It warned that federal authorities would forcibly remove any non-Indian settlers who entered or settled on these lands, as their presence was considered unlawful.
The background of this proclamation lies in the growing pressure from non-Native settlers who were eager to claim land in what was then Indian Territory. The U.S. government had earlier signed treaties with various Native American tribes, promising them these lands in perpetuity. However, as westward expansion increased, settlers became more interested in the fertile land in the territory. By the late 1880s, under increasing political pressure, the U.S. government began opening parts of Indian Territory to non-Indian settlement, most notably through the 1889 Land Run of Oklahoma.
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