In 1866, Lawrence introduced a bill creating the Territory of Lincoln from the land that is now Oklahoma. (This is not to be confused with the State of Lincoln proposal made in 1869 for southern Texas, nor the Lincoln proposed for the Pacific Northwest.) Lawrence reintroduced the bill in 1867. The proposal was that all territorial officers and voters would initially be “American citizens of African descent,” and the territorial legislature could later choose to change eligibility. However, neither bill got out of committee.