Known as “The Natural State” because of its landscape of mountains, lakes, hot springs and forests, Arkansas boasts a rich history, from its early Native American inhabitants and European exploration to the Civil War and the civil rights movement. Arkansas became the 25th state to join the Union on June 15, 1836. Once heavily reliant on agriculture, its economy evolved in the 20th century with the rise of major corporations like Walmart and Tyson Foods.
Arkansas' Native American History
The area now known as Arkansas (Illini for “People of the South Wind”) was inhabited by Paleo-Indians as long as 14,000 years ago. Thousands of years later, tribes, including the Quapaw, Osage and Caddo, lived in settled communities, engaging in farming, hunting and trade.
European-borne diseases such as smallpox and measles, along with conflicts with Europeans and other tribes, decimated these populations. By 1833, the Quapaw were forced onto a reservation in Indian Territory. In 1835, the Caddo were forced to cede their land and relocated to Texas, later moving to Oklahoma. The Osage faced similar pressures and eventually relocated to present-day Oklahoma.
The Trail of Tears, marking the forced removal of the Cherokee to Oklahoma following the Indian Removal Act of 1830, runs through nine states, including Arkansas. The Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole tribes were also removed from Arkansas.
Early European Exploration in Arkansas
In 1541, Spanish explorer and conquistador Hernando De Soto led the first European expedition to present-day Arkansas. More than a century later, in 1682, French explorer Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, claimed the Mississippi Valley for France, naming it Louisiana in honor of King Louis XIV. The French established Arkansas Post, the first European settlement in the area, in 1686.
In 1721, Scottish financier John Law recruited workers to the Arkansas Post with unmet promises of gold and silver mining. Despite the settlement's abandonment decades earlier, these workers stayed and were welcomed by the Quapaw. By 1731, Louisiana, including present-day Arkansas, became a royal colony of France.
The Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) led France to cede most of its North American territories to England in while secretly transferring Louisiana to Spain. The Treaty of San Ildefonso in 1800 returned Louisiana to French control. In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase integrated present-day Arkansas into the United States.
Statehood and the Civil War
Arkansas became a U.S. territory in 1819 and achieved statehood on June 15, 1836, becoming the 25th state in the Union. As a slave state, Arkansas seceded from the Union in 1861 to join the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Arkansas served as a key battleground throughout the war, with its strategic locations and resources. The state witnessed significant military action, including the Battle of Pea Ridge in March 1862, crucial in securing Missouri for the Union, and the Battle of Prairie Grove in December 1862, which helped Union forces maintain control of northwest Arkansas. The Union readmitted the state in 1868.
The Civil Rights Movement in Arkansas
Civil rights struggles in the state continued well after the 13th Amendment was ratified in 1865. The Separate Coach Law of 1891, mandating separate rail coaches for Black and white travelers, was the state’s first Jim Crow law and one of many segregation laws passed at the turn of the century.
During World War II, more than 16,000 Japanese Americans were held in Arkansas prison camps at Rohwer and Jerome as part of the nation’s internment policies.
Arkansas made national news following the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which banned segregation in public schools. On September 3, 1957, nine Black students arrived at Central High School in Little Rock on the first day of school. Called the Little Rock Nine, they faced threats from a mob gathered outside the school and were barred by the Arkansas National Guard, under orders from the governor, from entering.
The Little Rock Nine returned to the school more than two weeks later, only to be escorted out due to safety concerns as rioters erupted outside. In response, President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered U.S. military troops to escort the students into the building and protect them throughout the school year.
Arkansas' Industrial Revolution and Economic Growth
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, Arkansas experienced economic growth driven by agriculture, including rice, poultry and soybeans, as well as cotton, timber, railroad construction and mining. The state saw waves of immigration, particularly from Germany, Italy, and Eastern Europe, as people sought work in these industries.
Sam Walton founded Walmart in 1962, marking a shift toward corporate interests in the state. Headquartered in Bentonville, Walmart has been the world’s largest company in terms of revenue since 2014. Tyson Foods, a multinational meat producer, has been located in Arkansas since it was first incorporated as Tyson Feed and Hatchery in 1947.
Arkansas Quick Facts
- Date of Statehood: June 15, 1836
- Capital: Little Rock
- Population: 3,011,524 (2020 U.S. Census)
- Size: 53,179 square miles
- Nickname: The Natural State
- Motto: Regnat Populus (Latin for “The People Rule”)
- Tree: Loblolly Pine
- Flower: Apple Blossom
- Bird: Northern Mockingbird
Arkansas Interesting Facts
- Confusion over the pronunciation of Arkansas led to the state’s General Assembly passing a resolution in 1881 to clarify that it is “AR-kan-Saw” and not “Ar-KANSAS. “The pronunciation with the accent on the second syllable with the sound of “a” in “man” and the sounding of the terminal “s” is an innovation to be discouraged,” the resolution states.
- Visitors may keep any diamonds they find at the diamond-producing site Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro.
- The state has more than 2,400 lakes larger than 5 acres.
- Arkansas is home to the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains.
- Notable Arkansas residents have included former U.S. President Bill Clinton, author John Grisham, poet Maya Angelou, civil rights activist Daisy Bates and musicians Johnny Cash and Glen Campbell.
- “The Natural State” became Arkansas’s official nickname in 1995. Other nicknames have included “The Toothpick State” (referring to large knives carried by early settlers), “The Bear State” (Louisiana black bears once roamed the state); and “The Wonder State” (the official state nickname before “The Natural State,” passed in 1923.
Sources
Arkansas History Timeline, sos.arkansas.gov
Arkansas Post, nps.gov
The Little Rock Nine, nps.gov
Native American History in Arkansas, arkansas.com
Arkansas: 2020 Census, census.gov
