Arkansas History

ARKANSAS HISTORY

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Arkansas is found in the South Eastern region of the United States. The region has a

population of close to 3 million

.Geographically, current Arkansas region is more than fifty

thousand square miles and lies on the Western side of the Mississippi River. The Mississippi

delta regions are part of the lowlands while the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains are the highlands.

The Arkansas river flows across the state draining its water to the Mississippi

.The name,

Arkansas, was derived from the Osage language of the Quapaw Indians which meant ‘related

kin’. The history of Arkansas dates to a millennium ago but there is literature that proves its

existence during the archaic and paleo ages. Its history has been explored by various researchers

who have discovered historical aspects of the state. This discussion will examine the major

historical landmarks of the region. The major areas to be examined will be the archaic periods,

the colonial era, the formation of Arkansas territory, the civil war and the Arkansas in the 20

century.

Early Arkansas

In the Native American history, the Archaic age refers to the period between 9500 BC to

650 BC

. Archeologists have identified Arkansas state as one of the major areas in North

America that bare evidence of the existence of the Paleoindian groups. These groups have grown

into larger communities that reside in the Mississippian and Woodland periods. The main

cultures that were identified by within the region were the Dalton, Tom’s Brook, Poverty Point

and Big Creek

. These cultures do not correspond directly to the Arkansas Indian cultures, but

they portray the adaptation of the Native Americans. One of the evidence of the existence of

United States Census Bureau, “U.S. Census Bureau Quick facts: Arkansas.” Census.Gov. (Arkansas: US Census

Bureau, 2016): 1,

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/AR.

Williams Fred, Charles Bolton, Carl Moneyhon and LeRoy Williams, A Documentary History of Arkansas.

(Arkansas: University of Arkansas Press, 2013), 1

Ibid., 3

Ibid., 4

these cultures in the region was the discovery of the Sloan site which had numerous tools and

human remains

.This site holds a significant evidence of the early mortuary behaviors of human

beings.

Almost a thousand years ago, the Native Americans in Arkansas got into a cultural era

referred to as Mississippian. During this period, they engaged in intensive farming. They lived in

surrounded villages in houses that had mounded flat tipster and engaged in pottery, hunting, and

trade. They were divided into the complex hierarchical structure and practiced complex religion.

Fred et al mention that during this period the population of the native Americans rose to numbers

that would not be achieved for the next 300 years

. However, this number declined in the era

when the Spaniards left their country and they were affected by the Europeans diseases and wars

they engaged.

Colonial Arkansas

The beginning of the colonial period in Arkansas was marked by the coming of the

French explorers (Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet) in the 17

century

. It is estimated

that the colonial period lasted between 1686 and 1804

.The Frenchmen were attracted by the

urge of becoming powerful, gaining wealth, knowledge and converts. Their first settlement was

at Port-Royal and they expanded upstream towards Montreal. They preferred settling along the

riverbank because it supported agriculture. Some of the settlers tried to engage in fur trade but

their administrator was against it as it would tolerate idleness for the better part of the year.

Anderson, David G. "Paleoindian and Archaic Periods in North America." The Cambridge

World Prehistory, Paul Bahn and Colin Renfrew, eds (2013): 913-932.

Ibid., 914

Ibid., 920

Ibid., 930

In 1686, the Arkansas post was established by Henri De Tonti under the Louisiana

Purchase Agreement

. However, this post was faced with instability due to floods, attacks from

the Indians and changes in the strategic missions. In 1732 a French military post was established

at Arkansas post. In 1749, the post was attacked, and it was relocated 15 leagues up the river and

built a more secure post

. The establishment of these posts marked the beginning of the

friendship between the French and the Quapaw, one of the Native American tribes. This tribe

allied with the French for the fear that they may lose them to their enemies. Apart from the

military and diplomatic alliances established, the French also took up other social responsibilities

such as kinship, sexual intimacies, and intermarriages. These strategies proved very helpful

against their enemies who were also interested in the colony.

During this period, the Chickasaw

also formed an Alliance with the English. Nonetheless, the French and the Quapaw formed a

stronger alliance together against them.

Owing to the geographical isolation and rivalry among the tribes, the French went ahead

and forged relationships with the other tribes, Chickasaw and Osage Indians. Their partnership

with the Osage also began in the 17

century after their encounter with Father Jacques Marquette

and Louis Jolliet

. Other Frenchmen settled along the Missouri River which was one of the

settlement areas of the Osage tribe. The Osage benefited from the French through the exchange

of firearms with fur. The French acted as the middlemen in the fur trade. The possession of

firearms by the Osage tribe made them more powerful within the region and they controlled a

Ibid., 915

Fred William. Charles Bolton, Carl Moneyhon, and LeRoy Williams. A Documentary History

of Arkansas. (University of Arkansas Press, 2013), 5

Sonia, Toudji. Intimate Frontiers: Indians, French, and Africans in Colonial Mississippi

Valley. (Arkansas: University of Arkansas, 2012), 8

Ibid., 9

greater region of Arkansas. The French and the Osage also intermarried which strengthened the

economic bond that they had.

Entry of the Spaniards and the English did not affect the relationship between the Indians

and the French. The Spaniards and the English gave gifts and favors to the Indian tribe as

‘bribes’ to win them over. Unlike the two colonialists’ nations, the French preferred to become

socially engaged to the Indians as they saw them as allies and partners in trade. Nevertheless, this

relationship was put to test in the mid-18

century. During this period, the French, British, and

Spanish engaged in a great war to gain control over the region. At the climax of this period, the

French-Indian war began.

The war resulted in French losing and ceding the Indian territory to

the Spaniards in 1763. In 1800, after intense frustration from the French and the Osage, the

Spaniards ceded the Louisiana territory back to the French who gave it back to the United States

Government

. The American’s took charge of the region and the Louisiana Purchase kicked off

a new era where the Osages and the Chateaus worked together.

During the colonial period, slave trade became a lucrative trade. The slaves were used in

the farms and to carry the goods of trade.

This trade was influenced by various factors such as

political, economic and ritualistic factors.

Ibid., 160

Sonia, Toudji. Intimate Frontiers: Indians, French, and Africans in Colonial Mississippi

Valley. (Arkansas: University of Arkansas, 2012), 162

Ibid, 160

Ibid, 163

Dye, David H. "Long Distance Trade at European Contact in Eastern North America." (2016).

Arnold, Morris S. Colonial Arkansas, 1686-1804: a social and cultural history. (University of

Arkansas Press, 2017).

Formation of Arkansas territory

The Arkansas territory was initially referred as the Territory of Arkansas. It existed form

1819 but was handed to the US government in 1836

. It was created from a portion of the

Missouri territory and included the present-day Oklahoma state.

It lied on the southern side of

the Mississippi River and West of St Francis River. In 1824 and 1828, the westernmost portions

were reduced to the size of the present Oklahoma state. The capital was the Arkansas Post and

Little Rock. The army set camp in Fort Smith is oversaw the activities of the Indians.

Arkansas and the civil war

During the last years of 1850, Arkansas enjoyed prosperity as business boomed

throughout the state. However, between 1861 and 1865, there was a destructive civil war that

brought death and death destruction to the state

. At the beginning of the war, many Arkansans

want to secede, and an Arkansan Peace Society was formed to ensure that there was harmony

throughout the process. However, the efforts of this group were undermined by the Local

Militias. In 1862, he was within the region kicked off. This war greatly affected the functions of

the government and livelihoods of the residents of the county. Many issues on abuse of rights

were put across and the residents had to live through it as the war had affected the justice system.

In 1963, the war continued which led to the fall of Little Rock. More men were recruited, and

they ended up losing their lives. In 1864 and 1865, Arkansas state unionist drafted a new

constitution that closely matched the original document except that it outlawed slavery

. The

constitution was passed, and they formed a force that matched to the famous Red River

Ibid., 163

Roy, Gittinger. The Formation of the State of Oklahoma: 1803–1906. (Oklahoma: University

of Oklahoma Press, 2015).

Mackey, R. R. The Uncivil War: Irregular Warfare in the Upper South, 1861–1865 (Vol. 5).

(Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 2014), 1861

Ibid., 1862

expedition. The war was ended because of a shortage of supplies. Later, Price Missouri led a raid

to Hainesport, but it failed after only a few men survived the trek. The war began to die down

and it ended completely in June 1865. After the war, the Arkansans had to reconstruct the state

and bring it back to normalcy.

Much of the rest of the 19

century was spent to regain what was

lost during the war.

Arkansas in the 20

century

The 20

century was marked by challenges and opportunities for Arkansas State,

especially in the first four decades. The state introduced some movement that was known as

progressivism that was aimed at bringing significant reforms in the various sectors in the state.

The major target areas were women rights and convict leasing laws. Women were given more

rights from oppression, the convict leasing system ended in 1912 after it became difficult to

make prisoners honor the leasing contracts. The progressive system also targeted the education

system. The education system was improved through funding from the increased taxes paid by

the public. The transportation sector was improved during this era as more roads were

constructed and rehabilitated. Nonetheless, the county put itself into debts. The agricultural

sector was affected. A system of sharecropping and tenancy placed a huge burden of debt on the

farmers. There were also issues of race during this period as the African American’s felt

oppressed by the whites. Several court cases such as Robinson V Holman was filed. The era of

DeBlack, Thomas. "Civil War Through Reconstruction, 1861 Through 1874 - Encyclopedia of

Arkansas". (2017) in Encyclopediaofarkansas.Net.

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=388.

the Great Depression occurred during this era. The cost of living was high, wages were low, and

many people could not afford basic needs. This lead to poverty across the state.

During world war II, the state once again prospered. The black community moved to

California where there were better jobs. The Agricultural sector also flourished. Later, Bill

Clinton became the elected to the Presidential position. He was born and raised in Arkansas

State. Changes in racial attitude have also created an ample environment for the African

Communities to flourish, especially in the south.

In conclusion, the history of Arkansas is encompassed by challenges and

accomplishments. The state began as a colonial center where the French, Spaniards, and English

fought for dominance. The French’s strategy of forming alliances with the Native Americans

proved to be successful as they reaped generously from Agriculture and Fur Trade. Nevertheless,

the American government took over the region and in the process of reorganizing the structures,

a civil war erupted. This war adversely affected the economy of the region. Though with

challenges, Arkansas was able to get back on its feet in the after the war and prospered greatly

throughout the world war II and into the 21

century.

Whayne, Jeannie. "Early Twentieth Century, 1901 Through 1940 - Encyclopedia of

Arkansas". (2017). Encyclopediaofarkansas.Net.

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=403.

Bibliography

United States Census Bureau, "U.S. Census Bureau Quick facts: Arkansas" In Census.Gov, 1-3,

2016. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/AR.

Anderson, David. "Paleoindian and Archaic Periods in North America." In the Cambridge World

Prehistory, Paul Bahn and Colin Renfrew, eds 2013: 913-932.

Arnold, Morris. Colonial Arkansas, 1686-1804: a social and cultural history. Arkansas:

University of Arkansas Press, 2017.

DeBlack, Thomas. "Civil War Through Reconstruction, 1861 Through 1874 - Encyclopedia of

Arkansas". In Encyclopediaofarkansas.Net.

2017.http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-

detail.aspx?entryID=388.

Dye, David H. "Long Distance Trade at European Contact in Eastern North America." 2016.

Gittinger, Roy. The Formation of the State of Oklahoma: 1803–1906. Oklahoma: University of

Oklahoma Press, 2015.

Mackey, R. R. The Uncivil War: Irregular Warfare in the Upper South, 1861–1865 (Vol. 5).

Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 2014.

Toudji, Sonia. Intimate Frontiers: Indians, French, and Africans in Colonial Mississippi Valley.

Arkansas: University of Arkansas, 2012.

Whayne, Jeannie. "Early Twentieth Century, 1901 Through 1940 - Encyclopedia of Arkansas" In

Encyclopediaofarkansas.Net.2017.

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=403.

Williams Fred, Charles Bolton, Carl Moneyhon, and LeRoy Williams, eds. A Documentary

History of Arkansas. Arkansas: University of Arkansas Press, 2013.

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