Happy Birthday Arkansas!
Happy Birthday Arkansas! (June 15, 1836)
Do you know the history of our beautiful Natural State of Arkansas? The land that is today the state of Arkansas was first settled thousands of years ago by people called the Bluff Dwellers. These people lived in caves in the Ozark Mountains. Other natives moved in over time and became various Native American tribes such as the Osage, the Caddo, and the Quapaw.
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Europeans Arrive: The first European to arrive in Arkansas was Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1541. De Soto made contact with the local peoples and visited the area that is today called Hot Springs, Arkansas. It wasn't until over 100 years later that the first European settlement was established when explorer Henri de Tonti built the Arkansas Post in 1686. De Tonti would later become known as the "Father of Arkansas." Early Settlers: The Arkansas Post became a central base for fur trappers in the region. Eventually more Europeans moved to Arkansas. Many farmed the land while others continued to trap and trade furs. The land changed hands between France and Spain, but this did not affect the settlers much. |
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The Louisiana Purchase: In 1803, Thomas Jefferson and the United States purchased a large region of land from France called the Louisiana Purchase. For $15,000,000 the U.S. acquired all the land west of the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. The land of Arkansas was included in this purchase. Becoming a State: Initially Arkansas was part of the Mississippi Territory with the Arkansas Post as the capital. In 1819, it became a separate territory and a new capital was established at Little Rock in 1821. The territory continued to grow and on June 15, 1836 it was admitted into the Union as the 25th state. |
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