State of Arkansas

Coat of Arms of the State of Arkansas.

Map of Arkansas counties in 1819.

Map of Arkansas counties in 1828.

Map of Arkansas counties in 1836.

Map of Arkansas counties in 1850.

The State of Arkansas was originally a part of the Louisiana Territory acquired from France in 1803. It later was part of Missouri Territory, and in 1813 most of what became the state formed Arkansas County, with Arkansas Post as the county seat. In 1819 the county became the Territory of Arkansas, with a capitol at Arkansas Post. In 1820 the territorial capitol moved to Little Rock.

Arkansas was admitted to the Union on June 15, 1836. It was the twenty-fifth state to join the Union. Arkansas' admission to the United States is enshrined in the Constitution of 1836. The state had four subsequent constitutions in 1861, 1864, 1868, and 1874. The state today shares borders with Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.

1 Early Inhabitants
2 European Exploration
3 Permanent Settlement
4 Arkansas Territory
5 Statehood
6 Antebellum Arkansas
7 Civil War
8 Reconstruction
9 Progressive Era
10 World War I
11 Great Depression
12 World War II
13 Civil Rights Struggle
14 Demographics
15 State Departments, boards, commissions, committees, and councils
16 References
17 External links

Early Inhabitants

Prehistoric tribes:

Folsom people

Mississippian Indians

Plum Bayou culture

Historic tribes:

Caddo

Cahinnio

Cherokee

Chickasaw

Choctaw

Illinois

Kaskinampo

Michigamea

Mosopelea

Ofo

Osage

Quapaw

European Exploration

The French and Spanish governed Arkansas from 1686 through 1803. The Arkansas area became part of the United States in the Louisiana Purchase.

Permanent Settlement

Arkansas Post

Arkansas Territory

The Territory of Arkansas was designated by the U.S. Congress on March 2, 1819, when an area roughly shaped like the present State of Arkansas was cleaved away from the Territory of Missouri. Arkansas Post was originally established as the seat of territorial government, but in 1820 the capitol was moved west to Little Rock.

Arkansas Territorial Censuses

1823 -
1829 -
1830 -

Statehood

Arkansas achieved statehood on June 15, 1836.

Antebellum Arkansas

Trail of Tears

Civil War

Reconstruction

Progressive Era

World War I

Great Depression

World War II

Civil Rights Struggle

Demographics

According to the U.S. Census Bureau the population of the state in 2005 was 2,779,154. The largest city in the state is Little Rock with a population of 184,081 in 2004.

Arkansas population:

1836 - 51,809 (9,838 black)
1860 - 435,450
2005 - 2,779,154

State Departments, boards, commissions, committees, and councils

References

David Yancey Thomas, Arkansas and Its People: A History, 1541-1930 (American Historical Society, 1930).

External links

Official homepage of the State of Arkansas