One of the
Southwestern States; discovered by
De Soto in 1541, who crossed the
Mississippi near the site of
Helena.
It was next visited by
father Marquette (q. v.) in 1673.
It was originally a part of
Louisiana, purchased from the
French in 1803, and so remained until 1812, when it formed a part of
Missouri Territory.
It was erected into a Territory in 1819, with its present name, and remained under a territorial government until 1836, when a convention at
Little Rock, its present capital, formed a State constitution.
Its first territorial legislature met at
Arkansas Post in 1820.
On June 15, 1836,
Arkansas was admitted into the
Union as a State.
In 1861 the people of
Arkansas were attached to the
Union, but, unfortunately, the governor and most of the leading politicians of the
State were disloyal, and no effort was spared by them to obtain the passage of an ordinance of secession.
For this purpose a State convention of delegates assembled at the capital (
Little Rock) on March 4, 1861.
It was composed of seventy-five members, of whom forty were such stanch
Unionists that it was evident that no ordinance of secession could be passed.
The friends of secession then proposed a plan that seemed fair.
A self-constituted committee reported to the convention an ordinance providing for an election to be held on the first Monday in August, at which the legal voters of the
State should decide, by ballot, for “secession” or “co-operation.”
If a majority should appear for “secession,” that fact would be considered in the light of instructions to the convention to pass an ordinance to that effect; if for
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“co-operation,” then measures were to be used, in conjunction with the border slave States “yet in the
Union,” for the settlement of existing difficulties.
The next session of the convention was fixed for Aug. 17.
The proposition seemed so fair that it was adopted by unanimous vote, and the convention adjourned, subject to the call of its president, who was known as a Union man.
Taking advantage of the excitement incident to the attack on
Fort Sumter and the
President's call for troops, the governor (
Rector) and his disloyal associates adopted measures for arraying
Arkansas among the “seceded States.”
In violation of the pledge of the convention that the whole matter should be determined by the people in August, the governor induced the president of the convention to call that body together on May 6.
It met on that day. Seventy delegates were present.
An ordinance of secession, previously prepared, was presented to it at three o'clock in the afternoon, when the hall in which the delegates met was crowded by an excited multitude.
It was moved that the “yeas” and “nays” on the question should be taken without debate.
Though the motion was rejected by a considerable majority, the president declared it carried.
Then a vote on the ordinance was taken.
There seemed to be a majority against it; but the president arose and earnestly exhorted the Unionists to change their votes, which they did, as they perceived a determination on the part of the crowd of spectators to compel them to do so. The place (the hall of the House of Representatives) was densely packed with human beings.
As each vote was given there was a solemn stillness, and one Union man after another prefaced his vote by some stirring sentiment in favor of the
South.
When the result was announced--69 for the ordinance, to 1 against it — there was tremendous cheering.
The negative vote was given by
Isaac Murphy, who was the
Union governor of
Arkansas in 1864.
Meanwhile the
State authorities had seized the national property in the
State.
During almost the whole period of the war, National or Confederate troops occupied the
State; and one of the most hotly contested battles of the war was fought on its soil (see
Pea Ridge). On Oct. 30, 1863, a meeting of loyal citizens, representing about twenty counties, was held at
Fort Smith, to take measures for reorganizing the
State government.
In January following, a convention, composed of representatives of
forty-two counties, assembled at
Little Rock, and framed a loyal constitution, which was ratified by the people in March, 1864.
Members of the legislature were elected, and in April a State government was organized.
In 1867 military rule was established in
Arkansas, which, with
Mississippi, constituted a military district.
A new constitution was framed by a convention at
Little Rock, Jan. 7, 1868, and was ratified by a small majority in March.
On June 22, Congress declared
Arkansas entitled to representation in that body, and the administration of the government was transferred to the civil authority.
Population in 1890, 1,125,385; in 1900, 1,311,564.
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United States Senators from the
State of Arkansas.
