The first people to live on the land now called Arkansas arrived around 11,650 BC. Thousands of years later, around 650 AD, a group of Native Americans called the Plum Bayou built the mysterious mud mounds that can still be seen today in the Toltec Mounds Archaeological State Park. Other Indian tribes that lived on the land included the Caddo, Chickasaw, Osage, Quapo, and Tunica. The first European to reach the area was the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1541. In 1682, the land was claimed by France as part of the Louisiana Territory, a vast mass of land including much of the central United States. This territory was acquired by the United States in 1803. Nearly thirty years later, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, which forced the Native Americans to leave the area and move west to the Mississippi River. Thousands of Native Americans died on this journey, known as the Trail of Tears. A few years later, Arkansas became the 25th US state. See Arkansas cities.
In 1861, at the start of the Civil War, Arkansas was a Confederate state. This meant that he wanted to secede from the United States and form another country with other neighboring states. But the loyalty of Arkansasians was divided, with many fighting for the Union. (The Confederacy would lose the war, keeping the Union intact.) The story began in 1957, when nine African-American students were escorted by the Army to Little Rock Central High School, which had previously only allowed white students to attend. This was a milestone in the national civil rights movement. The name Arkansas comes from the Quapaw Indians, whom the French called “Arkansas”. Arkansas is called a natural state because of its beautiful lakes, rivers, mountains, and wildlife.
Geography of Arkansas
According to itypetravel.com, Arkansas is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its eastern border is formed almost entirely by the Mississippi River. The state can be divided into five regions. The mountainous region of the Ozarks rises to the northwest and is a forested region with plateaus and deep valleys. Mammoth Spring State Park is located in this area. Nine million gallons of water flow through the park every hour. The Arkansas River Valley lies south of the Ozarks and includes the state’s largest river, the Arkansas. It is home to the state’s highest point, Journal Gora. The Ouachita Mountains are found in western and central Arkansas and are known for their parallel ranges and valleys. The smallest national park in the United States, Hot Springs is also located in this region. Natural springs here can reach 143℉. The Western Gulf Coastal Plain lies to the south and southwest. It is lowland with pine forests and farms. The alluvial plain of the Mississippi runs from north to south along the Mississippi River. A mostly fertile lowland, it is also called a delta.
Wildlife of Arkansas
Elk, badgers, and eastern spotted skunks are some of the mammals of Arkansas. The state’s birds include red-tailed hawks, ivory-billed woodpeckers, and indigo buntings. Amphibians such as cricket frogs and Ouachita dark salamanders can be found in Arkansas. Western pygmy rattlesnakes and eastern collar lizards are some of the reptiles running around the state. Common trees include hickory, plum, hawthorn, and pine. Maple leaf oak exists only in Arkansas. Wildflowers are plentiful and include American beauty, wild bergamot, and orange echinacea.
