Arkansas is influenced by the Hopewell Culture through trade and rituals. -Large earthen mounds are built by the Plum Bayou culture in central Arkansas.
The Mississippians thrive on agriculture and build towns. The St. Francis River becomes the home of the Parkin Indians. See: Berry, Trey. The Arkansas Journey. Gibbs Smith, 2007, pp. 32-3.
Spanish conquistador, Hernando De Soto, leads the first European expedition into Arkansas.
Frenchmen Father Marquette and Louis Jolliet explore the Mississippi River and decide that it flows into the Gulf of Mexico and not the Pacific Ocean.
Renee-Robert Cavelier de La Salle was the first European to travel the length of the Mississippi River. His mission was to explore and establish fur-trade routes along the river.
Arkansas Post is founded by Henri de Tonti. Established as a trading post, travel station and Jesuit mission, it was the first European settlement in the lower Mississippi Valley.
Land speculator John Law leads a failed attempt to settle the area around Arkansas Post.
Adventurer Bernard de la Harpe travels up the Arkansas River seeking precious metals. He finds none but his journal describes the area of present-day Little Rock.
The area of land known as Louisiana becomes a royal colony of France. This includes present-day Arkansas.
As part of a larger conflict between the Chicasaw Indians and French settlers, Arkansas Post was attacked by 150 Choctaw warriors, destroying homes, killing men, and taking women and children captive.
As part of treaty at the close of the Seven Years' War in Europe, the French agree to pass the Louisiana Territory in North America to the Spanish.
Led by former British captain James Colbert, Choctaw, Chickasaw and English soliders conducted a brief siege of the Spanish-controlled Arkansas Post. This attack is considered to be the only battle that took place in Arkansas during the Revolutionary War.
French and Spanish diplomats sign the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso, which returns Louisiana to French control. The Spanish receive lands in Italy as payment.
President Thomas Jefferson purchases the Louisiana Territory for 15 million dollars from Napoleon, ruler of France. Consequently, the area of land known as Arkansas is now owned by the United States.
President Thomas Jefferson sends William Hunter and George Dunbar to explore the southern section of the District of Louisiana. They traveled as far as present day Hot Springs.
The southern part of the New Madrid district of Louisiana Territory is split off and named “District of Arkansaw.”
U.S. Census reveals 1,000 persons living in the “Arkansaw” District (not counting American Indians).
Between December 1811 and April 1812, a series of earthquakes hit Northeast Arkansas, though the tremors were felt throughout the region. The New Madrid Earthquakes remain the strongest to hit the eastern half of the United States in recorded history.
In 1812, Louisiana became the 18th state admitted to the Union and Arkansas became an portion of the newly created Missouri Territory.
Arkansas’s first post office opens in Davidsonville, in Lawrence County.
In exchange for land in Tennessee and Georgia, the Cherokee are given land in Northwest Arkansas. They will later be forced to resettle to Oklahoma, or the Indian Territory, in what is now known as the Trail of Tears.
In November 1817, the first American troops arrived at Belle Point and began building the first structures. The principal purpose of the fort was to keep the peace between the Osage and Cherokee tribes that had entered the area.
On March 2, President James Monroe signs an Act of Congress creating the Territory of Arkansas. James Miller is appointed the first governor of Arkansas Territory and Robert Crittenden is chosen as the first territorial secretary. On July 28, the first Territorial Legislature meets at Arkansas Post.
On November 2, William Woodruff publishes the first edition of the Arkansas Gazette at Arkansas Post
First elected Territorial General Assembly meets at Arkansas Post.
In October, General Andrew Jackson signs a treaty with the Choctaw nation, granting the Choctaw lands in western Arkansas.
Henry Schoolcraft and Thomas Nuttall publish books claiming the beauty and potential of Arkansas.
Seeking higher ground, the capital of Arkansas Territory moves upriver from Arkansas Post to Little Rock. The Arkansas Gazette newspaper moves also.
The Eagle became the first steamboat to travel up the Arkansas River to Little Rock.
Chico County (Southwestern part of the teritory) is established by the Territorial Legislature.
Crawford County in Northwest Arkansas, Phillips County in Eastern Arkansas and Independence County of Northeast Arkansas are established.
First school in Little Rock opens on Rock Street.
The Quapaw American Indians are forced to give up their lands south of the Arkansas River.
George Izard named the second territorial governor.
Izard County is established in Northeastern Arkansas.
Quapaw Indians are moved to Louisiana alongside the Caddo Indians.
Conway (North central Arkansas) and Crittenden (Northeastern Arkansas) Counties are established.
Hiram A. Whittington, with the support of William Woodruff, open a lending library in Little Rock.
Small Pox epidemic reaches Arkansas. Stringent procedures are put into place to prevent its spread.
Construction of the Memphis Military Road between Memphis and Little Rock.
Lafayette County is established in Southwestern Arkansas.
Lovely County is created in Western Arkansas. It disappears in less than one year.
A duel between Arkansas politicians, Robert Crittenden and Henry Conway takes place. Conway is wounded and later dies.
Cherokee Indians of Arkansas exchange their land in Northwest Arkansas for one million acres in eastern Oklahoma.
The first Presbyterian congregation is organized by missionary James W. Moore in Little Rock.
Sevier (Southwestern Arkansas) and Washington County (Northwestern Arkansas)are established.
Hot Spring County (Southern Arkansas), Jackson County (Northeastern, Arkansas), Monroe County (Eastern Arkansas), Jefferson County (Southern Arkansas), Pope County (Northern Arkansas) , and Union County (Southern Arkansas) are established.
John Pope is appointed as the third territorial governor of Arkansas.
Chief Saracen of the Quapaw tribes leads his people back to their former lands along the Arkansas River.
U.S. Congress establishes the boundary separating Arkansas from Indian Territory.
We'd love to hear from you. Please send questions or feedback to the below email addresses.
Before contacting us, you may wish to visit our FAQs page which has lots of useful info on Tiki-Toki.
We can be contacted by email at: hello@tiki-toki.com.
You can also follow us on twitter at twitter.com/tiki_toki.
If you are having any problems with Tiki-Toki, please contact us as at: help@tiki-toki.com
Close