Spaniard Hernando de Soto was among
the early European explorers to visit the territory
in the mid-16th century, but it was a Frenchman,
Henri de Tonti, who in 1686 founded the first
permanent white settlement—the Arkansas Post. In
1803 the area was acquired by the U.S. as part of
the Louisiana Purchase.
Part of the Territory of Missouri from 1812, the
area became a separate entity in 1819 after the
first large wave of settlers arrived. The next
several decades were marked by the development of
the cotton industry and the spread of the Southern
plantation system west into Arkansas. Arkansas
joined the Confederacy in 1861, but from 1863 the
northern part of the state was occupied by Union
troops.
Food products are the state's largest employing
sector, with lumber and wood products a close
second. Arkansas is also a leader in the production
of cotton, rice, and soybeans. It also has the
country's only active diamond mine; located near
Murfreesboro, it is operated as a tourist
attraction.
Hot Springs National Park and Buffalo National River
in the Ozarks are major state attractions. Blanchard
Springs Caverns, the Historic Arkansas Museum at
Little Rock, the William J. Clinton Birthplace in
Hope, and the Arkansas Folk Center in Mountain View
are also of interest. |
