The
Territory of Arkansas, initially organized as the
Territory of Arkansaw, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1819, until June 15, 1836, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the
UnionThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as the State of Arkansas.
History
The Arkansas Territory was created from the portion of the
Missouri TerritoryThe Territory of Missouri was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 4, 1812, until August 10, 1821, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Missouri.-History:...
lying south of a point on the
Mississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico....
at
36 degrees north latitudeThe 36th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 36 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane.Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 36° north passes through:-United States:...
running west to the
St. Francois RiverThe Saint Francis River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, about 470 mi long, in southeastern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas in the United States...
, then followed the river to 36 degrees 30 minutes north latitude, then west to the territorial boundary. This included all of the present state
OklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,617,316 residents in 2007 and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
south of the
parallel 36°30' northThe parallel 36°30' north is a circle of latitude that is 36.5 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane, and is particularly significant in the history of the United States as the line of the Missouri Compromise.-Geography:...
. The westernmost portion of the territory was removed on 1824-11-15, a second westernmost portion was removed on 1828-05-06, reducing the territory to the extent of the present state of Arkansas.
Originally the western border created in 1828 they intended the western border of Missouri to go due south to the Red River. During negotiations with the
ChoctawThe Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States . They are of the Muskogean linguistic group...
in 1820, however,
Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . He was military governor of Florida , commander of the American forces at the Battle of New Orleans , and eponym of the era of Jacksonian democracy...
unknowingly ceded more of Arkansas territory. Then in 1824, after further negotiations, the Choctaw agreed to move farther west, but only by "100 paces" of the actual garrison on Belle Point. This resulted in the bend in the common border at
Fort Smith, ArkansasFort Smith is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 80,268 at the 2000 census, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 288,818 residents which...
.
Until Oklahoma received statehood, Fort Smith served as the ostensible legal authority overseeing the Oklahoma Territory.The Army oversaw issues dealing with the Indian Nations. Civil and criminal law was dealt with by court administered Judge Isaac C Parker who hanged 61 people.
Arkansas Post was the first territorial capital (1819-1821) and
Little RockLittle Rock is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Pulaski County. The Metropolitan Statistical Area, had a population of 675,069 people, according to 2008 census estimates...
was the second (1821-1836).
See also
- Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819
- Historic regions of the United States
This is a list of historic regions of the United States, defined as regions that were legal entities in the past.-Colonial era :-The Thirteen Colonies:* Province of New Hampshire* Province of Massachusetts Bay...
- History of Arkansas
Arkansas was the 25th state admitted to the United States.-Exploration and early inhabitation:Indigenous peoples inhabited the area now known as Arkansas for thousands of years before the first European explorers....
- Territorial evolution of the United States
This is a list of the evolution of the borders of the United States. This lists each change to the internal and external borders of the country, as well as status and name changes. It also shows the surrounding areas that eventually became part of the United States...
- Territories of Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
that encompassed land that would later become part of the Territory of Arkansas:
- Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya was the first province in the north of the Viceroyalty of New Spain to be explored and settled by the Spanish. It consisted mostly of the area which is today the states of Chihuahua and Durango.-Early exploration and the Viceroyalty:...
, 1562-1821
- Santa Fé de Nuevo Méjico, 1598-1821
- Tejas
Spanish Texas was one of the interior provinces of New Spain from 1690 until 1821. Although Spain nominally claimed ownership of the territory, which comprised part of modern-day Texas, including the land north of the Medina and Nueces Rivers, the Spanish did not attempt to colonize the area until...
, 1690-1821
- Luisiana
Louisiana was the name of an administrative district of New Spain from 1764 to 1803 that represented territory west of the Mississippi River basin, plus New Orleans, Louisiana...
, 1764-1803
- Territory of France
France , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
that encompassed land that would later become part of the Territory of Arkansas:
- Louisiane
Louisiana or French Louisiana was the name of an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682-1763 and 1800-03, the area was named in honor of Louis XIV of France, by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle...
, 1682–1764 and 1803
- U.S. territories that encompassed land that would later become part of the Territory of Arkansas:
- Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of the French territory Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
, 1803-1804
- District of Louisiana
The District of Louisiana or Louisiana District was an official United States government designation for the portion of the Louisiana Purchase that had not been organized into the Territory of Orleans. The area north of present-day Arkansas was also known as Upper Louisiana...
, 1804-1805
- Territory of Louisiana, 1805-1812
- Territory of Missouri, 1812-1821
- U.S. territories that encompassed land that was previously part of the Territory of Arkansas:
- Indian territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the use of Native Americans...
, 1834-1907
- Territory of Oklahoma, 1890-1907
- U.S. states that encompass land that was once part of the Territory of Arkansas:
- State of Arkansas, 1836
- State of Oklahoma, 1907
External links