American Indian ancestors inhabited the area for centuries, then in 1541 the Spanish arrived to search for gold.They were followed 131 years later by the French who claimed the Mississippi Valley for France.
riginally part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, Arkansas was organized into a territory in 1819 and still shares most of those original borders today. Drawn into the Civil War by its decision to secede from the Union, it witnessed major battles fought on its soil. When the war ended, growth and recovery began, and Arkansas grew from a vast wilderness into a thriving U.S. state. Made additionally famous by former U.S. President Clinton ( his boyhood home in Hope ), it's a handsome place known for its green valleys and thick forests. Tourists by the thousands come for the Arkansa's history and scenery, and for the therapeutic springs and resorts in the Hot Springs area.