Antebellum Arkansas

George Izard became governor of Arkansas Territory

Mar 2, 1819

Arkansas Becomes A Territory

Mar 2, 1819

Arkansas Post Is Named the Territorial Capital

Mar 2, 1819

Antebellum Arkansas

Period: Mar 2, 1819 to May 6, 1861

James Miller Becomes The First Governer Of Arkansas

Mar 3, 1819

William Woodruff established the Arkansas Gazette

Nov 20, 1819

Capital Is Moved To Little Rock

Mar 3, 1821

Crittenden and Conway duel

Mar 5, 1827

Conway was shot in less than 2 weeks.

Political Warfare between the “Family “ and the Whigs began

Mar 9, 1831

The Old State House was built and became the HQ for Arkansas’s Government

Apr 28, 1833

Arkansas becomes the 25th state

Mar 28, 1836

Banking Crisis in Arkansas

Mar 28, 1836

The Bank of Arkansas became the first bank to serve the needs of the state and to encourage new buisness activity. Many wealthy planters and government leaders were accused of wrongdoing in the bank scandal.

The Wilson-Anthony Stabbing

Dec 4, 1837

The only recorded violent death on the floor of the Arkansas General Assembly occurred on December 4, 1837, in a knife brawl leaving state Representative Major Joseph J. Anthony of Randolph County dead at the hands of Speaker of the House Colonel John Wilson of Clark County, who was subsequently expelled and tried for murder. The Arkansas Gazette cited it as “another example of the barbarity of life in Arkansas,” lamenting how it “stained the history of the state.”

The Mexican American War

Jun 28, 1846

In the end, The United States won the war.

The Song “The Arkansas Traveler” was established

Sep 28, 1847

Compromise of 1850

Aug 31, 1850

America was facing a battle over slavery. Southern politicians were unhappy about California's petition to enter the nation as a free state. Such an entry would disrupt the carefully planned balance.

Memphis and Little Rock Rail Road opens

Jun 30, 1851

Freight and passengers could not travel between Hopefield ad Madison along the St. Francis River.

Kansas Nebraska Act

Jun 30, 1854

The bill promoted the idea of "popular soverginity". The new act put an end to the previous restrictions created in the Missouri Compromise of 1850.

Abraham Lincoln is elected President

Nov 6, 1860

Surrender of the Arsenal at Little Rock

Feb 28, 1861

Arkansas Votes not secede from the Union

Mar 29, 1861

Civil War begins

Apr 28, 1861

Arkansas joins the confederacy

May 28, 1861