June 15 – Celebrating Arkansas's Statehood

Posted on June 15, 2016

On this date in 1836, Arkansas joined the United States as a fully fledged state (rather than a territory).

But not for all that long—in 1861 Arkansas lawmakers voted to secede from the Union and join the Confederate States of America. Of course, after the Civil War, Arkansas rejoined.

Arkansas went from a territory that was stereotyped as a home for banjo-pickin' hillbillies, and a state that relied on slavery and the plantation economy, to a modern state with tons of culture and a diversified economy with everything from service industry and aircraft manufacture to poultry and tourism. But people sometimes ignore the reality and stick with the old-time stereotype.

I didn't know that Arkansas's nickname is “the Natural State.” But let's check out some of its natural beauty:

Wonderful rivers, such as Buffalo National River (the first designated national river in the U.S.!)...