Arkansas State Study

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Do you or your kids know why the letter ‘S’ is silent at the end of Arkansas? Have you ever heard of a toothpick gun? You can learn all about these facts and more through this Arkansas State Study.

I’m a phonetical speller, so growing up when I had to spell ‘Arkansas’, I would sound it out phonetically prior to spelling it.

Which means that I technically was pronouncing it incorrectly, since the ‘S’ at the end is silent. However, I have always spelled it correctly in my writing and pronounced it properly when speaking. That’s all that matters right?

I designed this Arkansas State Study to make learning about ‘The Natural State’, both a fun and educational experience. I’ve included videos, articles, literature options, state facts, famous landmarks and more to provide thorough learning opportunities for your children.

Arkansas State Study

History of the State of Arkansas

Arkansas State History Timeline

The History of Arkansas

Arkansas History

Encyclopedia of Arkansas

Civil Rights History of Arkansas

Arkansas’ Native American History

Climate Summaries of Arkansas

Arkansas’ Presidential Election Voting History

This Day in Arkansas History

All About Arkansas

Year Arkansas Became a State

June 15, 1836

State Capital

Little Rock

State Abbreviation

State Population

As of 2010, the population of Arkansas was 2,915,918, but an estimate done in 2019 had the population at 3,017,804.

State Size
53,179 square miles

State Name Origin

The name Arkansas came from the French settlers who called the Native Americans of the Quapaw tribe by their Algonquian name Arkansa, meaning “the people who live downstream”. In 1803, English settlers who took over the area after the Louisiana Purchase adopted the spelling of the area from the French and modified it to “Arkansas”. There was a very heated debate in 1881 in the Arkansas legislature as to the pronunciation. It was at that time officially ruled that the “S” on the end be silent (as in French pronunciation) so as not to be confused with Kansas.

State Motto

Regnat populus- “The people rule”.

It is unsure who chose the motto for the state of Arkansas, but it is widely believed to be Samuel Calhoun Roane. He was the recording clerk for the first territorial assembly in 1864 and is credited for creating the initial design for the territorial seal and chose the motto “Regnant populi” which was placed on the seal. Later on May 24, 1907, the motto was modified to “Regnat Populus”. This was done to more accurately express the idea “the people rule”(as in once unified group) since the phrase “Regnant populi” in the Latin plural gives the impression of more than one group ruling.

State Nickname

Arkansas has had several nicknames. Including; “The Bear State” because of its large population of bears and “The Toothpick State” because the toothpick gun was a popular, inexpensive defensive sidearm in the 19th century. When an Arkansas state representative fell victim to the toothpick gun by another state representative, Arkansas gained the reputation for being a violent state. It wasn’t until 1995 that the official nickname, “The Natural State”, was chosen because of the many gorgeous state parks and natural wonders to be found in Arkansas.

State Song

“Arkansas” is the first song to receive status as the official state song of Arkansas. It was written by Eva Ware Barnett in 1916. However, the official status of state song was removed in 1949 due to a copyright dispute. Once the state purchased all rights to the song in 1963, it was reinstated once again as the official state song. Over the years Arkansas has accepted 3 other songs as state or historical songs: “Oh Arkansas”, “Arkansas (You run deep in me)”, and “The Arkansas Traveler”.

State Flag

The state flag is a white diamond outlined in blue with 25 white stars lined up along the blue border. 4 blue stars mark the white center along with the word Arkansas all on a background of red. The diamond signifies that it is the only diamond-bearing state left in the United States. The 25 white stars signify that it was the 25th state to join the Union The colors: red, white, and blue signify its part in the United States. The three blue stars below the word Arkansas signify the three countries that ruled Arkansas before the Louisiana Purchase (France, Spain, and the United States) as well as it being the third state to be formed from the Louisiana Purchase. The lone star above the word Arkansas signifies the Confederacy.

State Bird

The Northern Mockingbird was chosen to be the Arkansas state bird on March 5, 1929, by Gov. Harvey Parnell at the Forty-Seventh General Assembly.

State Tree

The Loblolly Pine Tree was chosen to be the official state tree of Arkansas in 1939.

State Insect

In 1979, the Arkansas General Assembly instituted the Honeybee as the state insect. Its role in crop pollination was mentioned as being of utmost importance. It was also noted that the characteristics of diligence, hard work and attention to home defense and productivity were descriptive of the wonderful citizens of the state of Arkansas.

State Butterfly

On February 28, 2007, the Diana Fritillary was designated as the state butterfly for the state of Arkansas.

State Mammal

In March of 1993, the White-Tailed Deer was chosen as the Arkansas state mammal.

State Reptile

The General Assembly of 1979 designated the Box Turtle as the official state reptile for Arkansas.

State Gem

The Diamond was chosen as the Arkansas state gem in 1967 because Arkansas is the only state in which diamonds are mined in North America.

State Flower

The Apple Blossom was selected as the state flower in 1901. It is the second state to select this flower as a state emblem.

State Drink

Milk was selected as the state beverage in 1985. One of the reasons given for this was the need to encourage the consumption of milk in one’s everyday diet.

Geography

Major Cities

- Little Rock
- Fort Smith
- Fayetteville
- Springdale
- Jonesboro
- North Little Rock
- Conway
- Rogers
- Pine Bluff
- Bentonville
- Hot Springs
- Hot Springs National Park

Rivers
- Arkansas River
- Mississippi River
- Red River
- White River
- Ouachita River
- St. Francis River

Lakes

- Lake Ouachita
- Bull Shoals Lake
- Lake of the Ozarks
- Greers Ferry Lake
- Lake Dardanelle
- Millwood Lake
- Lake Erling
- Table Rock Lake
- Lake Maumelle
- Blue Mountain Lake
- Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine
- Norfork Lake
- Lake Columbia

Forests

Highways

I-30 North/South
I-40 East/West
I-49 North/South
I-55 North/South

National Parks

State Parks

Famous Landmarks

Famous People

Johnny Cash was born on February 26, 1932, in Kingsland, Arkansas. He was born to a poor family who 3 years later moved to Dyess, Arkansas to grow cotton on land they received as part of a New Deal Colony. He grew up singing and working with his family in the cotton fields and learned to play the guitar from his mother at an early age. By the age of 12, he was writing and playing his own songs. After serving in the Air Force, Johnny Cash moved to Tennessee where he studied to become a radio announcer. It was there in Tennessee that he received his first recording contract. Throughout his life, he recorded for several different labels and sang with many various groups. On September 12, 2003, Johnny Cash died from complications with diabetes.
Douglas MacArthur was born January 26, 1880, in Little Rock, Arkansas to a military family. When he was 9 years old, they moved to Washington, DC where he played football and baseball throughout his school years. He attended West Point and enjoyed an amazingly successful 52 year- long military career. He fought in World War I, World War II and the Korean War but is perhaps most well-known for his leadership as General in the Pacific during World War II for which he received the Medal of Honor. Douglas MacArthur died on April 5, 1964, and was buried with the highest military honors.
John Grisham was born on February 5, 1955, in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He played baseball throughout his school years. After high school, he went to Mississippi State University and ended up graduating with a law degree from Ole Miss in 1981. John Grisham practiced criminal law for nearly 10 years while also serving as a State Representative until 1990. In 1988 he became inspired to write a novel while listening to a case. He spent 3 years writing his first book, a Time to Kill which was rejected three times by publishers before being accepted by Wynwood Press. Grisham became a success as a novelist only after he sold the rights for his first book to be made into a movie. He has written one book a year since writing his first book.
Bill Clinton was born August 19, 1946, in Hope, Arkansas originally as William Jefferson Blythe III. His father died 3 months before he was born in an automobile accident, and his mother remarried. Bill legally took the surname of his stepfather when he was 15. At the early age of 16, he already saw himself in public life as an elected official. He graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service. He went on to study at Oxford and earned his B. Phil in philosophy, politics, and economics. After Oxford, he went on to earn his Juris Doctor degree at Yale University. He worked for a time as a law professor at the University of Arkansas. In 1976, he ran for Attorney General and won and in 1978 He became the Governor of Arkansas and the youngest governor in the US at that time. He also served a second term as Governor from 1983-1992. In 1993, he ran and won the presidential elections as the candidate of the Democratic party. He served two terms as president and during his second term was impeached as president for sexual harassment, but later was acquitted by the Senate. Bill Clinton is still highly active in politics and public life. He advocated strongly for his wife’s presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2016.
Scottie Pippen was born in Hamburg, Arkansas on September 25, 1965, to some very tall parents. His mother is 6” tall and his father 6’1”, and he is the youngest (yet tallest) of 11 brothers and sisters! His parents were poor and could not afford to send their children to college. Although Scottie Pippen led his high school to the basketball state playoffs and won all-conference honors, he was not offered a college scholarship. However, he was discovered as a walk-on by the head coach of the University of Central Arkansas and this began his years of college basketball. Earning All American Honors in 1987 gained him the attention of the NBA, and he began playing with the Chicago Bulls. In 1992, he was chosen to be apart of the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. He played with the Chicago Bulls until 1998 when he was traded to the Houston Rockets for one season. He played for the Portland Trailblazers from 1999-2003 and then returned to the Chicago Bulls where he played until his retirement in 2005.

Interesting Facts

As a tourist, you can actually dig for diamonds in Arkansas!
The 3 largest diamonds in the United States came from Arkansas. They are also among some of the largest diamonds in the world.
As of 2014 Camden, Arkansas is home to the oldest living person in the United States and the second oldest person in the world!
In the 1900s, Hot Springs National Park boasted of the largest ostrich farm in the world.
Until a man from Texas built his 90-foot grill, Arkansas boasted of the largest grill in the world (at 70 feet long).
Cheese Dip was invented in Arkansas.
It is technically illegal to misspell or mispronounce the word “Arkansas” while in Arkansas.

Arkansas Learning Resources

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Misty Leask

Misty Leask is an imperfect country girl from Texas, learning alongside her blessings while loving her husband and living life in the North Woods of Maine. She started Year Round Homeschooling because she wanted to come alongside fellow homeschool moms and help them find the freedom and resources they needed to homeschool their children year round. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest

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Arkansas State Study

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