• Welcome to Arkansas History

• Chapter 03- Explorers and Invaders

Bell WorkAgenda: Explorers & InvadersHomework: read pages 61 - 67Objective: Students will examine the earliest explorers of

Arkansas.

1. Who fueled the fires of exploration?2. What Spanish explorer arrived about 50 years after

Columbus?

ostentatious - (adjective) overly showy, pretentious.

• Time Line– 1492 – 1780

• People to know…– Chief Angaska - Henri de Tonti– John Cabot - Louis Joliet– Columbus– Hernando de Soto - La Salle– Bernard de la Harpe - John Law– Jean Baptiste Filhiol - Marquette

• Places to Locate– Arkansas Post– Arkansas River– France– Great Britain– Mississippi River– Spain

• Europeans Invade Arkansas– Exploration changes both cultures– Religion– New land– Trade routes– Resources– Knowledge

• Columbus Fuels the Fire– Columbus told stories of great wealth when he

returned to Europe– Other countries followed– England sent John Cabot to find a shorter

route to Asia.– England claimed lands in the new world.

• Spain, France, Holland, Italy, Great Britain, and Portugal all began to explore and claimed lands to establish trade.

• Hernando De Soto– Conquistadors means, “one who conquers.”– Found large amounts of gold and silver in

Mexico, when they landed 50 years after Columbus.

– La Florida• 600 men wandered across the southeast• Treated natives badly

– Stole food and supplies from the Indians

• Killed and enslaved many Indians• Greatest fine – Mississippi River but no more great

• Invading Arkansas– Crossed the Mississippi River in the spring of

1541– Found many native villages that they

described as impressive.– De Soto hoped to supply his troops.– De Soto told the natives that he was “the son

of the sun” and promised to bring rain. It did rain the next day.

– The Indians did seem to see de Soto as a god.

• Problems Continue– Short on food and supplies– Lost much of their livestock– Many of his men died from disease or while

fighting native groups.– The Tula Indians of western Arkansas were

not intimidated by the Spanish and killed many using there long lances used for buffalo hunting.

• Problems Continue– After nearly a year, de Soto died from

disease.– His body was wrapped and weighted down

and dropped in the Mississippi River.• They didn’t want to let the Indians know that the

god, de Soto was dead.

– The remaining men fled down the river.– When they reached Mexico, around 300 men

were left.– Spain did not return for many years.

Bell WorkAgenda: Explorers & Invaders

Homework: Reading Guide Ch 03- Theme 02

Objective: Students will examine the earliest explorers of Arkansas.

1. Who crossed the Mississippi River in 1541 to enter Arkansas?

2. What happened to de Soto?

Word of the Day

adulation - (noun) extreme admiration.

• Changes for Native Americans– Disease was one of the most devastating

changes to Native Americans.• Measles, tuberculosis, mumps, influenza, chicken

pox and smallpox.• Their bodies had no immunities to these diseases.• These disease spread quickly and killed many

Native Americans.

– Killed and enslaved many Native Americans.– The lives enjoyed by many Native Americans

were changed forever.

• Studying Tree Rings– Scientist have also found evidence in tree

rings, that they may have experienced severe drought during this time.

• Legend of the Razorback– Have you ever wondered were we got the

Razorbacks?– It is believed that domestic hogs escaped

from the Spanish during a storm.

• French Explorers– With all the difficulties faced by de Soto, the

Spanish did not return for nearly 100 years.– The French are going to take advantage of

the Spanish absence.– King Louis XIV is going to push for more

exploration.– 1673 - Catholic Priest Jacques Marquette

and a fur trapper named Louis Joliet are going to travel down the Mississippi River to explore.

• French Explorers– Encountered the Quapaw Indians at the

confluence of the White and Arkansas Rivers.• Confluence – were two rivers or streams come

together.

– Wanted to establish good relationship with the Indians, unlike the Spanish.

– The French treated the Indians much better.• Two reasons

– Religion– Trade

• French Explorers– Welcomed with

• a ceremony• a feast• and an exchange of gifts.

– Warned about the Spanish.• returned to Canada• believed the Mississippi River went to the Gulf of

Mexico.• established good relationship with the Indians

• The Calumet Ceremony– The Calumet is a decorated pipe on a long

stick (peace pipe).• Symbol of peace and friendship• Used to negotiate with others• The men would sit and smoke together.• Dancing and feasting• The Calumet is then given as a gift and to provide

protection as they traveled.

• La Salle Explores Arkansas– Rene’-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle was

born to a wealthy French family.– Was a teacher– Moved to New France (Canada)– Studied Indian culture.– Explored and traded with the Indians.– Searched for the mouth of the Mississippi

River.

• La Salle Explores Arkansas– 1682 – traveled down the Mississippi River.– Visited the Quawpaw near the mouth of the

Arkansas River.– Welcome with a Calumet Ceremony.– Placed a large wooden crossed and claimed

the territory for France.– La Louisiane in honor of King Louis XIV– Found the Gulf of Mexico and claimed the

land for France.

• A New French Colony– After returning to New France, La Salle asked

for permission to start a new colony.• He was granted permission and supplies but failed

to return to the mouth of the Mississippi when they were ship wrecked off the coast of Texas.

• 1685 settlement established• Fort St. Louis• La Salle was killed by his own men on third

attempt to find the Mississippi River.• Henri de Tonti – established the “Arkansas Post”

near the mouth of the Arkansas River

• Life at Arkansas Post– Tonti hoped to established a trading post in

Arkansas.– Quawpaw not interested in trapping beaver.– John Law attempted to establish the first post.

• (see Bursting the Mississippi Bubble)• Many investors died before reaching the

settlement.• Financial problems in Europe crippled the new

post.• Early residents included soldiers, farmers, slaves,

and trappers.

• Life at Arkansas Post– 1749 Official Census

• 31 White Settlers• 14 Slaves• 29 Pigs• 60 Cows• 29 Bulls and Steers• 3 Horses

• Moving the Post– Reasons why the post moved several time

during its first 100 years:• seasonal flooding• fear of attack by British and Indians• mosquito infested conditions and disease

– 1803 - Louisiana Purchase: Arkansas becomes part of the United State.

– Today: national memorial and state park.

• Colonial Arkansas– Mercantilism – created to increase wealth and

power through tight economic controls.– Colonies brought wealth into European

countries.– Explorers searched for resources to increase

the wealth of the mother countries.– Conflict developed between the European

countries for control of new lands.– The French struggled to keep control of

Arkansas.

• Trade Goods– Trade was difficult to establish in Arkansas.– Early trade included:

• Bear oil• Buffalo meat• Buffalo tallow (fat)• Trappers traded beads, iron hatchets, pots, knives,

guns, cloth, and blankets for Indian furs.• Deer Skin was the most common fur.• Indians hired to hunt and trade for Europeans.

• Farming– Arkansas Post never became a strong

farming community.– Flooding and droughts caused havoc for

settlers and farmers.– Quawpaw kept many settlers from starving.– Later improvements made life better but the

post continued to need outside supples.

• Searching for Arkansas Treasure– Legends of gold, silver, and a large emerald

rock spread in Europe.– Bernard de la Harpe was sent to find the

treasure.– Emerald turned out to be sand stone.

• La grande roche or “big rock.”• La petit roche or “little rock.”

– La Harpe established a trading post at the site of a Quawpaw village near la petit roche.

• French and Indian War– 1754 – Start of French and Indian War

between England and France.• Conflict over territory in North America• “Seven Years War”• Quawpaw helped the French against the British

and other Indians.• Prisoners of War kept at the Arkansas Post.• France lost the war and control of its territories in

North America. • Spain gains control of the territory

Arkansas Post was first settled by the French in 1686.

• French Names– Many of our towns, rivers, streams, and

places were named by the French.– Examples:

• Terre Noir• Bayou De Roche• Petit Jean• Bayou Meto

• The American Revolution– Started not long after French and Indian War.– July 4, 1776 – 13 colonies declare their

independence.– The British fought to keep their territory.– Allies in Arkansas

• Supported by Spain – used Arkansas Post• British supporters attacked the post after the war

was over (they hadn’t heard the news yet.)• Spanish commander was upset with Chief

Angaska, a Quawpaw, because he failed to warn the Spanish.

• Chief Angaska had been tricked some Chickasaw Indians, who said Americans were coming to visit the fort.

• Chief Angaska and others tracked the attackers and those captured from the post.

• Most of the captured were released and returned to the post.

• End of Slide Show