Something most Americans learn about in school is the Civil War. There is a different perspective on both sides. Sometimes information can be skewed in one direction and some in the other, but you can usually get the information you need by sifting through both. Something as interesting as Arkansan is how Arkansas held up during the war. I know there were battles here, like at Pea Ridge, and I know that because Northern Arkansas was close to the Union lines, there were some issues when it came to who was on which side. Something like this is much more than a black and white story, interesting to discover. Objectivity is key when writing history, so I hope I can offer that. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay As with most wars and their histories, it's important to have at least a little knowledge of why things happened or why specific decisions were made. An important factor in the history of Arkansas and the Civil War is what led to the state seceding from the Union. During this time, the cotton industry continued to grow, which increased the need for slaves. Arkansas produced a large amount of cotton, but plantation owners did not own as many slaves. Of the 110,000 slaves in Arkansas at that time, they were scattered throughout the state. Most families did not own many slaves, only twelve percent of families that owned slaves had more than twenty. The problem caused by slavery was that people with slaves and in the cotton industry created a disproportionate distribution of wealth in the state. This division of wealth also created a division of power, and the state was controlled by the “Family,” so government decisions were biased to one side. When Lincoln was elected president, there wasn't much outcry in Arkansas, many people simply wanted a less drastic approach to ending the slavery debate. When states decided to secede from the Union, some had an easier decision than others. For Arkansas, the decision was harder than most. When the attack on Fort Sumpter occurred on April 12, 1861, many Southern states had already seceded from the Union. Arkansas, however, was not on that list. There had been a popular debate within the state as to whether or not the state should remain in the Union. With the state's background, it seemed like they would leave because of their stance on slavery. The main reason they wanted to join the Confederacy was because they wanted to convince the other states to return to the Union. They could not have encouraged the seceding states to return if their image of Arkansas was tarnished by the fact that they were still part of the Union. After the attack on Fort Sumpter, Lincoln asked the people to send troops to help in battle, including a commission for troops from Arkansas. This is the moment a decision had to be made, Arkansas had to choose one side or the other. It took us almost a month to make this decision by looking at the specific areas needed to determine the decision. On May 6, 1861, Arkansas seceded from the Union. There was only one vote against this decision. Then, on May 18, 1861, Arkansas became the ninth state to join the Confederate States. Throughout 1861, Arkansas set up training stations and tried to come up with a game plan for the war. There has been a lot of support from the state, e.gmuch was formed in the southern part of the state. There were many able-bodied men from the state who volunteered to fight for the Confederate Army. There are sources that say Arkansas had given the largest number of troops to fight in the war, second to Tennessee if not first. Since the capital of Arkansas at that time was Little Rock, this is where many troops traveled to prepare for war. This would stop later in the war. While many troops supported the Confederacy during the war, many of them did not remain to protect Arkansas. Instead they were moved to places like Missouri and Tennessee to join their armies. The Confederate states believed that their victory in the war would come quickly and that they would easily take control of the Union. This would be a more difficult undertaking than they expected. The first battle in which Arkansas participated was in 1861 at Missouri. The Battle of Wilson's Creek was a victory for the Confederacy and allowed them to gain control of southwestern Missouri. While this was a victory for the confederacy, it was not a victory by much. The Union troops retreated due to lack of ammunition and exhaustion. The Confederate troops were not experienced or trained enough to follow them. This gave the troops and the Confederacy a first look at what to expect during the war. In 1862, Arkansas participated more in the war and some battles came to the state. Perhaps the most influential battle in Arkansas during the Civil War was the Battle of Pea Ridge. This was also a major turning point in the beginning of the Union war. This battle was pursued by the Union to gain control of the Missouri border. The battle lasted from 7 to 8 March. Things could have been different, but the Confederacy did not receive supplies and ammunition was running low. There was some back and forth between who they thought would win the battle, but two Confederate generals were killed in this battle alone. A final counterattack by the Union army forced the Confederate army to retreat. The Confederate troops left, and Arkansas found itself in a nearly defenseless state. The Union Army would maintain control of Missouri for the next two years of the war. In 1862 a new governor was elected. Harris Flanagin was put into office in the fall of 1862 and remained in office until 1865. He was the person responsible for life in Arkansas. After the Battle of Pea Ridge, and in the years that followed, the economy and people's livelihoods in Arkansas were deteriorating. Something that isn't often talked about, amidst all the destruction and battles during wars, is how people at home are affected. Some stories are told, but never in their entirety. Something that is important to remember in times of war is that everyone in a country that is part of the world is affected. The economy is affected, lifestyles are affected, and this can have a longer impact than if the war continues. In Arkansas, the people who remained in the state were affected in many ways. Government at both the county and state levels was slowly starting to deteriorate. There were countless jobs that weren't getting done during this time. People like sheriffs and tax collectors didn't try to do the things that needed to be done. Taxes were not collected, lawsuits were not handled as they should have been, and this had a great effect on the state and the war. Because the people in government did not handle jobs as they should, especially law enforcement, this war brought out the worst.