The History Book Club discussion

This is a thread dedicated to the history of the state of Arkansas.

You may add books that take place in this state, are about this state, have a scene that takes place in this state or have events where this state is mentioned. There is no self promotion on the History Book Club.

"Arkansas is a state located in the Southern region of the United States.[7][8] Its name is of Siouan derivation, denoting the Quapaw Indians.] The state's diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the Ozark and the Ouachita Mountains, which make up the U.S. Interior Highlands, to the densely forested land in the south known as the Arkansas Timberlands, to the eastern lowlands along the Mississippi River and the Arkansas Delta. Known as "the Natural State", the diverse regions of Arkansas offer residents and tourists a variety of opportunities for outdoor recreation.

Arkansas is the 29th largest in square miles and the 32nd most populous of the 50 United States. The capital and most populous city is Little Rock, located in the central portion of the state, a hub for transportation, business, culture, and government. The northwestern corner of the state, including the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers Metropolitan Area and Fort Smith metropolitan area, is also an important population, education, and economic center. The largest city in the eastern part of the state is Jonesboro.

The Territory of Arkansas was admitted to the Union as the 25th state on June 15, 1836. Arkansas withdrew from the United States and joined the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. Upon returning to the Union, the state would continue to suffer due to its earlier reliance on slavery and the plantation economy, causing the state to fall behind economically and socially. White rural interests continued to dominate the state's politics until the Civil Rights movement in the mid-20th century. Arkansas began to diversify its economy following World War II and now relies on its service industry as well as aircraft, poultry, steel and tourism in addition to cotton and rice.

The culture of Arkansas is observable in museums, theaters, novels, television shows, restaurants and athletic venues across the state. Despite a plethora of cultural, economic, and recreational opportunities, Arkansas is often stereotyped as a "poor, banjo-picking hillbilly" state, a reputation dating back to early accounts of the territory by frontiersmen in the early 1800s. Arkansas's enduring image has earned the state "a special place in the American consciousness",[11] but it has in reality produced such prominent figures as politician and educational advocate William Fulbright, former President Bill Clinton, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, General Wesley Clark, Walmart magnate Sam Walton and singer-songwriter Johnny Cash.

Source: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkansas

Nickname(s): The Natural State (current) and The Land of Opportunity (former)

Motto(s): Regnat populus (Latin: The People Rule)

Where is Arkansas located:


State Songs:
Arkansas officially has two state songs, plus a state anthem, and a state historical song
Arkansas", "Arkansas (You Run Deep in Me)", "Oh, Arkansas" and "The Arkansas Traveler"

Before statehood Arkansas Territory

Admission to Union June 15, 1836 (25th)

Governor Asa Hutchinson (R)
Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin (R)
Legislature General Assembly
- Upper house Senate
- Lower house House of Representatives
U.S. Senators John Boozman (R)
Tom Cotton (R)
U.S. House delegation 4 Republicans (list)

Time zone Central: UTC −6/−5

Abbreviations AR, Ark. US-AR

Website www.arkansas.gov

by Roy Reed

by Melba Pattillo Beals

Two books dealing with the folks who were part of the Little Rock - Central High School segregation showdown in Arkansas.

Looks good Bentley. Here is another one, I will also add to the civil rights thread.

by Daisy Bates
This is a classic account of the Little Rock School Crisis, with a new afterword by Clayborne Carson.

At an event honoring Daisy Bates as 1990's Distinguished Citizen then-governor Bill Clinton called her "the most distinguished Arkansas citizen of all time." Her classic account of the 1957 Little Rock School Crisis, The Long Shadow of Little Rock, couldn't be found on most bookstore shelves in 1962 and was banned throughout the South. In 1988, after the University of Arkansas Press reprinted it, it won an American Book Award.

On September 3, 1957, Gov. Orval Faubus called out the National Guard to surround all-white Central High School and prevent the entry of nine black students, challenging the Supreme Court's 1954 order to integrate all public schools. On September 25, Daisy Bates, an official of the NAACP in Arkansas, led the nine children into the school with the help of federal troops sent by President Eisenhower-the first time in eighty-one years that a president had dispatched troops to the South to protect the constitutional rights of black Americans. This new edition of Bates's own story about these historic events is being issued to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the Little Rock School crisis in 2007.

Another book on The Little Rock 9.

by Carlotta Walls LaNier
When fourteen-year-old Carlotta Walls walked up the stairs of Little Rock Central High School on September 25, 1957, she and eight other black students only wanted to make it to class. But the journey of the “Little Rock Nine,” as they came to be known, would lead the nation on an even longer and much more turbulent path, one that would challenge prevailing attitudes, break down barriers, and forever change the landscape of America.

Descended from a line of proud black landowners and businessmen, Carlotta was raised to believe that education was the key to success. She embraced learning and excelled in her studies at the black schools she attended throughout the 1950s. With Brown v. Board of Education erasing the color divide in classrooms across the country, the teenager volunteered to be among the first black students--of whom she was the youngest--to integrate nearby Central High School, considered one of the nation’s best academic institutions.

But for Carlotta and her eight comrades, simply getting through the door was the first of many trials. Angry mobs of white students and their parents hurled taunts, insults, and threats. Arkansas’s governor used the National Guard to bar the black students from entering the school. Finally, President Dwight D. Eisenhower was forced to send in the 101st Airborne to establish order and escort the Nine into the building. That was just the start of a heartbreaking three-year journey for Carlotta, who would see her home bombed, a crime for which her own father was a suspect and for which a friend of Carlotta’s was ultimately jailed--albeit wrongly, in Carlotta’s eyes. But she persevered to the victorious end: her graduation from Central.

Breaking her silence at last and sharing her story for the first time, Carlotta Walls has written an inspiring, thoroughly engrossing memoir that is not only a testament to the power of one to make a difference but also of the sacrifices made by families and communities that found themselves a part of history.

Complete with compelling photographs of the time, A Mighty Long Way shines a light on this watershed moment in civil rights history and shows that determination, fortitude, and the ability to change the world are not exclusive to a few special people but are inherent within us all.

Oh, Arkansas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Oh, Arkansas" by Terry Rose and Gary Klaff is one of the official state songs of Arkansas. It was written in 1986 for the state's 150th anniversary celebration, and was named an official "state song" by the Arkansas General Assembly in 1987.

Other official Arkansas state songs are "Arkansas", state anthem (state song before 1949 and from 1963 to 1987); "Arkansas (You Run Deep In Me)", also written for the state's 150th birthday in 1986, and likewise designated "state song" in 1987; and "The Arkansas Traveler", state historical song (state song from 1949 to 1963).

Lyrics[edit]
It's the spirit of the mountains and the spirit of the Delta
It's the spirit of the Capitol dome.
It's the spirit of the river and the spirit of the lakes,
It's the spirit that's in each and every home.
It's the spirit of the people and the spirit of the land,
It's the spirit of tomorrow and today.

Chorus

Oh Arkansas, Oh Arkansas, Arkansas U.S.A.
It's the spirit of friendship, it's the spirit of hope
It's the Razorbacks every game they play.
Oh Arkansas, Oh Arkansas, Arkansas U.S.A.

It's the spirit of the forest, it's the spirit of the eagle.
It's the spirit of the country that we love.
It's the spirit of pride that we all feel deep inside,
It's the spirit that shines from above.
It's the spirit of our fathers, it's the spirit of our kids,
It's the spirit of the music that we play.

Oh Arkansas, Oh Arkansas, Oh Arkansas U.S.A.
Oh Arkansas, Oh Arkansas, Oh Arkansas U.S.A.
Oh Arkansas, Oh Arkansas, Oh Arkansas U.S.A.

Here is a link where it is being performed:

http://youtu.be/joyTLcrNFAw

Arkansas (You Run Deep in Me)
by Wayland Holyfield

October morning in the Ozark Mountains,
Hills ablazing like that sun in the sky.
I fell in love there and the fire's still burning
A flame that will never die.

Chorus
Oh, I may wander, but when I do
I will never be far from you.
You're in my blood and I know you'll always be.
Arkansas, you run deep in me.

Moonlight dancing on a delta levee,
To a band of frogs and whippoorwill
I lost my heart there one July evening
And it's still there, I can tell.

Repeat Chorus

Magnolia blooming, Mama smiling,
Mallards sailing on a December wind.
God bless the memories I keep recalling
Like an old familiar friend.

Repeat Chorus

And there's a river rambling through the fields and valleys,
Smooth and steady as she makes her way south,
A lot like the people whose name she carries.
She goes strong and she goes proud.

Repeat Chorus

Adopted by the 1987 General Assembly as an Official State Song.

Here is a link where it is being performed with a video showing a lot of pretty video of the state:

http://vimeo.com/42204422

Source: Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism

Arkansas
by Eva Ware Barnett

I am thinking tonight of the Southland,
Of the home of my childhood days,
Where I roamed through the woods and the meadows
By the mill and the brook that plays;
Where the roses are in bloom
And the sweet magnolia too,
Where the jasmine is white
And the fields are violet blue,
There a welcome awaits all her children
Who have wandered afar from home.

Chorus
Arkansas, Arkansas, tis a name dear,
'Tis the place I call "home, sweet home";
Arkansas, Arkansas, I salute thee,
From thy shelter no more I'll roam.

'Tis a land full of joy and of sunshine,
Rich in pearls and in diamonds rare,
Full of hope, faith, and love for the stranger,
Who may pass 'neath her portals fair;
There the rice fields are full,
And the cotton, corn and hay,
There the fruits of the field
Bloom in the winter months and May,
'Tis the land that I love, first of all, dear,
And to her let us all give cheer.

Repeat Chorus

Adopted by the 1987 General Assembly as the Official State Anthem

There is a link with school children singing the song:
http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/a...

The Arkansas Traveler
Lyrics by the Arkansas State Song Selection Committee, 1947
Music by Colonel Sanford (Sandy) Faulkner, about 1850
(I found no renditions with these lyrics)

On a lonely road quite long ago,
A trav'ler trod with fiddle and a bow;
While rambling thru the country rich and grand,
He quickly sensed the magic and the beauty of the land.

Chorus
For the wonder state we'll sing a song,
And lift our voices loud and long.
For the wonder state we'll shout hurrah!
And praise the opportunities we find in Arkansas.

Many years have passed, the trav'lers gay,
Repeat the tune along the highway;
And every voice that sings the glad refrain
Re-echoes from the mountains to the fields of growing grain.

Repeat Chorus

Adopted by the 1987 General Assembly as the Official State Historic Song

No idea but found this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8F_r...

2nd South Carolina String Band - The Arkansas Traveler

About this band: http://www.civilwar.org/education/his...

Link to the song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACrww...

Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys playing this old time fiddle tune.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi0ws...

Here is another one with vastly different lyrics on a dulcimer:
Two dulcimer tracks with dulcimers tuned DAA are used for The Arkansas Traveler. It was raining today so making this video gave me something fun to do. The lyrics on this are fun and tell a great story full of backwoods wit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTIja...

Even Pete Seegar got into the act:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJcMS...

Being an Arkansawyer by birth, I want to thank you for this place to discuss the history of my home state. While multiple songs represent the state, The Arkansas Traveler has a story grounded in truth. Sanford Faulkner was traveling through Arkansas and became lost. He asked a local man for directions. Faulkner's own dialect coupled with the backwoods local manner of speaking set the stage for a comical exchange and misunderstanding. The story was published and eventually a tune fashioned to tell the story by song. Musical historians have not been able to find a European ancestor tune to the Traveler, so it may in fact be one of the earliest American musical compositions. The song, somewhat derogatory towards the state, became a source of pride and eventually the anthem. The exchange was depicted by Arkansas artist Edward Payson Washbourne in paint. Lastly, Fauklner County Arkansas, in the central part of the state, is name for Sanford, the "original" Arkansas Traveler. Little Rock has a minor league baseball team whose mascot is the Arkansas Travelers.

Thanks again and look forward to the discussion.

Message 45 on the Arkansas Thread: (March 24, 2018)

We are starting anew on this thread and I want to invite folks to please add their favorite books about the state of Arkansas or that took place in Arkansas.


Arkansas State Flower - The Apple Blossom

Please feel free to add books, information about events that have occurred or will occur in the future, famous favorite sons and daughters of each state, places, attractions, and any historical events, etc. as well as the history of any aspect of the state's government, culture or anything else of distinction.

Also, please feel free to add any images of historical importance in each state.

Note: The History Book Club does not allow any spam or self promotion of any kind.

Please use the group's standard for citations so that the powerful goodreads software can capture your add. Bookcover, author's photo and author's link.

If you check on the white space to the right on any thread - you will notice that when the books are cited properly that goodreads keeps a list of all of them as well as a list of authors.

It also cross populates the site across all of the threads. Also, if you click on other topics - any member can also see on what other threads - either the book or the author has been discussed.

A very neat feature. Welcome to the conversation about the great state of Arkansas and let us know if you are from this great state.

We invite all members to post on any of the threads and we will help you with the citations. They do not have to be perfect - we are very patient and will work with you.

Here is a book about the state of Arkansas and is a children fact and picture book used as an example - you can simply just add the book and author citation this way (we will help you):

by Gina McIntyre (no photo)

or you can add any book like a moderator would do: - it is all up to you

The Arkansas Facts and Picture Book: Fun Facts for Kids About Arkansas (Turn and Learn

by Gina McIntyre (no photo)

Synopsis:

The publisher states - "Turn & Learn presents: The Arkansas Fact and Picture Book

The Arkansas Fact & Picture Book will allow your child to learn more about this world we live in, with a fun and exciting approach that will trigger their imagination.

We're raising our children in an era where attention spans are continuously decreasing. Turn & Learn provides a fun, and interactive way of keep your children engaged and looking forward to learn, with beautiful pictures, coupled with the amazing, fun facts."

Instructions:
1. Mods add the book with the title in bold - if it is a non fiction book - you do not have to add anything underneath it because we are a history and non fiction group - but if it is a Novel or Fiction - you need to add that information for our members.
2. Skip a line and then add the citation - bookcover, author's photo when available, and then the author's link - skip another line
3. Synopsis: (in bold with a colon) and then skip a line
4. Simply add the publisher's write up - using the preview capability underneath the comment box - checking on the paragraphing - sometimes you will see that when you do a copy and paste that the breaks are missing so you might have to add them.

How Citations Should Look:

1. Bookcover, space, by, space, author's photo and author's link:

by T. Harry Williams

2. What if there is no author's photo?
Then = Bookcover, space, by, space, author's link, (no photo):

by Mike Tidwell (no photo

3. What if there is no book cover?
Then = (no image), booklink, by, space, author's photo, author's link:

(no image) Hold That Thought: A Year's Worth of Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach

4. What if there is no bookcover and no author's photo?:

Then = (no image), book title link, space, by, space, author's link, (no photo):

(no image) Outrage at Sea: Naval Atrocities of the First World War by Tony Bridgland (no photo)

We hope you add to this wonderful state thread or any of the state threads. If you are from the state of Arkansas and would like to be the state host for the state of Arkansas on our site. Please let us know. Multiple folks can share that title and we will list your names on the thread as state hosts.

Hipbillies: Deep Revolution in the Arkansas Ozarks (Ozarks Studies)

by Jared M Phillips (no photo)

Synopsis:

Counterculture flourished nationwide in the 1960s and 1970s, and while the hippies of Haight–Ashbury occupied the public eye, a faction of back to the landers were quietly creating their own haven off the beaten path in the Arkansas Ozarks. In Hipbillies, Jared Phillips combines oral histories and archival resources to weave the story of the Ozarks and its population of country beatniks into the national narrative, showing how the back to the landers engaged in “deep revolution” by sharing their ideas on rural development, small farm economy, and education with the locals—and how they became a fascinating part of a traditional region’s coming to terms with the modern world in the process.