The Arkansas Region During the 1st Decade of American Possession

The Arkansas Region during the 1st decade of American Possession

The Arkansas region part of the Louisiana purchase was a non-explored area. Hunters and traders both white and Indian used the region as a hunting ground. To map out and understand the area Thomas Jefferson sent an exploration up the Ouachita river to get a better understanding the native peoples and the land areas. Before the purchase the white settlers and the Indians lived in relative harmony. They learned from each other and had mutual respect for each other. The native peoples were respected at first and the need to take care of them and honor the original agreements made by the French and Spanish. After the purchase the land was seen as an asset to the new growing country and the Indians were suddenly "in the way" of progress.

The expedition of Dunbar and Hunter was the main source of information about this new land. Knowledge about the Indians and the "ways of the hunters" was important as it gave light to the delicate balance of life the settlers, hunters and the Indians lived by. A balance that would be threatened as new peoples entered the area. The Dunbar Hunter expedition uncovered the socio-political system already in place and followed by the hunters and trappers in the area.

With the trickle of new settlers to the region also came distrust and dread of the new government. Many settlers had already moved out of the US governing territories only to again be under control. They wanted to have slaves, they wanted to trade and move freely and did not want much government interference. The people encountered in this vast wilderness included French hunters and a variety of Indians that had recently migrated to the Arkansas lands. Some of the Indians were in the region because of white settlements east of the Mississippi.

Thomas Jefferson had hoped that the Arkansas lands would be a safe haven for the displaced Indians coming from east of the Mississippi. He felt and obligation to protect them. The Indians of the day were seen as Noble Savages. Almost an endearing term to describe a value placed of being able to live and work