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Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas


This Day in Arkansas History
June 22, 1868
After the ratification of a new state constitution giving African-American citizens the right to vote, serve on juries, hold office, and serve in the militia, Arkansas was readmitted to the Union. At the beginning of the Civil War, Union sympathizers seemed to be more predominant in the state. With the refusal of Governor Henry Massie Rector to comply with President Abraham Lincoln’s call for forces to combat the uprising, however, Arkansas’s assembly had reconvened in April 1861 and voted 69 to 1 to join the Confederacy.
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About the Encyclopedia
The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. It is updated regularly to ensure the people of Arkansas have an accurate and accessible resource to explore our heritage. We invite you to browse our text entries and media galleries to learn more about the people, places, events, legends, and lore of the 25th state. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, and audio files, so check back frequently to see what’s new.


Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics and more!
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