History

Abstract
The Arkansas Post was one of the most important settlements in colonial America because it was the first European settlement to be established in the Arkansas River Valley. Between the time it was first built until it became a part of the United States it had evolved from what was once established as a small trading post near the juncture of the Mississippi and the Arkansas rivers into a center of attention and even conflicts between the French, the Indians, the Spanish, the British and the United States. The Post had witnessed several changes in location during this period of time. From the time it was established until the beginning of the French-Chickasaw war, all what this Post had represented was just a French settlement with a number of  resident settlers and traders, but it began to suffer tensions in the following decades. The Post had suffered a number of other wars The Seven Years War and the Revolutionary War. The Arkansas Post became a part of the United States after the United States acquired Louisiana which included the Post in the early nineteenth century.                

How Did the Arkansas Posts Meaning Evolve from the Time the Post                        
Was First Built Until the Territory Became a Part of the U.S.    
The period between the time the Arkansas Post was first built until it became a part of the United States can be divided into five eras, each era was a stage of evolvingFirst Era A Small French Trading Post     The Arkansas Post was first established by a French officer called Henri de Tonti in 1686 as a small settlement in the area at the juncture of the Mississippi and Arkansas rivers near a small Quapaw Indian village called  Osotouy . The Post was very significant for the French because it was the first European settlement to be established in the Arkansas River Valley. The main purpose of establishing this small settlement was to create a vibrant trading spot where French traders would be able to exchange their goods for beaver furs. The new French settlers called this new settlement  aux Arcs , which means  at the home of the Arkansas  in French (DuVal, 2009, p. 1). The  Arkansas  was a special word coined by the French to call the local Quapaw Indians. The Quapaws played a big role in establishing the Arkansas Post without their help and support, the settlement wouldnt have been able to survive for decades (DuVal, 2009, p. 1). Second Era A Center of Conflict between the French and the Chickasaws.    

The settlement had been far from conflicts and troubles until May 10, 1749, during an era of tension and war between the French and the Chickasaw Indians. On that day, the Chickasaws raided on the settlement and captured a small number of women and children after killing a few civilians. In order to avoid the possibility of receiving more attacks by the Chickasaws in the future, the French decided to reestablish the Post in a new safer location northward from the Arkansas River. The French wanted to make sure that the new location of the Post would be closer to the villages of the Quapaws and farther from the Chickasaws. The location was in an area called  cores Rouges  which is today the location of the  Arkansas Post National Memorial  (DuVal, 2009, p. 1). The Post was finally reestablished in its new location in 1751 (DuVal, 2009, p. 1).

Third Era A Center of Conflict between the French and the Spanish  
During the Seven Years War (1756-1763), a new location was chosen for the Arkansas Post, and this time it was much closer to the Arkansas River (the location today is Desha County). Before the end of the war, Louisiana was a French territory but after the war it was divided into two parts An eastern part for the British (the Frenchs rivals during the war), and a western half for the Spanish (the Frenchs allies during the war). In this new division, the Arkansas Post was included in the western half. It was not easy for the Spanish to control the new territory because the number of French and local Quapaw Indians was very huge compared to the number of Spanish soldiers. Therefore, the Spanish decided to reduce spendings on gifts for the Quapaws in favor of tightening the control on the French who were negatively affecting the relationship between the Spanish and the Quapaws. The Quapaws didnt like the Spanishs decision and warned them of a rebellion if they wouldnt return to the old system. The Spanish had no choice but to return to their regular spendings policy (DuVal, 2009, p. 1).

Fourth Era A Center of Conflict between the French and the British  
In 1775, the American Revolution against the British Empire had begun, and the Spanish found in this revolution an excellent chance to fight against the British and undermine their power and domination. Three years later, the Spanish joined forces with American colonies against their common rival. In 1779, the Spanish decided to change the location of the Post and move it back to its second one, cores Rouges, in order to avoid the threat of possible flooding from the Arkansas river. Soon after, peace between Americans and the British was declared, but the fighting across the Mississippi Valley didnt stop. On April 17, 1783, a Scottish man called James Colbert leaded a surprising raid on the Arkansas Post with a number of British soldiers and a few Indians and African slaves. The Spanish and the French with the help of the Quapaws, did a smart trick to make the raiders believe that the Post was inhabited by Indians. Believing that the Post was full of Indians, Colbert took the captives and left the Post fearing that he and his men would face a trouble. The following day, a force consisting of a big number of Quapaw warriors leaded by a few Spanish soldiers followed Colbert and persuaded him to free most of the captives (DuVal, 2009, p. 1).

Fifth Era Transferring the Territory from Europeans to American    
After the end of the American Revolution in 1783, the power of the United States had begun to grow rapidly across the continent. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Spanish realized the impossibility of resisting this power, and thus in 1800 Spain returned Louisiana to France, but France didnt hold the territory for long. In 1803, after a series of negotiations between the United States and France, U.S. President Thomas Jefferson purchased Louisiana from France and thus Louisiana including the Arkansas Post became a part of the United States. The territory was transferred the following year (Baker, 2008, p. 1).