ers employed, 2,302; number of teachers' institutes, 41; teachers attending institutes, 944; whole amount paid teachers in 1870, $405,748; number of school houses built in 1869 and 1870, 657; persons subject to per capita tax of $1 in 1869, 79,544; per capita tax collected in 1869, $61,465; number of schools taught in 1870, 2,537. The second apportionment of the school fund, based on the school tax for 1869, was made in 1870, and amounted to $187,427 08. The common school fund on Oct. 1, 1870, amounted to $58,954 95, and the permanent school fund to $35,192 49. In 1868 the legislature accepted the grant of land, amounting to about 150,000 acres, made by congress in 1862 toward the support of a college of agriculture and the mechanic arts, and provided for the creation of the Arkansas industrial university, not yet established.—Among the state institutions, all at Little Rock, are the institute for the blind, having 38 pupils in 1868; the deaf mute institute, with 43 pupils in 1870; and the penitentiary, with 199 prisoners in 1870. There are published in the state 4 daily, 2 tri-weekly, and 41 weekly papers, and 4 monthly periodicals. The average circulation of each issue is 650, and the aggregate annual circulation 2,438,716.—Arkansas was originally a portion of the territory of Louisiana, purchased from the French in 1803. It remained a part of Louisiana territory till 1812, when the present state of Louisiana was admitted to the Union, and the remaining portion was organized as Missouri territory, which name it held till 1819, when Missouri formed a state constitution and Arkansas was erected into a territory bearing its present name. It remained under a territorial government till June, 1836, when a constitution was formed at Little Rock, and Arkansas became a state. In January, 1861, the people decided by a vote of 27,412 to 15,826 in favor of a convention to consider the question of secession. That body assembled in March, and deferred the decision to a popular election to be held in August. Meanwhile the state authorities seized the arsenals at Little Rock (Feb. 8) and Napoleon (April 24), and upon Fort Smith on the western border (April 23). The convention reassembled May 6, in consequence of President Lincoln's call for troops, and passed the ordinance of secession by a vote of 69 to 1, withdrawing the submission of the question to the people. The battle of Pea Ridge, or Elk Horn, in N. W. Arkansas, was fought March 6 and 7, 1862, between the confederates under Van Dorn and the Union forces under Curtis, and resulted in a victory of the latter, who then advanced to the Mississippi and occupied Helena. On Dec. 7, 1862, the confederate general Hindman, attempting to prevent the junction of Gens. Blunt and Heron, was defeated by Blunt at Prairie Grove near Fayetteville, with a loss of about 1,200. Arkansas Post, on the Arkansas river, was captured by Gen. McClernand and Admiral Porter, Jan. 11, 1863. The confederates under Holmes attempted to retake Helena July 4, but were defeated by Gen. Prentiss. Little Rock was taken by an expedition commanded by Gen. Steele, Sept. 10, without serious resistance, while the W. and S. parts of the state were occupied by Blunt and Stephenson, Holmes being driven into Texas; but the confederates recovered possession of most of the southern counties after the reverse of Gen. Banks in Louisiana (April, 1864). On Oct. 30, 1863, a meeting of loyal citizens representing about 20 counties was held at Fort Smith to institute measures for reorganizing the state government. A convention assembled at Little Rock Jan. 8, 1864, when representatives from 42 counties were present, and framed a loyal constitution. At an election held on March 14, 15, and 16, 12,177 votes were cast for the constitution and 226 against it. State and county officers, representatives in congress, and members of the legislature from 40 counties were elected; and in April a state government was organized. During 1865 much suffering and destitution prevailed among the people, and in May the federal government issued 75,097 rations to refugees and 46,845 to freedmen. Under the reconstruction act of March 2, 1867, declaring that “no legal state governments or adequate protection for life or property now exists” in the states lately in rebellion, Arkansas and Mississippi were constituted the fourth military district. A registration of voters was made under instructions from Gen. Ord, and delegates were elected in November to a constitutional convention which assembled at Little Rock Jan. 7, 1868. The new constitution was ratified by a small majority of the people in March. On June 22 congress passed over the president's veto a resolution admitting Arkansas to representation, and the administration was thereupon transferred to the civil authorities. On Nov. 9, 1868, Gov. Clayton declared 10 counties in a state of insurrection. On March 22, 1869, martial law ceased throughout the state. The 14th amendment to the federal constitution was ratified in April, 1868, and the 15th in March, 1869.
ARKANSAS, a S. E. county of Arkansas, bounded E. by White river and intersected by the Arkansas; area, about 1,200 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 8,268, of whom 4,212 were colored. The surface is level, and about one third of it is occupied by the Grand prairie, the largest in the state, and very fertile. The county in 1870 produced 217,450 bushels of Indian corn, 17,327 of Irish and 28,598 of sweet potatoes, and 12,315 bales of cotton. Capital, Arkansas Post.
ARKWRIGHT, Sir Richard, an English inventor, born at Preston, Lancashire, Dec. 23, 1732, died at Cromford, Derbyshire, Aug. 3, 1792. He was the youngest child of a family of 13, and his parents were too poor to give him any education. He earned his living as a barber, shaving in a cellar for a penny, till he was 28, when he became a dealer in hair, and invented
