The 150th anniversary of the American Civil War will be observed from 2011 to 2015. As a part of the commemoration, the Arkansas History Commission now has on its website “150 Years Ago Today: Arkansas in the Civil War,” which will feature one document for every day of the war years (January 1, 1861 through December 31, 1865). The History Commission’s collections are broad enough that a wide variety of formats—maps, photographs, diaries, letters, three-dimensional objects, newspapers, etc.—can be included, with little or no duplication of resources. It is an excellent resource for researchers seeking first-hand accounts and original documents pertaining to the war and its impact on Arkansas.
The History Commission has actively sought materials related to the tumultuous war years since the creation of the agency in 1905 by the General Assembly. As a result of more than one hundred years of acquisition, the State Archives own the largest and most comprehensive holdings pertaining to Arkansas in the Civil War available anywhere. The State’s most important documents from the war years—such as the original state constitutions of 1861, 1864, and 1868; Arkansas’s secession document; governors’ papers; diaries; letters; photographs; newspapers; currency; maps; and three-dimensional objects—are housed at the History Commission. These daily entries provide a look at the lives of Arkansas people during the most important event of the 19th century, and possibly the defining moment in the history of the United States.
The Butler Center is a premier destination for Civil War research in Arkansas. Within the Butler Center’s vast Civil War holdings, researchers will find hundreds of letters, diaries, photographs, and other primary materials related to Arkansas’s involvement in the war. In addition, the Butler Center also holds an extensive collection of secondary sources and subscribes to a number of online databases, which provide easily accessible and up-to-date information.
The Butler Center also provides online access to selected portions of their collections. These featured collections represent a dynamic sampling of Arkansas history. Included are audio/video clips, digital images of photographs, letters, and other documents as well as educational resources such as lesson plans.
Researchers may also view searchable inventories of our manuscript collection holdings. To access the full range of our resources, we invite you to visit our research room in the Arkansas Studies Institute.