The Spanish, led by Hernando DeSoto, were the first Europeans to arrive in Arkansas in 1541. DeSoto had received land grants from the Spanish government and set out to document the interior of the Gulf Coast States. His chief goal was to search for gold and silver and to claim mines in the name of Spain. From 1539 to 1540, DeSoto and his army traveled through Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi before crossing the Mississippi River into Arkansas.
DeSoto and his men traveled through eastern, western and southern Arkansas. His army came into contact with the indigenous natives of Arkansas, including members of the Quapaw, Caddo and Osage Indian tribes. In 1542, DeSoto's trek through Arkansas ended when he died. According to legend, DeSoto's body was encased in an oak tree and thrown into the Mississippi River.
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