Mainstreaming Arkansas

Mainstreaming Arkansas In the early to the middle of the twentieth century, Arkansas began to grow closer to the modern image that the rest of the United States had seemed to obtain. Although Arkansas’ process of growth was much slower than the rest of the country, the state did begin to catch up and dive into the mainstream. Arkansas developed economically, politically, and culturally by means of businesses that blossomed within the state, politicians that rose to the occasion, and the process of urbanization within the cities around the state, helping Arkansas to achieve a more modern status that better fit the time period of the country. In the 1940’s-1950’s, Arkansas experienced a plentiful economic rise in comparison to what the state …show more content…
Oil was struck in El Dorado, which brought in massive revenue for the city and state; however, the oil ran out in the end. Instead of plummeting back toward financial distress, a chicken industry opened up near El Dorado in which business began booming once more. Across the state in Northwest Arkansas, Sam Walton began dreaming of a store that could sell massive and diverse amounts of merchandise at a lesser expense to the public. As a result of this dream, Walton opened the infamous Wal-Mart franchise, which quickly grew and began to appear all across the state of Arkansas, and then across the South, and then across the country. Now an international success, Wal-Mart opened up the door to economic success within Arkansas. Alongside Wal-Mart, other renowned businesses such as the J.B. Hunt trucking company and the Tyson meat industries also began in the state of Arkansas, which also resulted in heavy economic success. As well as booming business, the state and federal …show more content…
As luck would have it, a young man by the name of Bill Clinton from the small town of Hope, Arkansas developed a heavy interest in politics after attending law school and teaching law at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. After running for other various political positions, Clinton was elected to the governor’s chair and became Governor of the state of Arkansas at the young age of thirty-two. Clinton and his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, travelled the state of Arkansas and gained popularity of the people. Clinton regularly attended graduations and festivals and tried his best to become well-acquainted with the citizens of Arkansas and the issues they were facing. As well as being a politician that was genuinely on the side of the people, Clinton also addressed several political issues during his time as governor. Clinton pushed for education reform, better infrastructure across the state, and better health care benefits. This reformation caused the political system in Arkansas to power through to a modernized society similar to the rest of the United