Four American scholars present this concise, one-volume history of Arkansas from prehistoric times to the present. Coverage includes an examination of Native American prehistory, emphasizing cultural developments within the changing environmental and social conditions; negotiations between Indians and immigrants during the colonial era; the unfolding of multicultural relationships during the subsequent era of American settlement; the shifting of power with the development of plantation agriculture and slavery; the impact of the Civil War and postwar banking problems; the linked histories of progressivism, civil rights, education, and industrialization, and the shaping of the political process in Arkansas. Suitable for use as a college text, but accessible to the general reader. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)