Arkansas in Modern America, 1930–1999

by Ben F. Johnson III

This elegantly written narrative traces Arkansas's evolution from a primarily rural society in the early 1900s to its expanding manufacturing economy and its growing prosperity and parity with the rest of the nation. Ben Johnson explores the influence of federal-state relations, beginning with the New Deal programs of President Franklin Roosevelt and continuing through the administrations of native son Bill Clinton. With particular sensitivity, he examines organized labor in the timber industry and in row crop agriculture; school desegregation, "white flight," and the private academy movement in the delta region; the growth of Wal-Mart and the poultry industry in the northwest section of the state; and the expansion of outdoor recreation and tourism as lakes were constructed and game populations rejuvenated. This book is particularly impressive for the breadth of its scope. Johnson offers detailed information on women, music and literature, organized religion, environmental trends, and other important cultural influences. Third in the popular Histories of Arkansas series, Arkansas in Modern America extends the narrative into the contemporary era with a format aimed at students and general readers. This important book will set the standard, for years to come, for analysis and interpretation of Arkansas's place in the twentieth century.

Genres: History

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finishing out the four volume Histories of Arkansas series, this book returns to a more narrative structure after the more issue oriented structure of Arkansas and the New South, 1874-1929, the previous book in the series.

The history continues to be somewhat depressing, with the state not really entering what most would consider "Modern America" until the 1970s. Prior to that, corruption in politics was the rule rather than the exception, and support of segregation the biggest issue, climaxing with the Little Rock High School crisis, but certainly not ending there.

After that point things improved quite a bit, but progress still lagged behind the rest of the nation. African American representation in elected positions remained far behind the percentage of African Americans in the population, and as late as 1999, the Arkansas State Senate was the only legislative body in the entire nation that remained all male.

Overall, the book presents a good overview of the history of the state, touching on everything from politics to music. Well worth a read for anyone willing to take a closer look at the history of Arkansas.