You can readily draw the history of Little Rock back to a French explorer, Jean-Baptiste Benard, in 1722. While exploring the Arkansas River, he noticed the initial outcropping of a relatively small rock, giving birth to the place’s current name. During this time, the area was a vast wilderness, and it was home to the Arkansas Indians.
This place was then taken up by the French, forming part of the Territory of Louisiana. It was not until 1803 that the United States bought this territory from the French.