 | This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience. (August 2022) |
| Militia of the Territory of Arkansas | |
|---|---|
 Seal of Arkansas Territory | |
| Active | 1804–1836 |
| Country |  United States |
| Allegiance | Arkansas Territory |
| Type | Militia |
| Role | Land warfare |
| This article is part of a series on the |
| Arkansas National Guard |
|---|
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| Arkansas National Guard |
| Arkansas Army National Guard |
| Arkansas Territorial Militia, (1804–1836) |
| Arkansas Militia, 1836–1879 |
| Arkansas State Guard, 1879–1907 |
| Arkansas State Guard and the Spanish–American War |
| Arkansas National Guard 1907–1949 |
| Arkansas Air National Guard (1946–Present) |
| Arkansas Army National Guard (1949–Present) |
| See also |
 United States portal |
The Militia of the Territory of Arkansas, commonly known as the Arkansas Militia, was the forerunner of today's Arkansas National Guard. The current Arkansas Army National Guard traces its roots to the creation of the territorial militia of the District of Louisiana in 1804. As the District of Louisiana evolved into the Territory of Missouri and the first counties were organized, regiments of the Missouri territorial militia were formed in present-day Arkansas. Territorial governors struggled to form a reliable militia system in the sparsely populated territory. When the Arkansas Territory was formed from the Missouri Territory, the militia was reorganized, gradually evolving from a single brigade composed of nine regiments to an entire division composed of six brigades, each containing four to six regiments. The local militia organization, with its regular musters and hierarchy added structure to the otherwise loosely organized territorial society. The Territorial Militia was utilized to quell problems with the Indian Nations and was held in readiness to deal with trouble along the border with Mexico due to an ambiguous international border and during the prelude to the Texas War of Independence.