Colorado became the nation’s 38th state on Aug. 1, 1876. It’s the eighth-largest state,
covering 104,185 square miles. Its capital is Denver.
THE land that would become Colorado was home to the Apache, Arapaho and Ute natives. Among the first Europeans to explore the territory was Spanish conquistador Francisco Vazquez de Coronado. His futile search for a fabled land of gold led him through the area.
But gold was found in Colorado more than 300 years later. During the Pikes Peak Gold Rush (1858-1861), more than 100,000 fortune seekers poured into the area.
Small amounts of gold had been found on the South Platte River Valley, but it was not enough to deter those headed to California in search of bigger treasure. These small amounts were not discounted, but, at the same time, they were not reported right away. But once gold-dust fever died in California, interest in the Rocky Mountain gold soared. After word of Colorado’s valuable ore reached the eastern part of the country, the gold rush was officially on.
Railroads were built to haul the ore, which not only included gold, but valuable minerals.
The Dred Scott Decision of 1857 opened the Colorado territory to slavery, but with the impending Civil War and strong Union support, Colorado sided with the Union.
One of the most shameful events of the Civil War was the slaughter of a peaceful band of Native Americans by Union Col. John Chivington at Colorado’s Sand Creek Reservation. On Nov. 29, 1864, 163 mostly elderly men,
women and children were killed at Sand Creek, supposedly a safe and protected area. Although the massacre
was denounced, no one was ever charged with the crime. The slaughter was later lauded as a great Union victory.
The Colorado territory officially became the nation’s 38th state on August 1, 1876, almost exactly 100 years after the nation declared its independence – hence its nickname, the Centennial State.
Colorado experienced a second boom in 1879 – this time, in silver. It yielded $82 million worth of the metal, mostly purchased by the U.S. government. But it all came to an end in 1893, when silver prices collapsed. Mining is a boom or bust industry, offering little in between. Some thriving mining towns soon became ghost towns, which now serve as tourist attractions. Others, such as Aspen, Telluride and Cripple Creek, became world-class ski resorts.
Coal, metals and gems are still mined in Colorado. Agriculture, including wheat, dairy, corn and hay farming, as well as cattle ranching, contribute to the state’s economy.
In 1972, Colorado became the only site ever chosen to host the Olympic Games to reject the honor. Voters opposed the use of public money to fund the high cost of staging the Winter Games, which instead went to Innsbruck, Austria.
The capital city of Denver, named for Kansas territorial Gov. James Denver, is known as the Wall Street of the West for its skyscraper-lined financial district.
The state was important to the Beat Generation. Part of Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” takes place there. Beat icons Neal Cassady and Alan Ginsberg both spent time there.
Colorado has some of the coolest and driest weather in the country. It also is prone to lightning, and is a leading state in deaths caused by lightning strikes.
If you go, be sure to visit one of the many national parks, including Dinosaur National Park, Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site, Rocky Mountain National Park and the Cliff Place in Mesa Verde National Park.
Famous Colorado natives include actor-comedian Tim Allen, presidential candidate John Kerry and boxer Jack Dempsey.
Did you know that …
* Colorado has almost as many dead towns as live ones – 500 ghost towns and 650 live towns?
* Seventeen flags have flown over the state?
* The largest building made of ice in North America was built in Leadville in 1895? It used 5,000 tons of ice and was built in just 36 days. It was closed after two months due to unseasonably warm weather.
* Colorado enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year?
Today’s lesson fulfills the following standards: ELA 1c, 3c, 3d, 4a, 4b, 5a Social Studies Standards 1 and 3
New York Post Activities
USE the Internet or other reference source to learn more about Colorado.
USE a globe or map to locate the Colorado River and trace its path.
BE the reporter and write an article on what you think Colorado was like during the frenzy of the Pikes Peak Gold Rush.