Statehood 1876

Colorado

Parts of present-day Colorado were held by Spain and then passed to Mexico following the Mexican War of Independence in 1821, with the region forming part of the provinces of Alta California and Santa Fe de Nuevo México. Mexico ceded the territory to the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 after the Mexican–American War. The Pike's Peak Gold Rush brought the first large concentration of settlers from the east, and the Territory of Colorado was formally organized on February 28, 1861. Colorado was admitted as the 38th state on August 1, 1876.

Statehood
1876
Historic sites
1,687
Military engagements
236

Pre-contact era

The region that is today Colorado has been inhabited by Native Americans and their Paleo-American ancestors for at least 13,500 years, and possibly more than 37,000 years. The eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains was a major migration route important to the spread of early peoples throughout the Americas. The Lindenmeier site in Larimer County contains artifacts dating from approximately 8720 BCE.

Colonial history

The source text does not provide explicit start date for Spanish claim over Colorado; the Adams–Onís Treaty of 1821 is the last referenced Spanish boundary agreement. Most of the ceded area was part of the Mexican province of Alta California or Santa Fe de Nuevo México under Spanish and then Mexican administration.

Parts of Colorado were part of the Mexican province of Alta California and the state of Santa Fe de Nuevo México. Mexico controlled the ceded territories with considerable local autonomy and sent few troops from central Mexico.

In the early days of the Colorado gold rush, Colorado was a Territory of Kansas and Territory of Jefferson before becoming the organized Territory of Colorado on February 28, 1861.

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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
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Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
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Explore Colorado records

1,687
National Register historic sites
National Register listings ›
236
Military engagements
Military history records ›
1
Civil War regiments
Union, Confederate, USCT ›
5
Indigenous groups
Heritage records ›
5
Notable figures
Born in Colorado ›
5
Colonial-era events
1492 to early statehood ›
2
Archaeological sites
Prehistoric sites ›
Colorado counties
Census population history ›
Sources

State history content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Historic sites data: National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

About Colorado

When did Colorado become a state?
Colorado was admitted to the Union in 1876.
What European powers colonized Colorado?
The territory that became Colorado passed through several colonial periods. The source text does not provide explicit start date for Spanish claim over Colorado; the Adams–Onís Treaty of 1821 is the last referenced Spanish boundary agreement. Most of the ceded area was part of the Mexican province of Alta California or Santa Fe de Nuevo México under Spanish and then Mexican administration. Parts of Colorado were part of the Mexican province of Alta California and the stat
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