Colorado State History

The region currently known as Colorado has seen human settlement for thousands of years, dating as far back as 11,000 BC. Many human artifacts dating back thousands of years have been discovered well preserved in the snowy reaches of the Colorado region. In more recent centuries, Native Americans moved into the region, with the Ute Nation and the Pueblo peoples occupying the area. The famous Arapaho and Cheyenne peoples followed wild game into the area, settling down until the arrival of the Europeans.

The Spanish settled in the San Luis Valley region and laid claim to much of Colorado in the process. The territory soon came into dispute, with the United States also laying claim after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
The Purchase put the United States and the Spanish Empire in conflict over the Colorado territory. In order to defuse the disagreement, the United States and the Spanish Empire entered into an arrangement. The United States would purchase the Florida territory, and in exchange, abandon any claim to the Colorado area.

This arrangement was soon rendered irrelevant with the independence of New Spain in 1821. The Mexican government claimed the Colorado area and much of the western California region as its own. These territories were soon ceded to the United States when it lost its war with American forces in 1848. The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo sealed the future of the western United States, bringing the Colorado region as well into the fold of the expanding Union.

The area, however, would remain mostly unsettled during the early and mid 1850s. The harsh winter climate and rugged terrain discouraged settlement, and most opted instead to travel through Wyoming in search of land in California. The discovery of some gold deposits in the 1850s led to increased settlement of the Colorado area as prospectors came into the area. The territory remained unorganized until the Civil War forced the Union to take stock of its holdings.

With the beginning of the Civil War, the Union struggled to expand its territory and solidify its hold. The Kansas Territory was quickly made into a state, and Colorado began to see some recognition as a result. Where it had previously gone unorganized, Colorado was officially recognized as a territory in 1861. Statehood would follow in 1876. The name of the state originates with the Spanish naming of the Rio Colorado river, so called for its red colored silt.

The population of the state boomed in 1878 when a major deposit of silver was discovered. The mining driven economy of the state thrived through the 1880s, augmented by the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1890. When the act was later repealed, however, the Colorado economy suffered a heavy collapse. The state continued to suffer economic downturn, especially with the arrival of the Great Depression. The accompanying Dust Bowl destroyed the local agricultural business.

The economy of Colorado would see a major revitalization with the arrival of World War II. Thousands immigrated to the city in search of new manufacturing jobs, and the effects of the Great Depression were quickly reversed. World War II left behind a permanent base of manufacturing and a solid foundation for jobs. The high tech industry soon followed, becoming a major component of the Colorado economy.

The federal government is a major player in the Colorado economy. With a large defense presence, including the well known NORAD establishment, the army and air force employ many residents of Colorado. 37% of Colorado’s land is owned by the federal government, with many national parks inside the state. Other major employers in the Colorado region are the food processing industry, as well as producers of transportation equipment. The mining industry continues to operate a significant presence in the state of Colorado.

In addition to mining, the oil industry is also a major presence in Colorado. Colorado is home to seven of the United States’ one hundred largest natural gas fields, as well as two large oil fields. There is also coal to be found in Colorado. Both the oil and mining industries employ a significant number of Coloradans.

Agriculture has always been a major source of economic activity in Colorado, and that remains so today. Cattle, sheep, and dairy goods are important facets of the Colorado agricultural economy. Wheat, hay, and corn are also major crops exported from Colorado every year. In addition to manufacturing and agriculture, tourism has recently become an important part of the Colorado economy. Many are employed in the service industry as a result of the strong tourism based economy seen in many cities around Colorado.

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