August 1, 1876: Colorado Joins the Union as the 38th State

The United States acquired the eastern part of Colorado in 1803 through the Louisiana Purchase and the western portion in 1848 through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In 1850, the federal government also purchased additional territory from Texas that went to Colorado and other states. [During its early years of statehood, Texas claimed territory about fifty percent larger than its present boundary, including parts of the present states of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming.] The combined property eventually became the Colorado Territory in 1861.

Of the land claimed by Texas after annexation (left), about 1/3 was ceded to the U. S. in exchange for $10 million in the Compromise of 1850.

In 1857, the U.S. suffered one of the most severe economic crises in its history. The contraction of the economy that followed the panic of 1857 was profound. Thus many were enticed westward by the discovery of gold flakes near the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River in 1858. Rumors of gold in the Rocky Mountains brought so many that by 1860 Denver – “the instant city” – had 5,000 people. The census of 1860 counted over 34,000 in the Pike’s Peak district.

Travel Circular from 1860

This growing population, eager for government services, petitioned Congress for recognition as a territory. Congress considered the names of Jefferson, Osage, Yampa (mountain bear), Idahoe (mountain gem), Lula (mountain fairy), Arapahoe (mountain Indian), and Tahosa (mountain dweller), finally opting for the Territory of Colorado. (The word Colorado is Spanish for the “color red,” and refers to the muddy Colorado River.)

Pike's Peak District: Panning for gold

As it generally happened in America’s westward expansion, Native Americans were considered to be in the way, and years of warfare disrupted the growth of the territory. Moreover, the easily mined surface gold was depleted and there were many “go-backers” who returned to the East. But in 1870, the Denver Pacific Railroad was completed, and a second wave of settlers arrived. Factories along the railroad sprang up, including the Coors Brewery in 1873.

It wasn’t until this date in history, however, August 1, 1876, that Colorado became a state. Coloradans themselves resisted the idea, because federal funds rather than local taxes paid for the administration of a territory; with statehood, they would have to foot the bill themselves. But Republicans in Congress saw Colorado as the source of more votes. For that very same reason, the Democratic President Andrew Johnson vetoed a bill to admit Colorado as a state on May 15, 1866.

When Johnson’s term ended, Republican Ulysses S. Grant was elected, and the push for Colorado statehood by Congress lost its urgency. Nevertheless, Jerome Chaffee, Republican leader, multimillionaire (thanks to banking and land speculation), and the territorial representative from Colorado, persisted. On July 1, 1876, Colorado voted to become a state and on August 1, 1876 President Grant signed a proclamation admitting the state of Colorado to the Union as the 38th state. Colorado became a state just three days before the nation’s centennial, and so is known as The Centennial State.

Frank Jacobs, on the EMag “Big Think” points out that although Colorado looks like a rectangle, it isn’t. It has not four but 697 sides. “That makes it a hexahectaenneacontakaiheptagon.”

Today, Colorado is the 8th largest state in area, and the 24th largest state in population. Among its attractions is Pikes Peak, one of the most famous summits in the United States. The 14,115 ft fourteener (a mountain exceeding 14,000 ft above sea level) was discovered in the early 1700’s. Katherine Lee Bates wrote ‘America the Beautiful’ after being inspired by the view from Pikes Peak.

Pikes Peak

It should be noted, Pikes Peak is not even the tallest mountain in Colorado. Colorado contains 75% of the land area in the continental United States that rises above 10,000 feet; the 30 highest major summits of the Rocky Mountains all lie within Colorado. At 14,440 feet, Mount Elbert is the highest point in Colorado.