Colorado Territory

The Territory of Colorado was an organized area of the United States from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876. During this time, it was not yet a state but was governed directly by the U.S. government. It became a territory just as the American Civil War was beginning, after many people discovered gold in the area, leading to many new settlers arriving.

Even though the war made it hard for the territory to grow, things got better after the war ended. Mining became bigger and more organized, which helped the economy. Building railroads also played an important role in improving life and making the economy stronger for the people living there.

When the territory turned five years old, it was officially made the 38th state of the United States. The land that was part of the Colorado Territory looks almost the same as the state of Colorado today.

Territorial aspirations

The area that would become Colorado had to wait to become a territory because of disagreements over slavery. When the Civil War began, some senators left, which helped create new territories. On February 28, 1861, Colorado Territory was officially formed from lands that were part of Kansas, Nebraska, Utah, and New Mexico territories.

Abraham Lincoln chose William Gilpin from Missouri to be the first governor. He arrived in Denver City in May 1861. The Colorado General Assembly began meeting in September 1861 and set up 17 counties for the new territory.

Civil War

When the American Civil War began in 1861, there were small fights in Colorado between people who supported the Confederacy and those who supported the Union. Governor Gilpin formed the 1st Colorado Infantry and asked Denver businesses to help supply the soldiers, hoping the government would pay. When the government did not pay, people wanted new leaders.

Later, John P. Slough led soldiers to New Mexico Territory where they fought in battles at Apache Canyon, Glorieta Pass, and Peralta. In March 1862, John Evans became the new governor of Colorado and helped settle some of the debts from before.

During this time, there were sad and difficult events involving conflicts between different groups of people. The war ended, and new soldiers came from the east with better tools to protect settlements.

Attempts at statehood

Many efforts tried to make the Colorado Territory a state, starting in the 1850s, before it was even created. These attempts failed for many reasons. Finally, in 1876, Colorado became a state.

In 1865, the United States Congress approved a law to let the territory become a state, but President Andrew Johnson refused to sign it. Later, in 1870, President Grant supported making Colorado a state, but Congress did not act on it.

Demographics

When the Colorado Territory first started, most of the people were men. By 1870, fewer men lived there. The population didn’t grow much because of the war and problems in the mining industry. The number of people in 1870 was almost the same as in 1860.

Some activities happened in the area that caused tension among the citizens. For example, the town of Georgetown had several places that were not family-friendly in 1873.

Infrastructure

Before railroads were built, people in Colorado used wagons to move goods and messages. These wagon services started irregularly but became regular by 1861, operating several days a week. The economy of Colorado grew about three times bigger from 1865 to 1871.

Telegraph

The first telegraph line in the territory started building in 1861 and finished from Denver to Julesburg, Colorado in October 1863. By 1865, another telegraph line went from Denver through Fort Collins, Colorado all the way to Salt Lake City, Utah.

Railroads

The boom in mining changed things, and towns near Central City planned a railroad called the Colorado Central in 1861 to help the mining industry. Construction finally began in 1865, using Golden as the main center.

In 1867, John Evans and D. H. Moffat raised money to build the Denver Pacific Railroad north from Denver to Cheyenne. The line finished in June 1870, giving Denver a big economic advantage.

Also in 1867, the Union Pacific Railroad extended its tracks west to Julesburg, Colorado. It connected with the Central Pacific Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah on May 10, 1869, creating the First transcontinental railroad. The Kansas Pacific arrived two months later, making a second cross-country line.

In 1871, William Jackson Palmer started the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, linking Denver to Pueblo and further. He also founded Colorado Springs that same year.

Banks

Only private banking existed in Colorado Territory until 1865, when the First National Bank opened in Denver. Jerome B. Chaffee and David Moffat were leaders at the bank.

Mining

Oil was found in the area in 1861. People began making fuel called kerosene in Florence, Colorado.

By 1862, people had taken out enough gold to be worth about $30 million. But mining was harder than many people thought, and many miners left to find other work. To help the mining business, leaders built a special building called a mint in Denver to make money coins. The United States Congress approved this plan on April 21, 1862, and the Denver Mint was built.

After the Civil War ended, new machines called stamp mills and smelters were used more often to help process minerals. These machines were not very good, and many businesses closed. Some people made money by collecting leftover bits of minerals.

By 1868, a place called Central City became very important for mining gold. In the late 1860s, people also found silver and iron in different parts of Colorado, and coal was mined near Denver.

Legislation

The territorial legislature met almost every year. The mountain towns usually made most of the laws. Only a few towns, like Black Hawk, Denver, Central City, and Georgetown, had special rules.

Gambling was a common activity. In 1865, the legislature made gambling legal.

Territorial capitals

Three cities were the capital of Colorado Territory at different times.

Denver City was the capital from 1861 to 1862. Then, Colorado City was the capital for a short time in 1862. After that, Golden City was the capital until 1867. Finally, Denver was the capital again until Colorado became a state in 1876.