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Period: 12,000 BCE to 5500 BCE
Paleo-Indians
Paleo-Indians had an impact on Colorado’s History by hunting it’s animals and gathering it’s plants wherever they went. They made their homes where they followed their food sources. They left behind artifacts and campsites for us to learn about them. -
Period: 5500 BCE to 150 BCE
Archaic
Archaic Indians had an impact on Colorado’s History by being hunters and gatherers who changed their ways and began planting their own food. They returned to the same camps they made each year and followed the animal herds throughout the year. They made baskets and lived in Pit houses. -
Period: 1100 BCE to
Utes
Utes had an impact on Colorado’s History by being hunters and gatherers who moved around and made homes with the seasons. Utes have lived in Colorado longer than any other group. They built and lived in shelters called wickiups built out of long wood poles and covered with bark or animal skins. -
Period: 1492 to 1492
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was a Spanish Explorer who found the Americas. -
Period: 1521 to
Spanish Explorers to Colorado
The Spanish Explorers had an impact on Colorado’s History by taking land, killing and enslaving the Native Americans that already lived in Colorado. They brought new things into the land such as: horses, pigs, sheep, cattle, sugarcane, wheat, and onions. They also brought people to the area to mine for gold in Colorado. -
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Cheyenne and Arapaho
The Cheyenne and Arapaho had an impact on Colorado’s History by moving around hunting the buffalo while following buffalo herds around the area. They ate vegetables and all the meat from the buffalo they killed. When they moved around living in tipis, they used travoises made of buffalo skin between two long poles to pull behind animals to drag supplies, old people and little kids. -
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Women’s Suffrage
At the beginning of our country, women weren’t allowed to vote. Women went around gave many speeches about suffrage and the right to vote. In 1893, Colorado became one of the first states to give women rights to vote. It took 27 years for the rest of the country to all allow women the right to vote. -
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Woman's Suffrage
At the beginning of our country, women weren’t allowed to vote. Women went around gave many speeches about suffrage and the right to vote. In 1893, Colorado became one of the first states to give women rights to vote. It took 27 years for the rest of the country to all allow women the right to vote. -
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American Explorers
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Louisiana Purchase
The United States bought 500 million acres of land from France west of the Mississippi. It made the United States almost twice it’s size. President Thomas Jefferson sent out explorers to explore the new land to find out more about it. -
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Explorer Zebulon Pike
He went out two years after Lewis and Clark explored the North parts of the territory. He was asked to explore the southern boundaries. He explored the parts of the land we call Colorado today and was one of the first explorers in the area. -
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Explorer Robert Long
Long also explored in the state we know as Colorado. He published a map call the Great American Desert. He said the area wasn’t worth coming into and to leave it for the Native people and buffalo. -
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The Fur Trade
Fur trading impacted Colorado by being the first industry in Colorado as people traded pelts for money/supplies out of animals such as: beaver, buffalo, and other animals. Trappers were from countries/places like Canada, France, England, Mexico and the U.S. Native Americans began to change their cultures with the popularity of trading furs and many of their women married the traders. Forts were built to trade furs between traders and one is still around today called Bent’s Fort. -
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Explorer John C. Frémont
Fremont saw more in Colorado than the other explorers did. He said that the land would be good for many things like farming. He also said that a big amount of people could live here. More Americans started coming to Colorado after that. -
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Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American War impacted Colorado by changing its owners. Before the war, Mexico owned all the land in the Southwest and the United States wanted the land. A war happened to fight over the land and the United States and Mexico made a treaty, making the territories of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nebraska and Kansas part of the United States. -
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Settlers
Mining brought settlers to Colorado. Life in these towns was hard for all people because men mined, women did many chores by doing the cooking, laundry, running stores and boarding houses. The children were expected to help with chores and were taught at home for school at first and then started school in a one room schoolhouse. -
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Placer Mining
Placer mining impacted Colorado by being the first type of mining that came to Colorado. This is when people panned for gold and found flakes and small pieces of gold in rivers and streams. A Cherokee named John Beck led William Green Russell and a group of men to the area now known as Denver in 1858 where they found $200 worth of gold in their search. This finding brought hope and excitement across the country and many people came to Colorado to find their fortunes. -
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Lode Mining
Lode mining impacted Colorado by creating boomtowns which turned into supply towns and eventually bigger cities. Occasionally the gold ran low and people moved away to another area leaving ghost towns behind. Lode mining is different from placer mining because gold is further down in the mountains and it's harder work, but you get more gold in the end. -
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Colorado Becomes a State
Colorado became the 38th state in the United States of America. This happened in the 100th year after the United States was founded and Colorado is known as the Centennial State. The people in the territory voted on a constitution which helped them become a state. -
Period: to
Civil Rights
All people in the United States were not treated equally based on the color of their skin even though all men went to wars and worked in factories to help the country. Many places kept colored people separate from white people and this is racist and people used segregation to separate everyone in schools and towns. Over time all people earned the same rights, even though it took a long time in courts and people standing up for equal rights. -
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Kaydan
I am an important part of Colorado history because I live here today. I impact those around me by helping them feel loved and connected. I love to help others and try to be kind to those around me. I try to be a good friend and citizen wherever I am. I like making others laugh and enjoying the joy of other people and animals.