Colorado History Facts How It Became A State How Old It Is And More

Colorado is situated in the western part of the United States of America.Colorado is the 38th state of the US. It is the only place in America where one can stand in four states.Colorado shares its boundaries with New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah at a quadripoint or grand junction where the borders of the four states meet. It is named the Four Corners Monument, a popular tourist attraction.Colorado is well-known for its diverse geography, including mountains, rivers, natural hot springs, national forests, plateaus, canyons, deserts, and the grand mesa. The state is divided into western Colorado and eastern Colorado and has a rich history revolving around dinosaurs and native Americans. The state’s western slope is marbled by huge mountains, Colorado Plateau, mesas, broad intervening valleys, and deep narrow canyons. Pikes Peak is the apex of the Rocky Mountains.Did you know the highest point in Colorado is Mount Elbert? Its height is 14,440 ft (4401.3 m) above sea level. The Canon City of Colorado has the world’s highest suspension bridge called the Royal Gorge Bridge, at the height of 1053 ft (321 m) above sea level. It runs across the Arkansas River, over the Royal Gorge. The state also has the highest road in North America, named Mount Evans Scenic Byway, at 14,130 ft (4306.8 m) above sea level. It is near the Idaho Springs. Denver has 205 parks making it the largest city park system in the US.The state has America’s longest continuous commercial street called Colfax Avenue in Denver’s capital city. Earlier called the Golden Road or Grand Avenue, Colfax Avenue is 26.5 mi (42.6 km) long. Colorado is also famous as the only state ever to turn down hosting the Winter Olympics of 1976.Origin Of ColoradoColorado has been inhabited by human beings, specifically native Americans, for more than 14,000 years. The Spanish were the first to visit the region. They founded the Spanish province of Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico in 1598, and in 1706 Juan de Ulibarri, a Spanish soldier and explorer, declared the region of Colorado.The inhabitants of Colorado hunted mammoths for their primary meals. But soon, this animal became extinct in the region. That’s when they turned to hunt bison. Years later, they learned the art of horse riding from the Spanish, transforming the way they hunted. They also gave Colorado its name as it means ‘colored red’ and its relation to the Colorado River.Did you know the Spanish Empire claimed Colorado as a part of New Mexico? And it remained a part of New Mexico until the US government intervened. The Spanish had reigned over the Colorado region for a long time. It was an unorganized territory due to slavery. The French also claimed a portion of Colorado’s territory at the beginning of the 18th century, but they sold the land to the USA. Mexico also surrendered its claim over Colorado in 1848. Finally, in 1850, the borders of Colorado were marked.Colorado began to see the colors of transformation in 1850-1860. That was the time of the gold rush in the state. Silver was also mined, and the state began to see a new dawn. Colorado’s economy progressed gradually, and the population remained stable at less than 40,000.After several disputes related to the city limits, the United States Congress, led by US President Ulysses S. Grant, declared Colorado as the 38th state of The United States of America in 1876. Colorado is nicknamed the Centennial State, as it was declared a state precisely one century after the US Declaration of Independence was signed. Colorado has 64 summit counties.The Centennial State paced in the 19th century with the construction of railways. The state’s population rose to 539,000, and as a result, a new city of Denver was formed in 1858. The city bloomed exponentially, and the population soon touched the mark of 133,000.The federal government owns around one-third of the lands in Colorado as they are covered by national forests, four national parks, grasslands, Indian reservations, and monuments. Denver, the capital of Colorado, is also named the Mile High City due to its height. The Mile High City is tucked around by its nearby mountains.20th And 21st CenturiesModern Colorado began to take shape in the early 20th century. Mining was still an important occupation, but agriculture also became a livelihood. This led to a rise in population too. The city of Denver became home to 287,000 and the most populous city in the state.During the Great Depression in the ’30s, Colorado suffered immensely. However, the state jumped back to its feet during the Second World War. Ever since, the economy and population have continued to multiply. As per the latest United States Census, the Centennial State is the 21st most populous state in the US. By the end of the 20th century, Colorado began to see an influx of residents and tourists!Currently, Colorado has several tourist attractions such as the Rocky Mountains or the Colorado Rockies, the Rocky Mountain National Park, the Colorado Plateau, the Grand Mesa, Arkansas River, Arkansas Valley, Mesa Verde National Park, San Luis Valley, Royal Gorge Bridge, Colorado River, and Glenwood Springs, which is the world’s largest natural hot springs pool.Rocky Ford is known as the Melon Capital of the world. Colorado also has mountain ranges, with the highest point being Mount Elbert at 14,440 ft (4401.3 m) above sea level, and good railways like the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, which climbs Pikes Peak and is the world’s highest railway train.The US government has also set up several air force-related establishments like the United States Air Force Academy, NORAD, and a couple of air force bases.Colorado has the Dwight Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel running under the Continental Divide, the highest auto tunnel in the world. The Continental Divide ensures that water that falls in its western part enters the Pacific Ocean and the water to its east enters the Atlantic Ocean.Arts And FilmThe Colorado Office of Film and Television has revealed that around 400 movies have been filmed in the state. The oldest movie theater in Colorado is the Park Theater in Estes Park. It is also one of the oldest in the world.Colorado State also hosts film festivals like the Denver Film Festival, Moondance International Film Festival, and Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival. The Stanley Hotel is an essential landmark in Colorado featured in films like ‘The Shining and Dumb and Dumber.‘Colorado Springs, a city in Colorado, hosts an annual hot air balloon festival during the Labor Day weekend called the Colorado Springs Labor Day Liftoff. Colorado also has Opera Houses that started in the ’60s, and the Central City Opera House is quite famous for hosting performances and a summer opera festival even now.Downtown Denver hosts the Denver Performing Arts Complex, where lively theater, plays, musicals, and concerts are staged.The tourist attractions related to arts and films include the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver Art Museum, Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center, the Dinosaur Journey Museum, Hovenweep National Monument, and more.First Settlers In ColoradoThe earliest inhabitants of Colorado were dinosaurs.The first human settlers of the region were Native Americans. Several archaeological sites in the region show that Native Americans have been in the region for more than 14,000 years.Native Americans can be classified as Ancient Pueblo people. The Great Basin Groups are called Ute Nation. The Plains Indians are called Apache and Comanche, and other tribes like Arapaho Nation, Cheyenne Nation, Pawnee, and Crow.The Spanish people were the first visitors from Europe to Colorado in the 1500s. The Spanish created settlements and military expeditions, which displaced the Native Americans.Significant Initiatives And Legislation Enacted In ColoradoThe Constitution of the State of Colorado was drafted on March 14, 1876, and came into effect on August 1, 1876. The Constitution of the state has been amended 166 times as of 2020.In 1992, Colorado introduced the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), which restricted increasing taxes without voter approval. In 2006, the state legalized medical marijuana, and in 2012 legalized marijuana for personal use. In 2006, Colorado banned same-sex marriage, which was later overturned in 2015 by the United States Supreme Court allowing same-sex marriage.

Colorado is situated in the western part of the United States of America.