COLORADO HISTORY

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COLORADO HISTORY

• AMERICAN EXPLORERS

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AMERICAN EXPLORERS

• Napoleon sold Louisiana Purchase to Thomas
  Jefferson in 1803
• To learn more, Jefferson sent Capt. Meriwether
  Lewis and Lt. William Clark to explore the
  Northern part of the Louisiana Territory
• They were the first Americans to explore this
  territory
• They never explored Colorado

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ZEBULON PIKE

• In 1806, Lt. Zebulon Pike set out to investigate
  southwestern Louisiana
• Began looking for the mouth of the Arkansas River
  the Red River (thought to be the boundary
  between Louisiana and Mexico)
• Came across the large mountain that was later
  named for him
• He failed to climb Pikes Peak attempted, but
  never made it to top

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PIKE

• Traveled from St. Louis to the Arkansas River to
  the San Luis Valley, up and down the front range
  near Colorado Springs, then to South Park
• He became lost and confused, eventually left CO
  and wandered into Spanish territory where he was
  captured by Spanish forces
• He was sent to Santa Fe and then to Chihuahua for
  questioning as a spy (550 miles away)
• Later returned to the US, rose to the rank of
  general and was killed in the War of 1812

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PIKE

• Considered a SUCCESS
• Produced the first detailed report and maps of
  eastern Colorado
• Valuable records of geography and natural
  resources
• He published his records- The Arkansaw Journal
• His journals were popular in both the US and
  Europe
• First American (in England) to describe Pikes
  Peak, the Royal Gorge, South Park, the San Luis
  Valley and the Sangre de Christo mountain range

• Considered a FAILURE
• Failed to find the source of the Red River
• Got lost and confused
• Allowed himself to be captured
• Never climbed Pikes Peak
• Party suffered many hardships
• Earned the nickname The Lost Pathfinder

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Pikes Peak
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STEPHEN H. LONG

• War of 1812 halted exploration for sometime
• In 1820, he was sent out to explore the west
• Second American to lead an expedition to Colorado
• Major in US army, math instructor at West Point
• Follows foothills and rivers-enter on the Platte,
  south to Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo and
  followed the Arkansas out of the state
• 19 men were on this expedition including a
  mapmaker, landscape painter, zoologist,
  physician, botanist and geologist

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LONG

• Even though he provided good geographical
  evidence, the journey was remembered for
  inconsequential reasons
• Companion Edwin James climbed Pikes Peak and
  collected the Blue Columbine-Long called this
  James Peak
• Spotted Two-Ears Peak (Longs Peak)
• Wrote Great American Desert across his map-
  halted settlement in this area for a long time
• (He later became a RR engineer and invented a new
  type of RR bridge)

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Longs Peak
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Other American Explorers

• Colonel Henry Dodge
• Colonel Stephen Kearney
• John C. Fremont
• Captain John W. Gunnison