COLORADO HISTORY

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COLORADO HISTORY

• FRENCH EXPLORERS

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FRENCH EXPLORATION

• Late 17th century, France challenged Spains
  control of western North America
• France already controlled the St. Lawrence and
  the Great Lakes
• Lasalle went down the Mississippi River and
  claimed the whole valley of the Mississippi.
  (including all tributaries) He named it la
  Louisiane.
• Soon French traders and explorers began working
  their way up the western branches

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MALLET BROTHERS

• First French to enter and explore Colorado
• Peter Paul Mallet
• Led the first French expedition through Santa Fe
• Came up the Platte River, cut across to the
  Arkansas River and entered Colorado
• Named the Platte River Platte means flat

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FRENCH EXPLORATION

• Following this expedition, a number of French
  traders traveled through Colorado on their way to
  New Mexico.
• But the Spaniards did not welcome them.

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Spanish and French Explorers of the Plains Green
Mallet, 1739-41 Red Coronado, 1541
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FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR

• 1763-French Indian War ends
• This ends the rivalry between France and Spain
• for the land of Colorado and the prairie country
  eastward.
• By treaty France ceded her territorial claims
  west of the Mississippi to Spain.
• Land east of the Mississippi went to Britain

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FRENCH CLAIM

• All of Colorado was now
• undisputed Spanish soil.
• 1800, the Louisiana territory
• was re-ceded to France.
• 1803-Purchased by US for
• 15 Million

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CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE FRENCH

• Better exploration, maps and Indian trails
• Led the way for the trappers, traders and
  mountain men
• Named Platte River

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Review of Spanish French Explorers

• Spain established its colony of Santa Fe in New
  Mexico in 1598.
• Spain claimed a huge, but unspecified, region
  within about 345 miles of the upper Rio Grande as
  part of this colony.
• This claim encompassed all of the present states
  of New Mexico and Colorado and adjacent areas.

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Review of Spanish French Explorers

• A century later, France established its colony of
  la Louisiane in 1699.
• France claimed the entire drainage basin of the
  Mississippi River.

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Review of Spanish French Explorers

• Spain assumed administration of la Louisiane as a
  result of the Treaty of Paris signed in 1763.
• Spain renamed the colony Louisiana, but the
  colony retained its essential French character.

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France reacquired Louisiana as a result of the
Treaty of San Ildefonso signed in secrecy in
1800, but France was ill equipped to resume
control of its colony.
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The United States acquired a claim to the entire
Mississippi River drainage basin with its
Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803. This
claim conflicted with Spain's claim to the
southern Rocky Mountain region.
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México declared its independence in 1810, but
Spain continued to assert its control. The United
States ceded the region south and west of the
Arkansas River to Spain (in exchange for Florida)
with the Adams-Onís Treaty in 1821.
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Six months later in 1821, Spain recognized the
independence of México.
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Questions

• 1. Who were the brothers who were the first
  French to come to CO?
• 2. What is the name of the territory between the
  Mississippi and Rockies, that changed hands
  numerous times?
• 3.T or F The first French explorer in the
  western US was LaSalle.
• 4. T or F At one time or another, parts of
  Colorado were claimed by Spain, Mexico, France
  and Texas.
• 5. Which US President bought the Louisiana
  Purchase from the French?
• A. George Washington B. Thomas Jefferson
• C. Abe Lincoln D. John Quincy Adams