Territorial evolution of Colorado

Location of the State of Colorado in the United States of America.

The area currently occupied by the U.S. State of Colorado has undergone numerous changes in occupancy and territorial claims and designations over the past 15 centuries. This geographic chronology traces the territorial evolution of Colorado.

Indigenous peoples[]

Indigenous peoples who have lived in the area of the present State of Colorado:

Ancestral Puebloans
Apache Nation
Arapaho Nation^[a]
Cheyenne Nation^[a]
Comanche Nation
Navajo Nation
Pawnee Nation
Shoshone Nation
Ute Nation^[b]

Early territorial claims[]

Early Iberian claims in the New World:

First voyage of Cristòffa Cómbo (Christopher Columbus), August 3, 1492 to March 15, 1493
Pope Alexander VI issues papal bull Inter caetera, May 5, 1493
Treaty of Tordesillas, signed June 7, 1494
Vasco Núñez de Balboa claims the Mar del Sur (Pacific Ocean) and all adjacent lands for the Queen of Castile, September 29, 1513

Spanish Empire 1492-1821[]

Territorial claims of the Spanish Empire in the entire area of the present State of Colorado:

Viceroyalty of New Spain, 1521-1821

Santa Fé de Nuevo Méjico, 1598–1821

Columbus claims San Salvador for the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, October 12, 1492
Hernán Cortés defeats Cuauhtémoc, August 13, 1521
Francisco Vázquez de Coronado leads expedition north from New Spain, February 23, 1540
Juan de Oñate establishes the colony of Santa Fe de Nuevo Méjico, July 12, 1598
Adams–Onís Treaty^[c], signed February 22, 1819, effective February 22, 1821
Treaty of Córdoba, August 24, 1821

Kingdom of France 1682-1764[]

Territorial claim of the Kingdom of France to the Mississippi River basin^[d]:

La Louisiane^[e], 1682–1764

La Salle claims La Louisiane for King Louis XIV, April 9, 1682
Treaty of Fontainebleau, signed November 23, 1762, announced September 30, 1764
Treaty of Paris, February 10, 1763

Kingdom of Spain 1762-1803[]

Territorial claims of the Kingdom of Spain in the Mississippi River basin:

La Luisiana, 1764–1803

Treaty of Fontainebleau, signed November 23, 1762, announced September 30, 1764
Treaty of Paris, February 10, 1763
Third Treaty of San Ildefonso, October 1, 1800
Treaty of Aranjuez, March 21, 1801
Spanish Govenor Salcedo transfers La Luisiana to French Govenor Laussat, November 30, 1803

French Republic 1800-1803[]

Territorial claims of the French Republic in the Mississippi River basin:

La Louisiane^[e], 1801–1803

Third Treaty of San Ildefonso, October 1, 1800
Treaty of Aranjuez, March 21, 1801
Louisiana Purchase, signed April 30, 1803, announced July 4, 1803, ratified October 20, 1803
Spanish Govenor Salcedo transfers La Luisiana to French Govenor Laussat, November 30, 1803
French Govenor Laussat transfers La Louisiane to United States Governor Claiborne, December 20, 1803

Mexico 1821-1848[]

Territorial claims of Mexico south and west of the Adams–Onís border^[c]:

Santa Fe de Nuevo México, 1821–1848

Treaty of Córdoba, August 24, 1821
Treaty of Limits, signed January 12, 1828, effective April 5, 1832
Republic of Texas declares independence, March 2, 1836
Texas annexation, December 29, 1845
United States Army seizes Santa Fe, August 15, 1846
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed February 2, 1848, effective May 30, 1848

Republic of Texas 1836-1845[]

Territorial claim of the Republic of Texas between the Arkansas River and the Rio Grande:

Territory^[f] disputed with the Mexican Republic, 1836–1845

Republic of Texas declares independence, March 2, 1836
Texas annexation, December 29, 1845

United States 1803 to present[]

Historical political divisions of the United States in the area of the present State of Colorado:

Louisiana Purchase^[e], signed April 30, 1803, announced July 4, 1803, ratified October 20, 1803
French Govenor Laussat transfers La Louisiane to United States Governor Claiborne, December 20, 1803

Unorganized territory created by the Louisiana Purchase, 1803–1804

District of Louisiana, 1804–1805

Territory of Louisiana, 1805–1812

Territory of Missouri, 1812–1821

Adams–Onís Treaty, signed February 22, 1819, effective February 22, 1821
Missouri Statehood Act, August 10, 1821

Unorganized territory previously the western portion of the Missouri Territory, 1821–1854

Texas Annexation, December 29, 1845

Disputed territory created by the Texas Annexation, 1845–1848

United States Army seizes Santa Fe, August 15, 1846

U.S. provisional government of New Mexico 1846-1850

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed February 2, 1848, effective May 30, 1848

Unorganized territory created by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848–1850

Provisional State of Deseret, 1849–1851

Compromise of 1850, September 9, 1850

Territory of New Mexico, 1850–1912

Territory of Utah, 1850–1896

Kansas–Nebraska Act, May 30, 1854

Territory of Kansas, 1854–1861

Territory of Nebraska, 1854–1867

Provisional Territory of Jefferson, October 24, 1859 to June 6, 1861

Kansas Statehood Act, January 29, 1861

Unorganized territory previously the western portion of the Kansas Territory, January 29, 1861 to February 28, 1861

Colorado Organic Act, February 28, 1861^[1]

Territory of Colorado, February 28, 1861 to August 1, 1876

Colorado Enabling Act, March 3, 1875^[2]
Colorado Statehood Proclamation, August 1, 1876^[3]

State of Colorado since August 1, 1876

Maps[]

Map of the United States after the Constitution of the United States was ratified on March 4, 1789.
Map of the United States after the secret Third Treaty of San Ildefonso transferred the Spanish colony of la Luisiana to the French Republic on October 1, 1800.
Map of the United States after the Louisiana Purchase took effect on December 20,1803.
Map of the United States after the creation of the District of Louisiana on March 26, 1804.
Map of the United States after the creation of the Territory of Louisiana on March 3, 1805.
Map of the United States after the creation of the Territory of Missouri on June 4, 1812.
Map of the United States after the Adams–Onís Treaty took effect on February 22, 1821.
Map of the United States after Missouri was admitted to the Union on August 10, 1821.
Territorial claims of the Republic of Texas, May 2, 1836.
Map of the United States after Texas was admitted to the Union on December 29, 1845.
Map of the United States after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed on February 2, 1848.
Map of the United States after the creation of the provisional State of Deseret on July 2, 1849.
Map of the United States after the creation of the Territory of New Mexico and the Territory of Utah on September 9, 1850.
Map of the United States after Gadsden Purchase on December 30, 1853.
Map of the United States after the creation of the Territory of Kansas and the Territory of Nebraska on May 30, 1854.
Map of the United States after the creation of the provisional Territory of Jefferson on October 24, 1859.
Map of the United States after the admission of Kansas to the Union on January 29, 1861.
Map of the United States after the creation of the Territory of Colorado on February 28, 1861.
Map of the United States after Colorado was admitted to the Union on August 1, 1876.
Map of the United States as it has been since Hawaiʻi was admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959.

Notes[]

^ ^a ^b The Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Reservation existed in the Territory of Colorado from 1851 to 1870. The Cheyenne and Southern Arapaho People were removed to the Indian Territory. The Northern Arapaho People were removed to the Territory of Dakota and eventually to the Shoshone Indian Reservation in the Territory of Wyoming.
^ A Ute Indian Reservation existed in the Territory of Colorado in 1855 to 1873. The much smaller Southern Ute Indian Reservation was established in 1873. The Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation was established in 1940.
^ ^a ^b ^c In Colorado, the border set by the Adams–Onís Treaty between the United States and the Spanish Empire, and later Mexico upon the Treaty of Córdoba, extended up the Arkansas River to its headwaters, thence north along the meridian 106°20'35" west.
^ In Colorado, the Mississippi River basin includes all areas east of both the Continental Divide of the Americas and the Sangre de Cristo Divide with the Rio Grande basin.
^ ^a ^b ^c La Salle claimed the entire Mississippi River basin for the King of France on April 9, 1682, with no idea that this was the fourth most extensive drainage basin on Earth. The Spanish Empire disputed the southwestern extent of this claim as encroaching upon its province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México and later Texas. This dispute became moot with the signing of the Treaty of Fontainebleau on November 23, 1762, but arose again with the signing of the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso on October 1, 1800. With the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, this became a dispute between the United States and the Spanish Empire.
^ The Republic of Texas claimed as its eastern and northern border the Adams–Onís border^[c] with the United States and as its western and southern border the Rio Grande to its headwaters, thence north along meridian 107°32′35″ west to the Adams–Onís border with the United States. The western extent of this claim was dubious since the Republic of Texas never occupied any territory west of the meridian 102° west. Nevertheless, the United States assumed the territorial claims of the Republic upon its annexation of Texas on December 29, 1845.

References[]

^ Thirty-sixth United States Congress (February 28, 1861). "An Act To provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Colorado" (PDF). Retrieved February 14, 2022.
^ Forty-third United States Congress (March 3, 1875). "An act to enable the people of Colorado to form a constitution and State government, and for the admission of the said State into the Union on an equal footing with the original States" (PDF). Retrieved February 14, 2022.
^ Ulysses S. Grant (August 1, 1876). "Proclamation 230—Admission of Colorado into the Union". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved February 14, 2022.

External links[]

Coordinates: 38°59′50″N 105°32′52″W / 38.9972°N 105.5478°W / 38.9972; -105.5478 (State of Colorado)

[Cheyenne_and_Arapaho-1] The Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Reservation existed in the Territory of Colorado from 1851 to 1870. The Cheyenne and Southern Arapaho People were removed to the Indian Territory. The Northern Arapaho People were removed to the Territory of Dakota and eventually to the Shoshone Indian Reservation in the Territory of Wyoming.

[2] A Ute Indian Reservation existed in the Territory of Colorado in 1855 to 1873. The much smaller Southern Ute Indian Reservation was established in 1873. The Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation was established in 1940.

[Adams–Onís-3] In Colorado, the border set by the Adams–Onís Treaty between the United States and the Spanish Empire, and later Mexico upon the Treaty of Córdoba, extended up the Arkansas River to its headwaters, thence north along the meridian 106°20'35" west.

[Mississippi-4] In Colorado, the Mississippi River basin includes all areas east of both the Continental Divide of the Americas and the Sangre de Cristo Divide with the Rio Grande basin.

[Louisiane-5] La Salle claimed the entire Mississippi River basin for the King of France on April 9, 1682, with no idea that this was the fourth most extensive drainage basin on Earth. The Spanish Empire disputed the southwestern extent of this claim as encroaching upon its province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México and later Texas. This dispute became moot with the signing of the Treaty of Fontainebleau on November 23, 1762, but arose again with the signing of the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso on October 1, 1800. With the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, this became a dispute between the United States and the Spanish Empire.

[Texas-6] The Republic of Texas claimed as its eastern and northern border the Adams–Onís border^[c] with the United States and as its western and southern border the Rio Grande to its headwaters, thence north along meridian 107°32′35″ west to the Adams–Onís border with the United States. The western extent of this claim was dubious since the Republic of Texas never occupied any territory west of the meridian 102° west. Nevertheless, the United States assumed the territorial claims of the Republic upon its annexation of Texas on December 29, 1845.

[Colorado_Organic_Act-7] Thirty-sixth United States Congress (February 28, 1861). "An Act To provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Colorado" (PDF). Retrieved February 14, 2022.

[Colorado_Enabling_Act-8] Forty-third United States Congress (March 3, 1875). "An act to enable the people of Colorado to form a constitution and State government, and for the admission of the said State into the Union on an equal footing with the original States" (PDF). Retrieved February 14, 2022.

[Colorado_Statehood_Proclamation-9] Ulysses S. Grant (August 1, 1876). "Proclamation 230—Admission of Colorado into the Union". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved February 14, 2022.

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