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1541 |
Colorado was first explored by
the Spanish. The Spanish explorer, Francisco Vasquez
de Coronado, reached Colorado. The name of the State
is the Spanish word for "red" in reference to the
color of the water of the Colorado River.
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1682 |
Claimed by the French explorer
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (1643-1687)
for France |
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1756 |
1756 - 1763 - The Seven Years
War (French and Indian War) due to disputes over
land is won by Great Britain. France gives England
all French territory east of the Mississippi River,
except New Orleans. The Spanish give up east and
west Florida to the English in return for Cuba.
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1765 |
Juan Maria Rivera leads
Spanish expedition in search of gold and silver. |
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1775 |
1775 - 1783: The American
Revolution creates the United States of America. The
Revolution was due to the British burden of taxes
and total power to legislate any laws governing the
American colonies
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1776 |
July 4, 1776 - United States
Declaration of Independence |
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1778 |
July 10, 1778: France declares
war against Britain and makes an alliance with the
American revolutionary forces
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1783 |
September 3, 1783: The Treaty
of Paris is signed by the victorious United States
and the defeated Great Britain
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1788 |
Statehood - The Date that
Connecticut was admitted to the Union - January 9,
1788. Constitution - Connecticut was the 5th State
to be admitted to the Union. State Motto - " Qui
transtulit sustinet " the State Motto is translated
as " He who transplanted still sustains "
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1803 |
The Louisiana Purchase: In
1803, the United States bought the Louisiana
Territory from France. The U.S. Secretary of State,
James Madison paid 15 million dollars for the land
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1805 |
1805 - 1806: The Choctaw and
northern (Chickasaw and Cherokee) Indian cessions
open up land to white settlement. The Plains Indians
including the Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Ute, Kiowa,
Lakota and Comanche nations fought bitter wars over
the land during the 1800's led by chiefs such as
Crazy Horse, Red Cloud, and Sitting Bull.
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1812 |
1812 - 1815: The War of 1812
between U.S. and Great Britain, ended in a stalemate
but confirmed America's Independence
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1848 |
In the Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo, Mexico cedes to United States most of that
part of Colorado not acquired by Louisiana Purchase
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1859 |
Gold is found by George A.
Jackson along Chicago Creek |
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1861 |
1861 - 1865: The American
Civil War. In 1859 John Brown raided Harpers Ferry
and set in motion events that led directly to the
outbreak of the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln, a known
opponent of slavery, was elected president and in
1861 the South Secedes. The initial Secession of
South Carolina was followed by the secession of
Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana,
Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North
Carolina. These eleven states eventually formed the
Confederate States of America. The bombardment of
Fort Sumter was the opening engagement of the
American Civil War.
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1865 |
The surrender of Robert E. Lee
on April 9 1865 signalled the end of the Confederacy |
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1865 |
1865 December 6 - The
Abolishment of Slavery. The Thirteenth Amendment to
the U.S. Constitution is ratified, thus officially
abolishing slavery
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1876 |
George Armstrong Custer was
defeated at the Battle of the Little Bighorn on June
25, 1876. |
|
1876 |
Statehood - The Date that
Colorado was admitted to the Union - August 1, 1876.
Constitution - Colorado was the 38th State to be
admitted to the Union. State Motto - " Nil sine
Numine " the State Motto is translated as " Nothing
without Providence ".
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1879 |
The final military engagement
between whites and plains Indians in the eastern
part of the territory took place at Summit Springs
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1888 |
In 1888 a band of Utes from
Utah under Colorow make last Indian raid into
Colorado |
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1898 |
1898-1901 The Spanish American
War. On December 10, 1898 the Treaty of Paris the US
annexes Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines.
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