Colorado and Slavery

The Identity Crisis of the Centennial State

Directions: Using the accompanying images of maps and pictures, answer the questions below.

PART I – COLORADO TERRITORY

1. Examine the territorial maps below. Over time, in what areas / territories has Colorado been incorporated (found inside)?

2. Colorado went from being located in a region of “Free States and Territories” to a region of “Slavery Determined by Popular Sovereignty” in 1854.

PREDICT: What kinds of problems do you think the Colorado Territory will experience in regard to slavery?

3. Examine the hydrology map below. This map was created by William Gilpin (there’s a city and country in Colorado named after him…) in 1848. On what part of the country do the concentric circles focus?

4. William Gilpin argued that the American West was destined to be the next center of civilization, noting that world history had progressed through a succession of empires, moving westward from Asia to America. Examine the “close up” map below. What is attractive to others about the region of Colorado?

5. ANALYSIS: Knowing a little bit about geography, what’s inaccurate about this map? (HINT: Note the name of the “basin”.)

6. Examine the Kansas map below. What’s the difference between Western Kansas and Eastern Kansas? ANALYSIS: In the late 1850s, Kansas will actually “cut off” the Western part of their territory before becoming a state. Why?

PART II –COLORADO STATEHOOD

7. In 1861, the United States entered the Civil War. In 1863, the state of Nevada entered the Union on the side of the North, not the territory of Colorado which was organized first. In examining the picture below, why do you think Nevada was added before Colorado? (HINT: Who’s seated around the table?)

8. Eventually, in 1876, the territory of Colorado became a state. Examine the Google map below and look at the names of the streets around the Denver capital. Do you recognize any names of famous people? List them here. (Click here if you need to make it bigger...)

9. ANALYSIS: With names like “Lincoln”, “Sherman”, and “Grant”, what does this say about the state of Colorado and their government loyalties?

10. Examine the last three images. In front of the Colorado Capitol Building, finished in 1908, a debate raged over statue placement. Originally, in honor of the declining Native American population in Colorado, sculptor Preston Powers created the “Closing Era” statue and awarded it to the government-associated Fortnightly Club. But it was placed on the eastern side of the building, and not the western side. Why do you think this was so? (HINT: Think of the metaphors of “east” and “west”.

11. Instead, a statue of a Union soldier was built by Captain John D. Howland in 1909. It was placed on the western side of the Capitol Building. Why? (HINT: What “sets” in the West, and what is the importance of this?)

12. CONCLUSION: John A. Logan, who is the namesake for Logan Street in Denver, “created” Memorial Day as a May holiday in honor of the fallen dead in the Civil War. Part of his speech reads:

“We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance [holy determination]. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the Nation can add to their adornment [honor] and security is but a fitting tribute [a creation of a holiday] to the memory of her slain defenders.”

In reading this quote, what is the relationship between Colorado and the Civil War / slavery?