COLORADO HISTORY

AMERICAN EXPLORERS

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

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 Pike’s Peak – attempted, but never made it to top

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

PIKEConsidered a FAILURE

Failed to find the source of the Red River

Got lost and confused Allowed himself to be

captured Never climbed Pike’s Peak Party suffered many

hardships Earned the nickname “The

Lost Pathfinder”

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

Pike’s Peak, the Royal Gorge, South Park, the San Luis Valley and the Sangre de Christo mountain range

Pike’s Peak

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

LONG Even though he provided good

geographical evidence, the journey was remembered for inconsequential reasons: Companion Edwin James

climbed Pike’s Peak and collected the Blue Columbine-Long called this James’ Peak

Spotted Two-Ears Peak (Long’s 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)

Longs Peak

Other American Explorers

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