History.— Colorado (Sp., pp. of verb Co lorar, to color; colloquially used for red colored) was named either from the river of that name or from the varied colors of the landscapes. Its territory is composed of three portions: one from the Louisiana Purchase; one from the Texas Cession; and the third from the Mexican Cession of 1848. The south west portion was, in prehistoric times, inhabited by the Pueblos (the Cliff Dwellers). A few of the followers of De Soto and Coronado seem to have entered the territory of the State about 1541. It was explored in the southwest by Escalante in 1776, and its eastern mountain and plain regions by Zebulon Pike (1806) and Stephen H. Long (1820). Later John C. Fre mont, led by Kit Carson, penetrated many por tions of the Rocky Mountain region. Gold had been discovered in small quantities many times from 1806 to 1857 but the discoveries of 1858, near the confluence of Cherry Creek with the Platte, brought a large number of prospectors into the State. People from Georgia, Kansas, Missouri and other Eastern States came in large numbers. Prospectors from Kansas and Georgia built Montana on the Platte near where Denver now stands; other towns followed; Auraria, Saint Charles Town (now Denver), Golden, etc.
The discoveries of George A. Jackson at Idaho Springs on the south fork of Clear Creek and byH. Gregory on the north fork at J.
Central City brought immigrants by the thou sands. At once, local political organizations were made without regard to the territorial government of Kansas, of which Colorado was then a part. It was but a step from making laws for a mining camp to making laws for a whole district, from city building to State build ing. This step was soon taken. In 1859 dele gates met and adopted a constitution for the State of Jefferson with an area somewhat larger than that of Colorado. The opposition to a
State led to a second convention which, under the fiction of erecting a territory, established a new State and called it the "Territory of Jeffer son?' The constitution adopted by the first con vention was ratified but never went into effect. The constitution adopted by the second con vention was almost unanimously ratified 24 Oct. 1859, on which day a full complement of State officers was elected. R. W. Steele, who was elected governor, continued in office until 1861, when he surrendered his office to William Gil pin, first governor of the Territory of Colorado.
Colorado was anxious for statehood, but it was not until party necessity compelled the ma jority party of Congress to turn to the West for more senators, that the enabling act was passed. The Constitutional Convention (in session 20 Dec. 1875 —14 March 1876) provided that the territorial officers should become the State 'officers and serve until their successors were elected (at the regular election) and qualified.
Politics.— Colorado was admitted as a Republican State, hut has since undergone re peated changes in its political faith. It left the Republican ranks on the °money issue,)) but the improved methods of handling silver ore made silver smelting more profitable at the later rul ing prices than it was in 1896. In recent years the tendency of the State is to be Democratic. Henry A. Buchtel was elected governor on the Republican ticket in 1906. He was succeeded John Shafroth, now United States senator, in 1909. Elias A. Ammons, Democrat, became governor in 1913. He was succeeded by George A. Carlson, a Republican, in 1915. Julius C. Gunther, a Democrat, became governor in 1917. In the history of the State there have been 10 Republican governors and 10 Democratic gov ernors, six of whom were born in Ohio.