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