Colorado Territory Formed

Battle of Glorieta Pass, 1862.
Fought for the control of Colorado Territory

On February 28^th, 1861 the territory of Colorado was formed by an act of Congress with the President's signature. While the United States owned much of Colorado since the Louisiana purchase in 1803, few people settled there. But in 1858 gold was discovered in Colorado and the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush began. Over 100,000 gold seekers journeyed to Colorado to try to make their fortune. This rapid growth led to the creation of the Colorado Territory. The gold rush eventually dried up because of the small deposits of gold and the need for soldiers to fight the Civil War. While there were no large scale battles in Colorado during the war, there were skirmishes with Confederate sympathizers, and several regiments were rasped from there to fight for the Union.