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Jefferson Territory
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{{Short description|Extralegal U.S. Territory of Jefferson that existed from 1859 to 1861}} {{distinguish|Jefferson (proposed Southern state)|Jefferson (proposed Pacific state)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} [[File:Jefferson territory.png|300px|thumb|Location of the extralegal Territory of Jefferson in the [[United States of America]] of 1861]] The '''Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson''' was an extralegal and unrecognized [[United States territory]] that existed in the [[Pike's Peak Gold Rush|Pike's Peak mining region]] from October 24, 1859, until it yielded to the new [[Territory of Colorado]] on June 6, 1861.<ref name="Jefferson Territory">{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hkkRAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA16|journal=The University of Colorado Studies: General Series A|publisher=[[University of Colorado]]|location=[[Boulder, Colorado]]|pages=15β18|author=Frederic L. Paxson |title=The Territory of Jefferson: A Spontaneous Commonwealth|year=1906|volume=3|editor=Francis Ramaley|access-date=November 12, 2023}}</ref> The Jefferson Territory, named for Founding Father and third United States president [[Thomas Jefferson]], included land officially part of the [[Kansas Territory]], the [[Nebraska Territory]], the [[New Mexico Territory]], the [[Utah Territory]], and the [[Washington Territory]], but the region was remote from the governments of those five territories. The government of the Jefferson Territory, while democratically elected, was never legally recognized by the [[Federal government of the United States|United States government]], although it managed the territory with relatively free rein for 19 months. Many of the laws enacted by the General Assembly of the Territory of Jefferson were reenacted and given official sanction by the new [[Colorado General Assembly]] in 1861. ==Origins== On August 25, 1855, the [[Kansas Territory]] created [[Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory|Arapahoe County]], a huge county that included the entire western portion of Kansas to the Rocky Mountains. The boundaries of Arapahoe County were defined as: beginning at the northeast corner of [[New Mexico Territory|New Mexico]], running thence north to the south line of [[Nebraska Territory|Nebraska]] and north line of [[Kansas Territory|Kansas]]; thence along said line to the east line of [[Utah Territory]]; thence along said line between Utah and Kansas territories, to where said line strikes New Mexico; thence along the line between said New Mexico and the territory of Kansas to the place of beginning.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}} Occupied primarily by [[Cheyenne]] and [[Arapaho]] Indians with few white settlers, the county was never organized. The leaders of the Kansas Territory were preoccupied with the violent events of [[Bleeding Kansas]], so little time or attention was available to attend to the needs of the far western portion of the territory. The question of whether to admit Kansas to the union as a slave state or free state dominated discussion in the populous eastern portion of the territory and led to three failed constitutional proposals between 1855 and 1858 (the [[Topeka Constitution|Topeka]], [[Lecompton Constitution|Lecompton]] and [[Leavenworth Constitution|Leavenworth]] constitutions). The [[United States Congress]] was likewise preoccupied with threats of secession by the [[slave states]].<ref name=quarterly>{{cite journal|url=http://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-historical-quarterly-kansas-territory-and-its-boundary-question/13180 |title=Kansas Territory and Its Boundary Question: 'Big Kansas' or 'Little Kansas' |last=Gower |first=Calvin W. |journal=Kansas Historical Quarterly | date=Spring 1967 |volume= 33 |issue= 1 |pages=1β12 |access-date=November 6, 2014}}</ref> In July 1858, the [[Pike's Peak Gold Rush]] began with the discovery of gold at the [[Little Dry Creek (Englewood, Colorado)|Dry Creek Diggings]] in Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory (now [[Englewood, Colorado|Englewood]] in [[Arapahoe County, Colorado]]). The gold rush brought 100,000 gold seekers to the area known as the [[Pike's Peak Country]], which included Arapahoe County as well as the unorganized southwestern corner of the [[Nebraska Territory]] and parts of the [[New Mexico Territory|New Mexico]] and [[Utah Territory|Utah]] territories.<ref name=King_GovernmentofDenver>{{cite book | last = King | first = Clyde Lyndon | title = The history of the government of Denver with special reference to its relations with public service corporations | publisher = The Fisher Book Company | location = Denver, Colorado | year = 1911 | url = https://archive.org/details/historygovernme00kinggoog |access-date=November 6, 2014}}</ref> Kansas, with a growing divide between the eastern commercial centers and the central agricultural populations, had concerns over how the gold rush and the influx of miners to the Rockies could shift the base of power from the northeastern side of Kansas to the mountainous region in the west of the state. Meanwhile, the miners, being {{convert|600|mi|km}} from the capital of the territory, felt that the legislature was out of touch with their needs. They thought a new territory or state would have the benefit of being responsive to their economic situation and consolidate the population that was currently spread across four territories. Denver area leaders decided to pursue both a relationship with Kansas and a bid for separation by sending delegates to the Kansas Territorial Legislature and the United States Congress. On February 7, 1859, the Kansas Territorial Legislature replaced Arapahoe County with six new unorganized counties and appointed county commissioners for each. However, since the commissioners were not provided a salary, they never took office. The settlers in the region attempted to organize a county on their own and on March 28, 1859, an election was held to elect officers. A total of 774 votes were cast, including 231 from [[Auraria, Denver|Auraria]] and 144 from [[Denver, Colorado|Denver City]]. A desire for a new territorial government kept the elected officials from taking their offices, as doing so would have given recognition to the Kansas Territorial government. In the meantime, Hiram J Graham, the local delegate to Congress, had successfully introduced a bill to establish a new territory in Pike's Peak Country. Though the bill did not pass, it nevertheless encouraged settlers to establish a separate government themselves.<ref name=King_GovernmentofDenver/> ==Establishment== [[File:Plan of the cities of Denver, Auraria, and Highland, Jefferson Territory - DPLA - b364a31988d2b180d11f6bdf89a71239.jpg|left|thumb|Plan of the cities of Denver, Auraria, and Highland, Jefferson Territory; Auraria and Highland, 1859]] In April 1859, a small convention was held at Wootton's Hall in [[Auraria, Denver|Auraria]] about the need for a local government. The name Jefferson (in honor of [[Thomas Jefferson]], the third [[President of the United States]] who had authorized the 1803 [[Louisiana Purchase]] that included much of the proposed territory) was chosen and a constitutional convention was scheduled for June 6, 1859. The conventioneers met that day, and then adjourned until August 1, 1859, when 167 representatives from 37 districts met to draft a constitution for Jefferson State. The state constitution was subsequently rejected in a popular referendum on September 24 in favor of creating a territory, primarily because the organization of the territory would be funded by Congress while the organization of a state would be self-funded. The original authors determined to hold another convention on October 3 to draft a provisional constitution for the Territory of Jefferson.<ref name=King_GovernmentofDenver/><ref name=1866_History>{{cite book|url=http://www.genealogybug.net/1866_History/cover.html|title=History Of The City Of Denver From Its Earliest Settlement To The Present Time By J. E. Wharton; To Which Is Added A Full And Complete Business Directory Of The City By D. O. Wilhelm.|author=J.E. Wharton and D.O. Wilhelm|year=1866|publisher=Transcribed by Leona L. Gustafson|access-date=November 6, 2014}}</ref> The proposed Territory of Jefferson included all of the present [[Colorado|State of Colorado]], but it was 70 percent more extensive. The territory had the same southern boundary as the present State of Colorado, the [[37th parallel north]], but the northern boundary was set at the [[43rd parallel north]], {{convert|138|mi|km}} farther north than Colorado's current northern boundary, the [[41st parallel north]]. In addition the eastern boundary was located about {{convert|2.7|mi|km}} farther east at the [[102nd meridian west]], and the western boundary about {{convert|50|mi|km}} farther west at the [[110th meridian west]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=c1EMAAAAYAAJ Bulletin], U.S. Geographical Survey, p. 63 Government Printing Office, 1922</ref><ref>Paxson, Frederic Logan, ''[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_reAzi82TlZUC The Last American Frontier]'', pp. 147β149, The Macmillan company, 1918</ref> The territory was divided into eight council districts and 19 representative districts. On October 24, 1859, an election was held to approve the formation of the Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson and to elect officials for the territory. The formation of a provisional government was approved by a vote of 1,852 to 280 and the following officials were elected:<ref name=1866_History/><ref name=JT>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_kBc4AAAAIAAJ|title=Provisional Laws and Joint Resolutions of the General Assembly of Jefferson Territory|publisher=General Assembly of the Territory of Jefferson|date=November 28, 1859|access-date=May 13, 2023}}</ref> {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;" |- |colspan=2 style="text-align:center;"|'''Officials of the Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson 1859β1861''' |- !class="unsortable" style="text-align:center;width:50%"|Office !class="unsortable" style="text-align:center;width:50%"|Officer <!-- !class="unsortable"|Took office --> <!-- !class="unsortable"|Left office --> <!-- !class="unsortable"|Notes --> |- | [[Governor of the Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson|Governor]] | [[Robert Williamson Steele|Robert W. Steele]] |- | Secretary | Lucien W. Bliss |- | Treasurer | George W. Cook |- | Attorney General | Samuel McLean |- | Chief Justice | A.J. Allison |- | Associate Justice | John M. Odell |- | Associate Justice | E. Fitzgerald |- | Clerk of Supreme Court | Oscar B. Totten |- | Marshal | John L. Merrick |- | Superintendent of Public Instruction | H.H. McAffee |- | Auditor | C.R. Bissell |} On November 7, 1859, [[Governor of the Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson|Governor]] [[Robert Williamson Steele]] opened the first session of the provisional Jefferson Territorial Legislature in [[Denver, Colorado|Denver City]] with the following proclamation: {{blockquote|Let us then enter upon our duties with a determination of spirit that conquers all difficulties: working for the benefit of the whole commonwealth, encouraging moderation and conservation in all our acts, that we may never be ashamed of having taken an humble part of the organization of a Provisional Government for the Territory of Jefferson.}} During this first session, the legislature organized 12 counties. (The [[Colorado General Assembly]] would create 17 counties with somewhat similar boundaries in 1861.) The legislature adjourned on December 7, 1859. Many settlers from eastern [[Territory of Kansas|Kansas]] preferred to be governed by that territory. Those resistant to the self-government of Jefferson Territory held an election on December 8, 1859, and elected Captain R. Sopris as their representative to the Kansas Territorial Legislature.<ref name=1866_History/> [[Robert Williamson Steele|Governor Steele]] called the second session of the provisional Jefferson Territorial Legislature to meet at [[Denver, Colorado|Denver City]] on January 23, 1860. Many disappointed gold seekers left the region in 1860. The [[United States census of 1860]] counted approximately 35,000 persons in the region of the Jefferson Territory. Governor Steele pointed out that many gold seekers were working claims in remote areas and estimated that the total number of people in the Jefferson Territory was 60,000. Governor Steele attempted to reach accommodation with the officials of the Kansas Territory. On August 7, 1860, Steele issued a proclamation requesting that the Provisional Government of the Jefferson Territory be merged into the Kansas Territory. Kansas officials would have no merger with what they considered to be an outlaw government, so the stalemate continued.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}} On November 7, 1860, the [[1860 United States presidential election|U.S. presidential election]] produced a victory for [[Abraham Lincoln]] and precipitated the secession of seven [[slave states]] and the formation of the [[Confederate States of America]]. These events eliminated any chance for federal endorsement of the Territory of Jefferson and any role in government for Governor Steele, a staunch [[United States|pro-Union]] [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] and vocal opponent of Lincoln and the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]. Seeking to augment the political power of the [[free state (United States)|free states]], the Republican-led [[U.S. Congress]] hurriedly admitted the portion of the [[Territory of Kansas]] east of the [[25th meridian west from Washington]] to the [[United States|Union]] as the [[free state (United States)|free]] [[State of Kansas]] on January 29, 1861. Kansas [[U.S. state|statehood]] left the western portion of the now defunct Kansas Territory, which the Jefferson Territory also claimed, officially unorganized. While the federal government refused to sanction the Jefferson Territory, it had effectively acknowledged the eastern border of the region. ==Counties== {{see also|List of counties in Colorado}} On November 28, 1859, the Territory of Jefferson created 12 [[county (United States)|counties]]:<ref name=Counties>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kBc4AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA190|chapter=An Act Defining the Boundaries of Counties and for other purposes|title=Provisional Laws and Joint Resolutions of the General Assembly of Jefferson Territory|publisher=General Assembly of the Territory of Jefferson|date=November 28, 1859|access-date=November 6, 2014}}</ref> #[[Arrappahoe County, Jefferson Territory|Arrappahoe County]], county seat [[Denver City, Jefferson Territory|Denver City]], evolved into [[Arapahoe County, Colorado Territory|Arapahoe]] and [[Douglas County, Colorado Territory|Douglas counties, Colorado Territory]]. #[[Cheyenne County, Jefferson Territory|Cheyenne County]] evolved into southern [[Laramie County, Wyoming|Laramie County, Wyoming Territory]]. #[[El Paso County, Jefferson Territory|El Paso County]], county seat [[Colorado City, Jefferson Territory|Colorado City]], evolved into [[El Paso County, Colorado Territory]]. #[[Fountain County, Jefferson Territory|Fountain County]], county seat [[Pueblo, Jefferson Territory|Pueblo]], evolved into [[Pueblo County, Colorado Territory|Pueblo]], [[Fremont County, Colorado Territory|Fremont]], and [[Huerfano County, Colorado Territory|Huerfano counties, Colorado Territory]]. #[[Heele County, Jefferson Territory|Heele County]], county seat [[La Porte, Jefferson Territory|La Porte]], evolved into eastern [[Larimer County, Colorado Territory]]. #[[Jackson County, Jefferson Territory|Jackson County]], county seat [[Boulder City, Jefferson Territory|Boulder City]], evolved into [[Boulder County, Colorado Territory]] #[[Jefferson County, Jefferson Territory|Jefferson County]], county seat [[Arapahoe City, Jefferson Territory|Arapahoe City]], evolved into [[Jefferson County, Colorado Territory]] #[[Mountain County, Jefferson Territory|Mountain County]], county seat [[Central City, Jefferson Territory|Central City]], evolved into [[Gilpin County, Colorado Territory|Gilpin]] and [[Clear Creek County, Colorado Territory|Clear Creek counties, Colorado Territory]]. #[[North County, Jefferson Territory|North County]] evolved into western [[Larimer County, Colorado Territory]]. #[[Park County, Jefferson Territory|Park County]], county seat [[Tarryall City, Jefferson Territory|Tarryall City]], evolved into [[Park County, Colorado Territory]]. #[[Saratoga County, Jefferson Territory|Saratoga County]], county seat [[Breckinridge, Jefferson Territory|Breckinridge]], evolved into [[Summit County, Colorado Territory]]. #[[St. Vrain's County, Jefferson Territory|<span style="display:none">Saint Vrain's County</span>St. Vrain's County]], county seat [[Saint Vrain, Jefferson Territory|<span style="display:none">Saint Vrain</span>St. Vrain]], evolved into [[Weld County, Colorado Territory]]. ==Capitals== *[[Denver, Colorado|Denver City]] β October 24, 1859, to November 13, 1860. *[[Golden, Colorado|Golden City]] β November 13, 1860, to June 6, 1861. Most administrative affairs of the Territory of Jefferson were handled at the home of [[Robert Williamson Steele|Governor Steele]] at [[Mount Vernon, Colorado|Mount Vernon]]. ==Dissolution== On February 26, 1861, Congress passed a bill organizing the [[Territory of Colorado]]. The bill was signed into law by [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[James Buchanan]] two days later on February 28, 1861.<ref name=ColoradoTerritory>{{cite web|url=http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/territory.pdf|title=An Act to provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Colorado|author=Thirty-sixth United States Congress|author-link=Thirty-sixth United States Congress|date=1861-02-28|publisher=[[State of Colorado]], Department of Personnel and Administration, Colorado State Archives|access-date=2007-11-29}}</ref> On May 29, 1861, [[William Gilpin (governor)|William Gilpin]], newly appointed [[List of Governors of Colorado#Governors of the Territory of Colorado|Governor of the Territory of Colorado]], arrived in Denver City. Most citizens of the region welcomed their new government. On June 6, 1861, Governor Steele issued a proclamation declaring the Territory of Jefferson disbanded and urging all employees and residents to abide by the laws governing the United States.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bardwell, Jr. |first1=Rodney J. |title=The Territory of Jefferson |journal=Dicta |date=1931 |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=3β12 |url=https://digitalcommons.du.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6683&context=dlr |access-date=14 February 2024}}</ref> ==See also== *[[Governor of the Territory of Jefferson]] *[[List of governors of the Territory of Colorado]] *[[History of Colorado]] ==References== {{Reflist}} {{refbegin}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20021118021649/http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1973/73_1_gower.htm "Gold Fever in Kansas Territory: Migration to the Pike's Peak Gold Fields, 1858β1860" by Calvin W. Gower, ''Kansas Historical Quarterly'', Spring, 1973 (Vol. 39, No. 1), pages 58 to 74] {{refend}} ==External links== {{sister project links|auto=yes}} *[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A05E1D81F31EE34BC4D51DFBE668382649FDE The New Territory of Jefferson] ''[[The New York Times]]'', 25 August 1859 *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110724030830/http://history.denverlibrary.org/research/fiftyniners/ Fiftyniners' Directory: Colorado Argonauts 1858β1859] [[Denver Public Library]] {{Jefferson Territory}} {{Colorado}} {{Thomas Jefferson}} {{portal bar|Geography|History|United States|Colorado|Nebraska|Kansas|Utah|Wyoming}} {{authority control}} {{coord|40.00|-106.00|dim:300000_region:US_type:adm1st|name=Territory of Jefferson (historical)|display=title}} [[Category:1858 in Kansas Territory]] [[Category:1858 in Nebraska Territory]] [[Category:1858 in New Mexico Territory]] [[Category:1858 in Utah Territory]] [[Category:1859 establishments in the United States]] [[Category:1861 disestablishments in the United States]] [[Category:1861 in Colorado Territory]] [[Category:Colorado Territory|.]] [[Category:Former regions and territories of the United States]] [[Category:History of the American West]] [[Category:Jefferson Territory| ]] [[Category:Kansas Territory]] [[Category:New Mexico Territory]] [[Category:Pre-statehood history of Colorado]] [[Category:Pre-statehood history of Wyoming]] [[Category:Proposed states and territories of the United States]] [[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1861]] [[Category:States and territories established in 1859]] [[Category:Utah Territory]] [[Category:Washington Territory]] [[Category:Monuments and memorials to Thomas Jefferson]]
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