History Colorado

How did miners adapt in order to address the challenges of Colorado’s geography? Choose the

Engagement #2: Miner Adaptations

What do you already know? And what do you still want to know? Respond in the boxes about the following topics; Colorado History, Colorado Geography and Mining.

K-W-L: Know, Want to Know, Learn

How did mining impact Indigenous nations in Colorado?

What is the Story?

What is one of the most interesting things that you learned in this Resource Kit?

K-W-L - What did you learn?

Read through the article (typed across these slides). 



How did Colorado change as a result of mining?

Reporting! News from Pike's Peak Colorado (1860)

Pick one aspect of mining, explain why it would change the territory we now know as Colorado. Is it a POSITIVE change or a NEGATIVE change?

Engagement #3: Mining's Impact on Colorado

Miners had to adapt to overcome the challenges presented by Colorado's geography in order to find gold! Living in the Rocky Mountains wasn't easy - from the terrain, to transportation to weather. Look through the pictures to determine what miners did to adapt and overcome these challenges. Identify the challenge and the adaptation in each image.

Adapting to Overcome Challenges

Map showing routes of the Gold region across the Kansas territory (what is now Colorado).

Gold! Gold!! Gold!!! Gold!!!!

How did mining impact Indigenous nations in Colorado?  

 the quotes from the different indigenous nations

consider how the region they live in might impact their perspectives

Indigenous Perspective

How did mining impact Indigenous groups in Colorado?

Look over the events that show changes to indigenous land in Colorado during the years of mining in the region.

Indigenous Land in the Mining Era

Did mining have a positive or negative impact on the what is now the state of Colorado and the people who live here?

 Sort the images to answer this question.

Reflection

How did Colorado’s geography create challenges for miners?

Refer to Colorado Physical Map PDF below if needed.

Engagement #1: Colorado's Physical Geography & Mining

Men watch a miner pan for gold in Cripple Creek stream near Cripple Creek (Teller County), Colorado.

Types of Mining: Placer Mining and Hard-Rock Mining

Let's spelunk right into the history of mining in Colorado! From Gold to Silver and from the plains to the mountains, mining changed and evolved significantly from the 1860s to the 1930s. Join us to

how it connects to the physical geography, how technology and adaptations made it possible and how it had impacts on the land and people who were already in the region

Mining in Colorado (1860s -1930s); Educator Overview (1).pdf

Mining in Colorado_ Educator Answer Guide (1).pdf

Additional information about how to facilitate 

Mining in Colorado (1860s -1930s)

Geography

Social Studies

U.S. History

A miner and two burros loaded with supplies stand along a path

A miner and two burros loaded with supplies stand along a path identified as the Gold Belt Trail, probably in Ouray County, Colorado.

Negative, Along the Gold Belt Trail

Men pose by a Denver & Rio Grande engine and the Eagle River at the Belden Mine in Eagle County, Colorado

Men pose by a Denver & Rio Grande engine and the Eagle River at the Belden Mine in Eagle County, Colorado.

Negative, In Eagle River Canyon

Mount Shavano (over 14,000 ft) towers over the town of Monarch in Chaffee County, Colorado

Mount Shavano towers over the town of Monarch (Chaffee County), Colorado. Shows residences, commercial buildings, and railroad tracks.

Negative, Monarch - a Mountain Mining Town

High altitudes and cold weather made life in mining towns difficult. It was also 

difficult to transport materials to and from mining towns

 due to steep mountainsides. To adapt to these conditions, miners often tried to 

establish their towns at the bases of mountains 

where it was often more flat and less exposed. Miners also used 

Slide 1: access to the mountains, burros for transportation

Slide 2: access to the mountains, railroad built

Slide 3: weather and steep mountainsides, built town below instead

A view of Aspen (Pitkin County), Colorado shows mine buildings, railroad trains and bridges, wood frame houses and public buildings. Aspen Mountain is in the distance.

Resource Kits

Object Library

Museums

Mining in Colorado (1860s -1930s)

Adapting to Overcome Challenges

Guiding Question

What is the challenge? What is the adaptation?