Thursday 8 December 2016

By Peter Swan


Colorado, which joined the union as the 38th state in 1876, is America's eighth largest state in terms of land mass. Located in the Rocky Mountain region of the western United States, the state's abundant and varied natural resources attracted the ancient Pueblo peoples and, later, the Plains Indians.

First explored by Europeans in the late 1500s (the Spanish referred to the region as "Colorado" for its red-colored earth), the area was ceded to the United States in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that ended the Mexican-American War (1846-48). In 1858, the discovery of gold in Colorado attracted new settlers. During the Plains Indian Wars (1860s-80s), Colorado's wild frontier was the scene of intense fighting between Native Americans and white settlers. In the 21st century, Colorado continues to rely on its natural resources as well as agriculture and tourism to sustain its economy.

While Colorado was seeking to establish a government and engaged in conflict with Native Americans, the state's mining boom was in sharp decline. The surface gold had been extracted in the middle 1860s, and mining areas became, and in many cases remain, studded with ghost townsâ€"machinery abandoned and shacks deserted. Other towns, such as Central City with its famous opera house dating from the city's days of opulence, managed to stay alive.

The Colorado State Flag was designed by Andrew Carlisle Johnson and adopted by the Colorado General Assembly on June 5, 1911. The flag specifications seemed clear enough when adopted but modification to the legislation was required in 1929 and in 1964.

The red, white, and blue of the U.S. Banner show up in the Colorado banner, as do the blue, yellow, and white of the columbine. The area's broad stores of gold and silver, which conveyed numerous early pioneers to the region which still are effectively mined, are reflected in the yellow and white of the banner.

There is a barrage of cheap and inferior Colorado flags being imported and sold, that do not comply with the flag statute. This is bad for a number of reasons. Imported flags are cheaply made and more importantly, the designs, materials, colors, and methods of printing do not compare well with the better quality, longer-lasting, and correctly designed flags made by American manufacturers. The Flag Company Inc specialized in flag designs offered a special edition of decals and flags to memorize the history of Colorado flag for the future.




About the Author:



0 comments :

Post a Comment