Jefferson Territory

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Jefferson Territory was an extralegal, unrecognized territory of the United States that existed from 1859 until 1860 or 1861, just prior to the Congressional organization of Colorado Territory. The government of the territory, while democratically elected, was never recognized by the United States Congress, although it managed the territory with relatively free reign for nearly two years.

1 Origins
2 Establishment
3 Dissolution
4 See also
5 References

[edit] Origins

The area was originally a part of Kansas Territory designated Arapahoe County. (There is now an Arapahoe County, Colorado in the Denver area.) In 1855, the Kansas Territorial legislature designated the Arapahoe county as the area "Beginning at the northeast corner of New Mexico, running thence north to the south line of Nebraska and north line of 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." Jefferson Territory is described as being roughly the same area as the current state of Colorado, but stretching one degree further north and two degrees further south than the current bounds.

The Colorado Gold Rush had brought thousands of settlers to the area, sometimes called Pike's Peak Country. The leaders of Kansas Territory were much preoccupied with the events of Bloody Kansas and the fate of their own state—little time or attention was available to attend to the needs of Colorado. Congress was equally uninvolved, so the settlers took it upon themselves to establish a separate state government.

[edit] Establishment

A tiny convention was held in April 1859 in Auraria, Kansas Territory about the need for a local government. The name Jefferson was chosen and a constitutional convention was planned for June 6, 1859. The conventioneers met that day, and then adjourned until August 1, 1859, when 37 district representatives met to draft a constitution for the State of Jefferson, which was subsequently rejected in a popular referendum on September 24. The original authors determined to hold another convention on October 3, and drafted a provisional constitution for the Territory of Jefferson, named in honor of Thomas Jefferson.

The leaders of the provisional Territory of Jefferson government were elected on October 24, 1859 and included a governor (Robert Williamson Steele), secretary, auditor, treasurer, attorney general, clerk supreme court, chief justice, associate justices, marshal and superintendent of public instruction. The territory was divided into eight council districts and 19 representative districts, and the territorial legislature met for the first time on November 7 and adjourned on December 7. During this meeting, the provisional territorial legislature organized 12 counties, including Jefferson County. (The official Colorado Territorial legislature would later organize 17 original counties.)

Those resistant to the self-government of Jefferson Territory held an election on December 8, 1859 and elected a representative to the Kansas Territorial Legislature from Arapahoe County.

Approximately 35,000 lived in the area of Jefferson Territory (still considered Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory as far as U.S. Census enumerators were concerned) in 1860.

[edit] Dissolution

On January 26, 1861 Congress passed the bill organizing the Territory of Colorado, it was signed into law by U.S. President James Buchanan on February 28, 1861. The people of Jefferson Territory accepted the government's jurisdiction and the "provisional government" ceased to be.