Tag Archive for: History Colorado

A narrow dirt and grass trail runs straight through open prairie grassland with low shrubs, stretching toward a flat horizon under a pale blue, lightly clouded sky.

The Dry: A Story of Determination

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In 1909, the United States government passed the Enlarged Homestead Act to encourage dry-land farming in most western states including Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Montana, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada. Individuals could claim up to 320 acres of land while married couples were entitled to 640 acres. Despite the daunting challenge of farming this seemingly barren […]

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Old photograph of Buffalo soldiers at a Western station

Buffalo Soldiers: Honoring a Complicated Legacy

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Although not eligible to enlist in the Union army prior to President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, Black soldiers numbered around 185,000 — about 10% of Union forces — by the time the Confederates were defeated in April, 1865. Their duties were largely separate but not equal: White soldiers were paid almost twice as much per month […]

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