Spanish Fort (Colorado) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Spanish Fort
Spanish military fort
Nickname(s):  Fort Sangre de Cristo
Spanish Fort Location in Colorado
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County	Costilla / Huerfano
Area	Sangre de Cristo Pass

The Spanish Fort was a military fort built by Spain in 1819. It was located near Sangre de Cristo Pass in what is now the U.S. state of Colorado. The main reason for building this fort was to protect the Spanish colony of Santa Fe de Nuevo México (which is now part of New Mexico) from a possible attack by the United States. This fort was the only Spanish settlement ever built in the area we now call Colorado.

Why the Fort Was Built

For a long time, Spain and France disagreed about who owned the land in the middle of North America. In 1682, a French explorer named René-Robert Cavelier claimed a huge area around the Mississippi River for France. This land stretched into areas Spain already claimed.

French and Spanish traders first met in 1739 near the Arkansas River. This showed how close their claims were. In 1762, France secretly gave its colony of Louisiana to Spain. This helped solve some of the arguments between them.

But then, in 1800, France's leader, Napoléon Bonaparte, demanded that Spain give Louisiana back to France. Just three years later, in 1803, Napoléon sold Louisiana to the United States. This deal was called the Louisiana Purchase Treaty. The United States then claimed all the land France had claimed, which again included areas Spain thought were theirs.

In 1806, the U.S. Army sent an exploration team led by Captain Zebulon Pike. They explored the upper Arkansas River. In 1807, Pike's group crossed the snowy Sangre de Cristo Range into the San Luis Valley. This area was clearly Spanish territory. On February 26, 1807, Spanish soldiers from Santa Fe arrested Pike and his team. This event made Spain even more worried about the United States moving into their lands.

History of the Fort

Because of these worries, the Spanish Governor of New Mexico, Facundo Melgares, ordered a fort to be built in 1819. This fort was placed near Sangre de Cristo Pass. The pass was important because it divided the Rio Grande river basin from the Arkansas River basin. This was a natural border between Spanish lands and the lands claimed by the United States.

About 100 Spanish soldiers lived at the fort. Their job was to patrol the area. They looked for Ute Indians and any foreigners, especially Americans, who might be trying to enter Spanish territory.

The fort was only used for a short time. In 1821, the Adams–Onís Treaty changed the border between the United States and Spanish lands. The new border was set along the Arkansas River to its source, then directly north. With this new border, the fort was no longer needed to protect the Spanish colony.

Also in 1821, Mexico gained its independence from Spain. Governor Melgares and other Spanish officials in New Mexico then declared their loyalty to the new Mexican government. The fort was abandoned that same year.

Later, in 1828, the United States and Mexico signed a treaty that confirmed these borders. The area remained peaceful for some time. However, in 1846, the Mexican–American War began, changing the region's history once more.