History
Publication Date
4-2026
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Faculty Sponsor
Melinda Marchand
Degree
Bachelor of Arts
Major
History
Abstract
This research examines Colorado K-12 state history textbooks published between 1923 and 2024 to explore how the legacies of the Colorado Union troops, known both for their victory over Confederate soldiers in New Mexico and their perpetration of the Sand Creek Massacre, have changed over the course of a century. By focusing on the legacy of a specific period within one state for an extended period of time, this thesis demonstrates that state history textbooks can serve as a barometer for a state’s public memory of its own history. The combined impacts of the civilizational continuum and perspective on narratives of violence during the Civil War period shift to reflect a changing cultural context. The removal and replacement of a controversial monument to the Colorado Union troops frames the thesis, which concludes with an examination of the similarities and differences between history education and memorialization.
Keywords
education, textbooks, memorialization, Colorado, Plains Wars, American Civil War
Recommended Citation
Moore, Kai A., "The Empty Plinth: Legacies of Colorado Union Troops in State History Textbooks (1923-2024)" (2026). History. 3.
https://commons.clarku.edu/undergraduate_history/3
