History of Utah

The History of Utah is an examination of the human history and social activity within the of  located in the.

Early peoples
have lived in what is now for several thousand years. Most evidence dates the earliest habitation to about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. These paleolithic people utilized habitat near the 's swamps and marshes, which had an abundance of fish, birds, and small game animals. Big game, including, s and s, also were attracted to these water sources. Over the centuries, the mega-fauna disappeared, while bison, and  became more predominant.

Around 8000 BCE, a very different people began to utilize the Utah area. Known as the Desert Archaic, these people sheltered in caves which edge areas of the. Relying more on gathering than the previous Utah residents, their diet was mainly composed of and other salt tolerant plants such as,  and. Red meat appears to have been more of a luxury, although these people used nets and the to hunt water fowl,, small animals and antelope. Artifacts include nets woven with plant fibers and rabbit skin, woven sandals, gaming sticks, and animal figures made from split-twigs. About 3,500 years ago, lake levels rose and the population of Desert Archaic people appears to have dramatically decreased. The Great Basin may have been almost unoccupied for 1,000 years.

The, named from sites near the in , lived in what is now north and western Utah and parts of ,  and  from approximately 600 to 1300 CE. These people lived in areas close to water sources that had been previously occupied by the Desert Archaic people, and may have had some relationship with them. However, their use of new technologies define them as a distinct people. Fremont technologies include:
 * use of the bow and arrow while hunting,
 * building shelters,
 * growing and probably beans and squash,
 * building above ground granaries of or stone,
 * creating and decorating low-fired ware,
 * producing art, including jewelry and rock art such as s and s.

The, also known as the Anasazi, occupied territory adjacent to the Fremont. The ancestral Puebloan culture centered around the present-day area of the, including the  region of Utah. debate when this distinct emerged, but cultural development seems to date from about the common era, about 500 years before the Fremont appeared. It is generally accepted that the cultural peak of these people was around the. Ancient Puebloan culture is known for well constructed pithouses and more elaborate adobe and masonry dwellings. They were excellent craftsmen, producing jewelry and fine pottery. The Puebloan culture was based on agriculture, and the people created and cultivated fields of maize, beans, and squash and domesticated turkeys. They designed and produced elaborate field terracing and irrigation systems. They also built structures, some known as s, apparently designed solely for cultural and religious rituals.

These two later cultures were roughly contemporaneous, and appear to have established trading relationships. They also shared enough cultural traits that archaeologists believe the cultures may have common roots in the early American Southwest. However, each remained culturally distinct throughout most of their history. These two well established cultures appear to have been severely impacted by climatic change and perhaps by the incursion of new people in about 1200 CE. Over the next two centuries, the Fremont and ancient Pueblo people may have moved into the American southwest, finding new homes and farmlands in the river drainages of Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico.

In about 1200 CE, peoples entered Utah territory from the west. They may have originated in southern California and shifted into a desert environment due to population pressure along the coast. They were an upland people with a hunting and gathering lifestyle utilizing roots and seeds, including the. They were also skillful fishermen, created pottery and raised some crops. When they first arrived in Utah, they lived as small family groups with little tribal organization. Four main Shoshonean peoples inhabited Utah country. The in the north and northeast, the  in the northwest, the s in the central and eastern parts of the region and the Southern  in the southwest. Initially, there seems to have been very little conflict between these groups.

In the early 1500s, the San Juan River basin in Utah's southwest also saw a new people, the Díne or, part of a greater group of plains speakers moved into the Southwest from the Great Plains. In addition to the Navajo, this language group contained people that were later known as, including the Lipan, Jicarilla, and Mescalero Apaches.

Athabaskans were a hunting people who initially followed the bison, and were identified in 16th-century Spanish accounts as "dog nomads". The Athabaskans expanded their range throughout the 17th century, occupying areas the Pueblo peoples had abandoned during prior centuries. The Spanish first specifically mention the "Apachu de Nabajo" (Navaho) in the, referring to the people in the Chama valley region east of the San Juan River, and north west of Santa Fe. By the, the term Navaho was applied to these same people. Although the Navajo newcomers established a generally peaceful trading and cultural exchange with the some modern Pueblo peoples to the south, they experienced intermittent warfare with the Shoshonean peoples, particularly the Utes in eastern Utah and western Colorado.

European exploration
may have crossed into what is now southern Utah in 1540, when he was seeking the legendary.

A group led by two priests&mdash;sometimes called the &mdash;left  in 1776, hoping to find a route to the  coast. The expedition traveled as far north as and encountered the native residents.

Fur trappers&mdash;including &mdash;explored some regions of Utah in the early 1800s. The city of was named for one such man,, who visited the area in 1825. The city of is named for a brigade leader of the,  who trapped in the Weber Valley.

Mormon settlement
Members of, known as , first came to the on ,. At the time, the territory which would become the state of Utah was still under the control of. As a consequence of the, the land became the territory of the upon the signing of the , ,. The treaty was ratified by the on.

Colonizing the desert
Upon arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, the Mormons literally had to make a place to live. They created irrigation systems, laid out farms, built houses, churches and schools. Access to water was crucially important. Almost immediately, set out to identify and claim additional community sites. While it was difficult to find large areas in the where water sources were dependable and growing seasons long enough to raise vitally important subsistence crops, satellite communities began to be formed.

Shortly after the first company arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, the community of was settled to the north. In 1848, settlers moved into lands purchased from trapper in present day. In 1849, and  were founded. Also that year, at the invitation of chief, settlers moved into the Sanpete Valley in central Utah to establish the community of. , intended to be the capital of the new territory, was established in 1851. In 1855, missionary efforts aimed at western native cultures led to outposts in, and  in east central Utah.

The experiences of returning members of the were also important in establishing new communities. On their journey west, the Mormon soldiers had identified dependable rivers and fertile river valleys in Colorado, Arizona and southern California. In addition, as the men traveled to rejoin their families in the Salt Lake Valley, they moved through southern Nevada and southern Utah. Jefferson Hunt, senior Mormon officer of the Battalion, actively searched for settlement sites, minerals and other resources. His report encouraged 1851 settlement efforts in, near present day. These southern explorations eventually led to Mormon settlements in, Las Vegas and , as well as communities in southern Arizona.

State of Deseret (proposed)
Statehood was petitioned for in 1849/50 using the name. The proposed would have been quite large, encompising all of what is now Utah, and portions of territory of what would become Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona, Oregon, New Mexico and California. The name of Deseret was favored by the LDS leader Brigham Young as a symbol of industry, and the name itself derived from a reference in the. The petition was rejected by Congress. One reason for the rejection certainly was the reluctance of Congress to grant such a large piece of territory to a state controlled and populated by Mormons. Another reason may have been the low population levels, however, other states achieved statehood with small populations, but did so without the stigma of being connected to Mormons. It is unclear how much Congress knew about the Mormon practice of polygamy in 1849/50. In any case statehood would be denied until the year 1896.

Utah Territory
In 1850, the was created with the, and  was designated the capital. In 1856, Salt Lake City replaced Fillmore as the territorial capital.

Disputes between the inhabitants and the  intensified after  practice of polygamy was known to the government. The polygamous practices of the Mormons, which were made public in 1854, would be the major reason Utah was denied statehood until almost 50 years after the Mormons had entered the area.

After news of their polygamous practices spread, the members of the LDS Church were quickly viewed as un-American and rebellious. In 1857, after news of a false rebellion spread, the government sent troops on the "Utah expedition" to quell the supposed rebellion and to replace as territorial governor with. The resulting conflict is known as the.

As troops approached Salt Lake in northern Utah, nervous Mormon settlers and attacked and killed 120 immigrants from  in southern Utah. The attack became known as the. The massacre became a point of contention between LDS leaders and the federal government for decades. Only one man,, was ever convicted of the murders, and he was executed at the massacre site.

Before troops led by entered the territory, Brigham Young ordered all residents of Salt Lake City to evacuate southward to  and sent out a force, known as the, to delay the government's advance. Although wagons and supplies were burned, eventually the troops arrived, and Young surrendered official control to Cumming, although most subsequent commentators claim that Young retained true power in the territory. A steady stream of governors appointed by the president quit the position, often citing the unresponsiveness of their supposed territorial government. By agreement with Young, Johnston established Fort Floyd 40 miles away from Salt Lake City, to the southwest.

Salt Lake City was the last link of the, completed in October of 1861. Brigham Young was among the first to send a message, along with and other officials.

Because of the, federal troops were pulled out of Utah Territory, leaving the territory in LDS hands until arrived with a regiment of California volunteers in 1862. Connor established Fort Douglas just three miles (5 km) east of Salt Lake City and encouraged his men to discover mineral deposits to bring more non-Mormons into the state. Minerals were discovered in, and miners began to flock to the territory.

Beginning in 1865, developed into the deadliest conflict in the territory's history. Chief died in 1870, but fights continued to break out until additional federal troops were sent in to suppress the  of 1872. The war is unique among because it was a three-way conflict, with mounted Timpanogos s led by Antonga Black Hawk exploited by federal and LDS authorities.

On, , the was completed at , north of the. The railroad brought increasing numbers of people into the state, and several influential businessmen made fortunes in the territory.

During the and, laws were passed to punish polygamists, and in the , the LDS Church finally agreed to ban polygamy. When Utah applied for statehood again, it was accepted. One of the conditions for granting Utah statehood was that a ban on polygamy be written into the state constitution. This was a condition required of other western states that were admitted into the Union later. Statehood was officially granted on,.

20th century
Beginning in the early 1900s, with the establishment of such national parks as and, Utah began to become known for its natural beauty. Southern Utah became a popular filming spot for arid, rugged scenes, and such natural landmarks as and "the Mittens" of  are instantly recognizable to most national residents. During the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, with the construction of the system, accessibility to the southern scenic areas was made easier.

Beginning in 1939, with the establishment of, Utah has become world-renowned for its skiing. The dry, powdery snow of the is considered some of the best skiing in the world. Salt Lake City won the bid for the in 1995, and this has served as a great boost to the economy. The ski resorts have increased in popularity, and many of the Olympic venues scattered across the continue to be used for sporting events. This also spurred the development of the light-rail system in the, known as , and the re-construction of the freeway system around the city.

During the late 20th century, the state grew quickly. In the, growth was phenomenal in the suburbs. was one of the fastest-growing cities in the country at that time. Today, many areas of Utah are seeing phenomenal growth. Northern, southern and western , , eastern , , , and counties are all growing very quickly. and are major issues in politics as development consumes agricultural land and wilderness areas.