Mammoth battleship COLORADO was authorized under Congress’ 1916 Naval Appropriation Act and the contract for her construction awarded to the New York Shipbuilding Company at Camden, New Jersey. Her keel was laid on May 19, 1919, and almost two years were required to complete her construction.

As the COLORADO, milestone in engineering progress and prime example of naval architectural prowess, was launched, the world knew in whose hands the long-sought supremacy of the seas would lie. Freedom-loving people could breathe easier.