This periodical provides a flexible scholarly forum for well-written, documented manuscripts on the history of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West. Its twofold structure is designed to accommodate article-length manuscripts in the traditional journal style and longer, book-length works which appear as separate monographs within the series.

The Colorado Historical Society periodically publishes "Essays and Monographs in Colorado History" to provide a flexible scholarly forum for well-written, documented manuscripts on the history of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West.