On August 1, 1876, Colorado was admitted to the Union as the 28th state. Though Colorado had officially been named a U.S. Territory soon after the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush of 1859, initially resistance to statehood came from settlers unwilling to pay for the administration of the state. Even after Coloradans voted to become a state in 1865, Democratic President Andrew Johnson vetoed the statehood bill, knowing it would strengthen Republican representation in Congress and hurt his plans for Reconstruction. The battle for statehood continued until its ultimate success in 1876.
Opening History has many collections related to the history of Colorado. The Western Waters repository includes six archival collections from Colorado State University, while the William Henry Jackson Collection from Brigham Young University includes over 190 photographs Jackson took in Colorado.
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