How party politics divided Colorado in 1876 — and eased its path to statehood

By: Chase Woodruff

Outlets: Colorado Newsline

Published: January 23, 2026

Words: 1,207

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 6 days ago

The headline in the Jan. 23, 1876, edition of the Rocky Mountain News was a calculated provocation: “Jeff Davis Elected President.”

This story is part of Colorado at 150.

The column that followed, which purported to be a dispatch from “Nov. —, 188–,” told the fictional history of a future presidential campaign won …

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