09/07/2026
Colorado became a state in 1876. But the road to becoming the 38th star was hardly straightforward. Taxes, railroads, gold, and Civil War politics all played a role. But the most consequential battle centered on the deceptively simple question of who got to have a voice in Colorado's future.
In 1865, just 137 Black Coloradans answered that question with a petition demanding the right to vote. Their organizing helped derail a prejudicial voting law, forced Congress to protect Black suffrage, and ultimately helped secure voting rights for African American men across US territories. It's a story of race, political schemes, competing interests, and stubborn resistance that finally brought Colorado into the Union, and shaped who we are today.
In the final installment of their special statehood series, the Lost Highways podcast team follows that 17-year statehood story—all new from History Colorado Studios, and available wherever you get your podcasts or at: https://h-co.org/38th-star-lost-highways
Explore more about the journey to statehood in our exhibition, "38th Star: Colorado Becomes the Centennial State." Now on view at the History Colorado Center.
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Image 1: Henry Wagoner, around 1885. History Colorado 89.451.3862
Image 2: 38 Star Flag, 1876. History Colorado, 73.68.16
Image 3: Barney Ford, date unknown. History Colorado 2022.57.2099
Image 4: Colorado Capitol Under Construction
Image 5: William Jefferson Hardin, around 1882. Courtesy of Wyoming State Archives
