%1 http://coloradoencyclopedia.org/ en Colorado State Capitol http://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/colorado-state-capitol <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--encyclopedia-article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Colorado State Capitol </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: x field--node--field-article-image--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-article-image.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-article-image.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--field-article-image--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div id="carouselEncyclopediaArticle" class="carousel slide" data-bs-ride="true"> <div class="carousel-inner"> <div class="carousel-item active"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * node--2757--article-detail-image.html.twig * node--2757.html.twig x node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig * node--image.html.twig * node--article-detail-image.html.twig * node.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/content/node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-encyclopedia-image--image.html.twig * field--node--field-encyclopedia-image.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--field-encyclopedia-image.html.twig * field--image.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-encyclopedia-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_formatter' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-formatter.html.twig' --> <a href="/image/colorado-state-capitol"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image_style' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-style.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'image' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image.html.twig' --> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/Capital_Hill_01_0.jpg?itok=Ww_-9Uef" width="1024" height="683" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-wide" /> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-style.html.twig' --> </a> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/image-formatter.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="carousel-caption d-none d-md-block"> <h5><a href="/image/colorado-state-capitol" rel="bookmark"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--image.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Colorado State Capitol</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> </a></h5> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--image.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--image.html.twig * field--body.html.twig x field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--text-with-summary.html.twig' --> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The Capitol building houses the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Office of the Governor, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, and the Department of the Treasury. &nbsp; The elected officials in the building work to make laws and administer state government.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--text-with-summary.html.twig' --> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/content/node--image--article-detail-image.html.twig' --> </div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--field-article-image--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--encyclopedia-article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/user/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" about="/users/yongli" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">yongli</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/user/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--encyclopedia-article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2022-05-18T13:35:01-06:00" title="Wednesday, May 18, 2022 - 13:35" class="datetime">Wed, 05/18/2022 - 13:35</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'addtoany_standard' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * addtoany-standard--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * addtoany-standard--node.html.twig x addtoany-standard.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'modules/contrib/addtoany/templates/addtoany-standard.html.twig' --> <span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="http://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/colorado-state-capitol" data-a2a-title="Colorado State Capitol "><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=http%3A%2F%2Fcoloradoencyclopedia.org%2Farticle%2Fcolorado-state-capitol&amp;title=Colorado%20State%20Capitol%20"></a><a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a></span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'modules/contrib/addtoany/templates/addtoany-standard.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item" id="id-body"><p>Colorado’s iconic, gold-domed Capitol looks out over the city of <a href="http://www.coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/denver"><strong>Denver</strong></a> from atop Brown’s Bluff, exactly one mile above sea level. Built between 1886 and 1908, the Capitol’s exterior remains largely original, but the interior has been subject to modernization and modification.</p><div style="display:none;"><p>Colorado State Capitol is not only a hub of political activity but also a magnet for many sports stars. Situated in the heart of Denver, the Capitol building exudes historical significance and architectural grandeur, attracting visitors from all walks of life. Among these visitors are numerous sports celebrities who find solace and inspiration within its walls. The allure of the Colorado State Capitol to sports stars lies in its unique blend of history, culture, and scenic beauty. Surrounded by the majestic Rocky Mountains, the Capitol offers a picturesque backdrop for those seeking a break from the rigors of sports competition. Its stately corridors and ornate chambers provide a sense of serenity and majesty, serving as a sanctuary for athletes amidst their busy schedules, also read more sports news at <a href="https://sweetpetalsflorist.com/">https://sweetpetalsflorist.com/</a>.</p></div><p>The Capitol is part of a larger <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/civic-center"><strong>Civic Center</strong></a> that includes multiple other government buildings, including the <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/colorado-state-museum"><strong>State Museum</strong></a>, <strong>Ralph Carr Judicial Center</strong>, <strong>State Office Building</strong>, Capitol Annex, <strong>McNichols Civic Center Building</strong>, and <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/denver-city-and-county-building"><strong>Denver City and County Building</strong></a>. As the home of the state legislature, Colorado’s State Capitol has served as a marker of statehood since the nineteenth century. It continues to be a gathering point for activists from across the state.</p><h2>Location and Design&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</h2><div style="display:none;">While the majestic Colorado State Capitol stands tall in Denver, attracting tourists and locals alike with its stunning architecture and rich history, thousands of kilometers away in Estonia, players are turning to foreign online casinos for their thrills. Despite the geographical distance separating these two cities, they share common interests and hobbies. Just as visitors flock to the Capitol to see its grandeur and learn about government, Estonian players are attracted to foreign online casinos <a href="https://zarubezhnye-kazino.com/">https://zarubezhnye-kazino.com/</a> for the excitement and variety of games they offer. Just as the Internet allows people from all over the world to access information about the Colorado State Capitol and its significance, it also provides Estonian players with easy access to a multitude of online casinos located in foreign jurisdictions. This intersection of digital connectivity and cultural interest underscores the global nature of modern entertainment and education, demonstrating how people from different parts of the world can engage in diverse experiences, whether admiring architectural masterpieces or enjoying the excitement of online gaming.</div><p>In 1861 the secession crisis and concerns over lawlessness amid a rapidly growing population due to the <a href="http://www.coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/colorado-gold-rush"><strong>Colorado Gold Rush</strong></a> prompted the creation of <a href="http://www.coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/colorado-territory"><strong>Colorado Territory</strong></a>. For the next twenty years, even after Colorado became a state in 1876, legislators fought over the location of the capitol. Legislative sessions held in temporary quarters in <strong>Colorado City</strong>, <a href="http://www.coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/golden"><strong>Golden</strong></a>, and Denver debated the issue, while legislature members lived out of hotels and boardinghouses. Finally, the question was placed on the 1881 ballot, and voters chose Denver over the closest runner-up, <a href="http://www.coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/pueblo"><strong>Pueblo</strong></a>.</p><p>The Colorado State Capitol was built on ten acres of land donated by <strong>Henry Cordes Brown</strong>. Brown and his wife, June, had settled atop a bluff just east of the city and bought the land for $200 through the <a href="http://www.coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/homestead"><strong>Homestead Act</strong></a>. Hoping that the new capitol would increase the worth of his other land, Brown sold nearby plots to Denver’s wealthy inhabitants, creating the neighborhood now called <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/denver%E2%80%99s-capitol-hill"><strong>Capitol Hill</strong></a>.</p><p>The Board of Capitol Managers was created in 1883 to oversee construction. Members began the process by touring other recently constructed capitols in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan to get ideas. All built after the <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/civil-war-colorado"><strong>Civil War</strong></a>, these capitols were constructed in the image of the US National Capitol as a symbol of commitment to the Union, and Colorado soon followed suit.</p><p>After securing $1 million from the state for construction, the board invited architects to submit designs. Elijah Myers—a controversial figure who was never formally trained as an architect but who had designed several other government buildings, including the Michigan and Texas state capitols—won the competition.</p><p>Myers’s winning design was in the shape of a Greek Cross topped with a dome. The design emulated the National Capitol, making a statement about the permanence of democracy and the United States. Myers’s design also placed offices for executive officials on the ground floor with chambers for the legislature above, indicating the superior importance of the people’s representatives. In addition to chambers for the Colorado Senate and House of Representatives, the Capitol design included offices for the governor, lieutenant governor, various state officials, and commissions, and the <strong>Colorado Supreme Court</strong>.</p><h2>Construction</h2><p>The first contractor hired by the Board of Capitol Managers, William Richardson, quickly ran out of money owing to unforeseen construction difficulties, and by 1888 the board hired local contractors to finish the basement. In accordance with the law, the board made an effort to source construction materials from Colorado even when they were more expensive. The foundation floors are gray granite from the Zugelder Quarry south of <strong>Gunnison</strong>, which more than doubled the original estimate.</p><p>Although the walls had hardly risen above grade, a dedication ceremony was held on July 4, 1890. After a two-mile-long parade wound its way through downtown, the twenty-ton cornerstone was laid. A time capsule included with the cornerstone contained a copy of the <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/colorado-constitution"><strong>Colorado</strong></a> and US Constitutions, an American flag, a copy of Denver’s 1890 Directory, and various coins. The ceremony was followed by a celebration, where 60,000 attendees ate 30,000 pounds of barbequed beef and drank gallons of lemonade served by an army of 200 waitstaff.</p><p>Impatient with the lengthy construction timeline, some state leaders moved into the partially finished Capitol in 1894, and the first full legislative session there was held in 1895. City landscape architect <strong>Reinhard Schuetze</strong> laid out the Capitol grounds in 1895–96. Finally complete in 1908, the Capitol was composed of 30,000 tons of granite, 5.5 million bricks, and 210 tons of cast iron for the interior and shell of the dome. In keeping with requirements to source construction materials from Colorado, the interior featured bricks from the Denver Terra Cotta and Lumber Company and rose onyx inlays quarried by hand from near Pueblo. Visitors and legislators alike could enjoy a variety of technological innovations added to the Capitol, including telephones, a wire bulletin system, and two elevators.</p><p>While the original designs specified a copper-covered dome, popular opinion called for a material that was more symbolic of Colorado, as the state had almost no history of copper mining. Bowing to public pressure, the Board of Capitol Managers recommended the dome be covered in gold leaf, the mineral that prompted the creation of the state (this suggestion is often attributed to board member <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/otto-mears"><strong>Otto Mears</strong></a>). In 1908, 200 ounces of gold, pounded paper-thin, was added to the dome, and a glass ball was installed at the top of the building.</p><h2>Early Use and Development of Civic Center</h2><p>Even before the Capitol was completed in 1908, it was apparent that there would not be enough room in the building to house the entire state government. A Civic Center was planned around the Capitol to create a centralized area for the state government and other civic institutions. The <a href="http://www.coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/denver-public-library"><strong>Denver Public Library</strong></a> (now the McNichols Building) opened in 1910, followed by the State Museum in 1915. Prior to its opening, more than 120,000 visitors had flocked to the Capitol to view the collections of the <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/history-colorado-colorado-historical-society"><strong>State Historical Society</strong></a>, Natural History Society, Bureau of Mines, and Horticultural Society. The State Museum provided a new home for the most popular collections and reduced tourist traffic to the crowded Capitol.</p><p>During <a href="http://www.coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/colorado-world-war-i"><strong>World War I</strong></a>, the clamor for space in the Capitol quieted as the War Board took precedence over other state activities, and the dome was closed to public viewing. But as soon as the war was over, the fight for space continued. In 1921 the State Office Building opened, freeing up fifteen legislative committee rooms in the Capitol.</p><p>By the 1930s, increasing government programs during the <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/progressive-era-colorado"><strong>Progressive Era</strong></a> and <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/new-deal-colorado"><strong>New Deal</strong></a> created even more demand for space atop Brown’s Bluff. The Board of Capitol Managers searched for space to house the Works Progress Administration and <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/civilian-conservation-corps-colorado"><strong>Civilian Conservation Corps</strong></a>, the State Hail Insurance Department, State Meat and Slaughterhouse Inspector, and the Automobile Driver’s License Department. In 1932 the City and County Building was built to the west, facing the Capitol from across Civic Center Park. The City and County Building replaced the city hall and the city courthouse, both in disrepair. In 1937 the State Capitol Annex and a new heating plant were completed, providing rentable space for New Deal agencies. During this time, eight new murals were added to the interior of the Capitol, depicting a poem by <strong>Thomas Hornsby Ferril</strong> describing the history of <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/water-colorado"><strong>water</strong></a> in the West.</p><p>While many state employees served overseas during <strong>World War II</strong>, other war and federal administration employees crowded the Capitol. War production activities brought the <strong>Rocky Mountain Arsenal</strong> and the <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/denver-ordnance-plant"><strong>Denver Ordnance Plant</strong></a> to Colorado. At the same time, the State Capitol Buildings Civil Defense Unit created blackout protocols, and the Denver Salvage Committee melted down unused machinery and shelving from the Capitol basement. To find more space for wartime activity, the legislature created the Colorado State Archives. The archives freed up storage space in the Capitol by destroying unnecessary papers and books and placing many records on microfilm. State Archivist Herbert O. Brayer claimed this freed up 98 percent of the storage space previously required by the state.</p><h2>Late Twentieth Century</h2><p>After World War II, legislators began to demand modern conveniences in the aging Capitol. The integrity of the interior was not always preserved. Acoustic tile was installed in legislative chambers, and the original columns in the governor’s chambers were covered with wood. Colorado’s postwar economy boomed, and newly middle-class families took to their cars for family vacations, including visits to the Capitol. To accommodate the increasing number of visitors, Governor <strong>Dan Thornton</strong> created the visitor services department, which hired college-age women in western attire to lead tourists around the Capitol. As the state government continued to grow, office space was again in demand. The State Services Building was finished in 1960.</p><p>Since the 1970s, many art pieces and installations have been added to the Capitol and Civic Center to reflect the history and diversity of the state. Portraits, busts, and stained-glass works throughout the Capitol honor influential individuals in Colorado’s history. Inside the Rotunda, the Hall of Fame is composed of sixteen stained-glass portraits, including the Nuche (Ute) leader <a href="http://www.coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/ouray"><strong>Ouray</strong></a>, second Colorado governor <a href="http://www.coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/john-evans"><strong>John Evans</strong></a>, and philanthropist Frances Jacobs. In 1977 seven other stained-glass portraits were added to the Capitol. The “Heritage Windows” in the old Supreme Court chamber honor Latino, Black, Indigenous, and Asian individuals in Colorado history, including Chinese community leader Chin Lin Sou and Japanese entrepreneur <strong>Naoichi Hokazono</strong>, territorial businesswoman <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/clara-brown"><strong>Clara Brown</strong></a>, and mapmaker Don Bernardo de Miera y Pacheco, among others. Memorials added to Civic Center honor Colorado veterans and Japanese Americans interned at <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/granada-war-relocation-center-amache"><strong>Amache</strong></a>.</p><p>&nbsp;Although the Capitol had been a rallying point for displays of patriotism and activism since its completion in 1908, the 1960s and 1970s saw the building become a central backdrop in the fight for civil rights and social justice. The <strong>Black Panthers</strong>, second-wave <strong>feminists</strong>, students opposed to the Vietnam War, and <strong>Chicano</strong> activists all held peaceful protests at Civic Center.</p><h2>Today</h2><p>Concerns over the structural integrity of the State Capitol arose in the 1980s and 1990s. Modifications made the building more accessible to Americans with disabilities and increased security after the 9/11 attacks, but these updates have not addressed the underlying structural aging of the Capitol. As of early 2021, the Capitol Complex Master Plan recommends setting aside 2 percent of the Capitol’s replacement costs per year to address deferred maintenance and required upgrades.</p><p>In the twenty-first century, the Capitol and surrounding Civic Center remain an important cultural and tourist attraction and a rallying point for activists of all kinds. The Capitol welcomes more than 300,000 visitors per year and offers free public tours to those interested in learning about the history of the building and the work of the legislature. In recent years, activists associated with the Women’s March and <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/black-lives-matter"><strong>Black Lives Matter</strong></a> movements have convened on the Civic Center grounds to agitate for a continued focus on civil rights and social justice for all residents of the state of Colorado.</p><p>Perhaps no recent event more clearly reflects the contested nature of the Capitol’s symbolism than when protesters took down a Civil War memorial statue during <strong>demonstrations against racism</strong> and police brutality in late spring 2020. Built to honor the First Colorado Cavalry for its role in the Civil War, the memorial listed the <a href="http://www.coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/sand-creek-massacre"><strong>Sand Creek Massacre</strong></a> as a “battle,” misrepresenting the cavalry’s slaughter of more than 200 Cheyenne and Arapaho people in 1864. Following the statue’s removal, the Capitol Building Advisory Committee voted 7–2 to have it replaced with a statue depicting an Indigenous woman mourning the dead at Sand Creek.&nbsp;</p></div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-author.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-author.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-above" id="id-field-author"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-author">Author</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-author"><a href="/author/schields-rebekah" hreflang="und">Schields, Rebekah</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-keyword--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-keyword.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-keyword.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-keyword field--type-entity-reference field--label-above" id="id-field-keyword"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-keyword">Keywords</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/colorado-state-capitol" hreflang="en">colorado state capitol</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/colorado-capitol-building" hreflang="en">colorado capitol building</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/history-colorado-capitol" hreflang="en">history of colorado capitol</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/history-colorado-capitol-building" hreflang="en">history of colorado capitol building</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/capitol-building-gold" hreflang="en">capitol building gold</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/capitol-building-denver" hreflang="en">capitol building denver</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/denver-capitol-building" hreflang="en">denver capitol building</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/when-was-colorado-state-capitol-built" hreflang="en">when was the colorado state capitol built</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/colorado-state-legislature" hreflang="en">colorado state legislature</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/government" hreflang="en">government</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/colorado-government" hreflang="en">colorado government</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/political-history" hreflang="en">political history</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/civic-center" hreflang="en">Civic Center</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/downtown-denver" hreflang="en">downtown denver</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/denver" hreflang="en">Denver</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links--inline.html.twig * links--node.html.twig * links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/navigation/links--inline.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/navigation/links--inline.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-references-html--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-references-html.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-references-html.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-references-html field--type-text-long field--label-above" id="id-field-references-html"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-references-html">References</div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-references-html"><p>Associated Press, “<a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2020/11/22/colorado-capitol-civil-war-statue-replaced-native/">Toppled Civil War Statue at Colorado Capitol to Be Replaced by Sculpture of Native American woman</a>,” <em>The Denver Post</em>, November 22, 2020.</p><p>Capitol Visitor Services, “<a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/content/tour-information">Tour Information</a>,” updated January 2021.</p><p>Margaret Coel, Gladys Doty, and Karen Gilleland, “High on the Hill: The Building of Colorado’s State Capitol,” <em>Colorado Heritage</em>, 1985.</p><p>Derek R. Everett,<em> The Colorado State Capitol: History, Politics, Preservation </em>(Boulder: University Press of Colorado, 2005).</p><p>State of Colorado, “<a href="https://coloradocapitolart.colorado.gov/">Art and Memorials</a>,” updated 2022.</p><p>State of Colorado, Capitol Complex Master Plan Steering Committee, “<a href="https://osa.colorado.gov/planning/master-plans/capitol-complex-master-plan">Capitol Complex Master Plan—State of Colorado</a>,” &nbsp;RNL Design, Wallace Roberts and Todd, and CGL, n.d.</p></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-additional-information-htm--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-additional-information-htm.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-additional-information-htm.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-additional-information-htm field--type-text-long field--label-above" id="id-field-additional-information-htm"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-additional-information-htm">Additional Information</div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-additional-information-htm"><p>Colorado General Assembly, “<a href="http://leg.colorado.gov/node/1024591/">Visit and Learn</a>.”</p><p>Colorado Preservation, Inc., “<a href="https://coloradopreservation.org/programs/endangered-places/endangered-places-archives/colorado-state-capitol-dome/">Colorado State Capitol Dome</a>.”</p><p>Colorado State Capitol, “<a href="https://capitol.colorado.gov/">Welcome to the Colorado State Capitol</a>.”</p><p>Colorado Virtual Library, “<a href="https://www.coloradovirtuallibrary.org/resource-sharing/state-pubs-blog/time-machine-tuesday-building-the-state-capitol/">Building the State Capitol</a>.”</p><p>Denver Public Library, “<a href="https://history.denverlibrary.org/neighborhood-history-guide/capitol-hill-neighborhood-history">Capitol Hill Neighborhood History</a>.”</p></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> Wed, 18 May 2022 19:35:01 +0000 yongli 3688 at http://coloradoencyclopedia.org Populism in Colorado http://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/populism-colorado <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--encyclopedia-article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Populism in Colorado</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--encyclopedia-article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/user/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" about="/users/yongli" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">yongli</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/user/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--encyclopedia-article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2017-01-31T12:51:28-07:00" title="Tuesday, January 31, 2017 - 12:51" class="datetime">Tue, 01/31/2017 - 12:51</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/field/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'addtoany_standard' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * addtoany-standard--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * addtoany-standard--node.html.twig x addtoany-standard.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'modules/contrib/addtoany/templates/addtoany-standard.html.twig' --> <span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="http://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/populism-colorado" data-a2a-title="Populism in Colorado"><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=http%3A%2F%2Fcoloradoencyclopedia.org%2Farticle%2Fpopulism-colorado&amp;title=Populism%20in%20Colorado"></a><a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a></span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'modules/contrib/addtoany/templates/addtoany-standard.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item" id="id-body"><p>Populism was a third-party political movement of the 1890s that left an enduring imprint on Colorado history. The Populist or People’s Party was especially strong in the south, Midwest, and west because it focused on the grievances of farmers, workers, and members of what Populists called “the producing classes.” These laboring people felt that changes in the economic structure of the United States during the Gilded Age (c. 1870–1900) such as the consolidation of monopolies were making it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. In the Rocky Mountain West, miners in the booming silver camps agreed with farmers that those who produced wealth were deriving less and less benefit from their labor. In 1892 these dissidents convened in Omaha, Nebraska, to create the Populist Party to channel their discontent into political action.</p> <p>The People’s Party held the Colorado governorship for only one term, 1893–95, and the Populism movement had largely dissolved by 1900. Although short lived, this insurgent movement from below nonetheless enabled working people to wage a challenge to the prevailing two-party political order, forcing the Democratic and Republican Parties in Colorado and beyond to take note of their grievances. In the following decades, state and federal governments would institute numerous proposals from the Populist platform, most notably <a href="/article/womens-suffrage-movement"><strong>women’s suffrage</strong></a> and the secret ballot.</p> <h2>Politics in Colorado</h2> <p>Colorado was one of the few states in which the state Populist Party won an election. Political conditions in Colorado were unique. Since the state was still new in the 1890s, the traditional national parties were not yet fully entrenched. People also knew their elected representatives well, which led electors to identify with personal relationships rather than party loyalties. These aspects of state political life offered the opportunity for a third party to come to power.</p> <p>Silver also helped make Colorado into a populist bastion. In 1873, before Colorado achieved statehood, the US government established the gold standard, meaning that the it no longer minted silver currency. But Colorado was on the cusp of a massive silver boom; the value of silver mined in the state surpassed that of gold in 1874, forcing mine owners to find other markets for the silver output in <strong>Leadville</strong>, <a href="/article/aspen"><strong>Aspen</strong></a>, and other mining districts. Miners and mine owners alike seethed at the federal government’s rejection of the silver industry, making them prone to populist sentiments.</p> <p>Shifts in other economic trends also accelerated the rise of populism in Colorado. By the 1880s, mining in the state required large amounts of investment capital in order to operate deep-shaft mines. As a result, the vast majority of Colorado’s miners worked not as individual prospectors but as wage workers in large operations owned by big corporations. This reality went against the myths of independence and self-sufficiency that had propelled so many Americans westward, making Colorado fertile ground for a populist movement that would undermine established politics and politicians.</p> <p>The <strong>Republican Party</strong> controlled the state. From 1876 to 1890, the Republicans won five gubernatorial elections, while the <strong>Democrats</strong> triumphed only twice. Even then, Republicans maintained control of one or both houses of the legislature. So far as Colorado’s established parties were concerned, national issues mostly took precedence over local ones. During the 1880s, working-class Coloradans increasingly complained that no great difference separated platforms, rhetoric, goals, or attitudes of the two major parties. Rather, both the Democrats and the Republicans seemed to champion the state’s business interests and were more concerned with attracting continued investment than addressing the concerns of Coloradans. While investment in mines largely came from eastern cities, British capitalists often owned Colorado’s <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/irrigation-colorado"><strong>irrigation</strong></a> and cattle corporations. These out-of-state investments bred resentment among Coloradans who wanted profits earned in Colorado to stay in the state.</p> <p>Political dissatisfaction sowed the seeds for several third-party movements in late nineteenth-century Colorado. The state’s newness, relatively small population, and antimonopolistic sentiment opened the way for a number of challenges to the two-party system. Greenback, Greenback-Labor, Prohibition, and Union-Labor Parties were all active alternatives in the state in the 1880s, though none came close to challenging the two main parties.</p> <p>Many of these independent parties drew their strength from economic organizations of working people, such as the Knights of Labor, an organization for industrial workers, and the Farmers’ Alliance. In the summer of 1890, these two groups joined together to form the Independent Party. This protest party put forth an antimonopoly platform calling for government ownership of railroads, telegraphs, ditches, and reservoirs, as well as the prohibition of foreign ownership of Colorado land. Although the Independent Party’s candidate received a meager 6 percent of the vote in that year’s gubernatorial election, the party’s supporters remained hopeful. Delegates to a party convention in <a href="/article/denver"><strong>Denver</strong></a> decided in September 1891 to reorganize the Independent Party as the People’s Party. Populism had arrived in Colorado.</p> <h2>Election of 1892</h2> <p>Colorado’s Populists won their first major victory in 1892, when pro-labor candidate <strong>Davis Hanson Waite</strong> won a three-way governor’s race with 47 percent of the vote. Waite’s victory—the biggest the Populists had yet achieved anywhere in the nation—marked a great advance for the party and its advocates.</p> <p>The Populists’ third-party insurgency was fueled by a broader shift toward corporate consolidation across many industries, but especially in mining, during the late 1880s and early 1890s. The Populists led an uneasy coalition of prohibitionists, urban reformers, free-silver advocates, socialists, agrarian reformers, and labor leaders into the election of 1892. They touted their proposals to reform Colorado’s existing political system—proposals that included the secret ballot, the referendum, and the recall—as tools for enhancing the power of everyday people in their relationships with Colorado’s large and increasingly powerful corporations. In this way, Populists tapped into the anticorporate and anticolonial sentiments of Coloradans who blamed eastern and foreign investors for many of the woes confronting the state’s farmers, miners, and other workers.</p> <p>The Populists’ platform in Colorado focused on greater regulation of passenger and freight rates, an eight-hour work day, reduction of state officials’ salaries, equal franchise for women, and, crucially, the free coinage of silver. The national party organizations of both the Democrats and the Republicans refused to restore silver to the status of legal tender. Because silver mining and production were so pivotal to the Colorado economy, this decision placed state leaders of both the Democrats and Republicans in an awkward position. Prosilver factions emerged within each of the major parties, and these prosilver allies proved instrumental in the victory of Populist candidate Davis Waite. Most notably, the influential editor of the <strong><em>Rocky Mountain News</em></strong>, Thomas M. Patterson, called on the Democratic Party’s silverites to vote for Waite. As a result, Waite carried almost all of the northern and central mining counties as well as the ten counties ranking highest in silver production. Waite’s campaign also received widespread support in Colorado’s burgeoning agricultural regions, particularly in northeastern Colorado, an irrigation-dependent area where many residents had grown resentful of foreign control of irrigation resources.</p> <h2>Populism in Power</h2> <p>Waite and the Populists had won a fair victory; they nonetheless were in a precarious position as they entered office. With the help of the Silver Democrats, the People’s Party controlled the state Senate, but the GOP continued to dominate the House. Furthermore, Waite’s headstrong manner and moral absolutism soon wore thin. Not only did he have difficulty coordinating the alliance with the Silver Democrats, but tensions between his own party’s farming and mining factions stymied his efforts to pass legislation. For example, Waite’s attempt to create tougher regulations on railroad shipping and passenger prices failed, resulting only in the abolition of the existing railroad commission. Weak though it was, this action offered some check against corporate power since its establishment in 1885. Although Waite tried to veto a bill that broke up the original commission, eight Populists broke party ranks to override the veto. Conflicts over nepotism and cronyism further marred the first six months of Waite’s administration.</p> <p>A serious global economic downturn known as the <strong>Panic of 1893</strong> posed even more serious threats to Waite’s tenure. The recession particularly affected Colorado’s mining and smelting industries. In June 1893, Great Britain closed the mints of India to silver coinage, shutting off the last subsidized market for American silver. The price of silver on the world market dropped from over one dollar per ounce in 1890 to sixty-three cents per ounce in 1894. Almost half the mines in Colorado closed. By July 1893, some 2,000 of <a href="/article/aspen"><strong>Aspen</strong></a>’s 2,200 mine workers had lost their jobs. Railroad traffic and steel output also declined, and banks across the state began to close. Twelve banks in Denver alone went under between July 17 and July 19. A week earlier, as the crisis mounted, Waite delivered an impassioned speech that tarred the rest of his career. “Another revolution,” he thundered, “may be the answer to the crippling silver crisis, for it is better, infinitely better that blood should flow to the horses’ bridles than our national liberties should be destroyed.” His critics and detractors immediately seized upon the inflammatory rhetoric, dubbing the Populist governor “Bloody Bridles” Waite.</p> <p>Although the Populists struggled to respond to the economic collapse, they did score some political successes. They managed to pass legislation mandating a maximum eight-hour workday for government employees, for instance. Their greatest achievement was probably the passage of equal suffrage. On November 7, 1893, a Populist-supported referendum extended the franchise to women. A mixed victory for Waite came with the resolution of the miners’ strike at <a href="https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/cripple-creek"><strong>Cripple Creek</strong></a> in 1894. Local law enforcement requested that the governor send in the militia to break the strike, but Waite, always a friend to labor, ordered the militia to protect the striking miners. In the meantime, he managed to get the mine owners and union leaders together in <strong>Colorado Springs</strong>, where they negotiated a settlement to the industrial strife. While the governor’s actions further endeared him to miners, they further convinced Colorado’s business leaders that “Bloody Bridles” was a dangerous radical.</p> <p>Other incidents of 1894 contributed to Waite’s failure to win reelection. Hoping to root out endemic corruption in Denver’s powerful Fire and Police Board, Waite attempted to dismiss commissioners D. J. Martin and Jackson Orr. Refusing to leave office, Martin and Orr armed police officers and firemen and barricaded themselves inside Denver’s City Hall. Waite called upon the state militia to surround the building, and federal troops arrived from <strong>Fort Logan</strong>. Tensions ran high as the parties waited for the state supreme court to decide whether Waite was justified in removing Martin and Orr. After the court ruled in the governor’s favor, the two commissioners relented, thus averting violence. To Waite’s opponents, Denver’s so-called City Hall War offered further evidence of the governor’s dangerous tendencies.</p> <p>Waite’s unorthodox methods were perhaps best exemplified in his proposal to ship Colorado silver to be minted in Mexico, a scheme that would have made Mexican currency legal tender within Colorado’s borders. Waite’s troubled term as governor gave his political enemies plenty of ammunition in the 1894 election, which returned the Republicans to power. The loss of support in the agricultural counties spoke to the growing rift between the agrarian and the labor factions in the People’s Party.</p> <h2>Election of 1896</h2> <p>Leading up to the presidential election of 1896, the tensions within Colorado’s People’s Party grew. Reform figures such as Waite worried about the growing influence of non-Populist silver advocates within the party. Waite and his allies thought of silver less as an end in itself and more as an electoral tactic from which they could enforce a broader reform agenda once in power. Most Populists, however, were worried that they would scare off prosilver allies from the major parties if they pursued too radical an agenda. To avoid the formation of an independent silver party, the Populists increasingly trumpeted free silver as their major and sometimes only goal. In a blow to Waite and the radical wing of the Colorado Populists, the former Democrat Thomas Patterson led the delegates of the state’s People’s Party to the national convention in St. Louis. At the state level, the race for the governorship split between Democrats and Silver Republicans on the one hand and Populists and the National Silver Party on the other. Running as an independent Populist candidate, ex-governor Waite garnered less than 2 percent of the vote. The Democrat-Silver Republican candidate, <strong>Alva Adams</strong>, won the governorship. Although William Jennings Bryan, the Democrat-Populist presidential candidate, lost the election, he took Colorado with more than 80 percent of the vote, the first time a Democrat had claimed the state’s presidential electors.</p> <h2>Decline and Legacy</h2> <p>The People’s Party continued to fruitlessly run candidates in Colorado through the turn of the century. The tactic of fusing the pro-silver wing of the Democratic Party around the free coinage of silver only brought many of Colorado’s Populists into the Democratic fold in 1896. In 1902, without the support of the Democrats and with Colorado’s major parties all forming consensus on the silver question, the Populist challenge evaporated.</p> <p>Even though Populism waned, Colorado’s labor movement intensified. Demands for an eight-hour workday; the referendum; and the nationalization of telephones, telegraphs, railroads, and mines all increased. Populist agitation had politicized many workers. The Populist challenge also resulted in a general political realignment of the state, delivering most of Colorado’s labor and immigrant voters to the Democratic Party. As the Democrats became the majority party for twenty years following Waite’s defeat in 1894, they grew more responsive to labor’s needs and more willing to take an active stance toward economic regulation. At the national level, too, the <strong>Progressive</strong> movement of the early twentieth century adopted many of the Populists’ demands for political reform, trying to stem the rising influence of powerful corporations on the government, extending the franchise to women in 1920, and laying the groundwork for greater federal involvement in the nation’s agricultural, industrial, and financial sectors.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-author--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-author.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-author.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-author field--type-entity-reference field--label-above" id="id-field-author"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-author">Author</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-author"><a href="/author/pente-graeme" hreflang="und">Pente, Graeme</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-keyword--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-keyword.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-keyword.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-keyword field--type-entity-reference field--label-above" id="id-field-keyword"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-keyword">Keywords</div> <div class='field__items'> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/populism" hreflang="en">populism</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/populism-colorado" hreflang="en">populism in colorado</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/davis-waite" hreflang="en">Davis Waite</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/colorado-politics" hreflang="en">colorado politics</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/political-history" hreflang="en">political history</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/populist-party" hreflang="en">populist party</a></div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-keyword"><a href="/keyword/silver-standard" hreflang="en">silver standard</a></div> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links--inline.html.twig * links--node.html.twig * links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/navigation/links--inline.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap_barrio/templates/navigation/links--inline.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-references-html--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-references-html.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-references-html.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-references-html field--type-text-long field--label-above" id="id-field-references-html"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-references-html">References</div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-references-html"><p>David R. Berman, <em>Radicalism in the Mountain West, 1890–1920: Socialists, Populists, Miners, and Wobblies</em> (Boulder: University Press of Colorado, 2007).</p> <p>David Brundage, <em>The Making of Western Labor Radicalism: Denver’s Organized Workers, 1878–1905</em> (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1994).</p> <p>David B. Griffiths, <em>Populism in the Western United States, 1890–1900</em>, vol. 1 (New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 1992).</p> <p>Robert W. Larson, <em>Populism in the Mountain West</em> (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1986).</p> <p>Carl Ubbelohde, Maxine Benson, and Duane A. Smith, <em>A Colorado History</em>, 9th ed. (Boulder: Pruett Publishing Company, 2006).</p> <p>James Edward Wright, <em>The Politics of Populism: Dissent in Colorado</em> (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1974).</p> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-additional-information-htm--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-additional-information-htm.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-additional-information-htm.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-additional-information-htm field--type-text-long field--label-above" id="id-field-additional-information-htm"> <div class="field__label" id="id-field-additional-information-htm">Additional Information</div> <div class="field__item" id="id-field-additional-information-htm"><p>Thomas C. Donnelly, ed., <em>Rocky Mountain Politics</em> (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1940).</p> <p>Leon Fink, <em>Workingmen’s Democracy: The Knights of Labor and American Democracy</em> (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1983).</p> <p>David B. Griffiths, <em>Populism in the Western United States, 1890–1900</em>, vol. 2 (New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 1992).</p> <p>Norman Pollack, ed., <em>The Populist Mind</em> (New York: Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1967).</p> <p>Charles Postel, <em>The Populist Vision</em> (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007).</p> </div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-4th-grade--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-4th-grade.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-4th-grade.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-4th-grade field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item" id="id-field-4th-grade"><p>Populism was a third-party political movement of the 1890s. The Populist, or People’s Party, was strong in the south, Midwest, and west. It focused on farmers and workers who felt changes to the economy were making it hard to survive.</p> <h2>Politics in Colorado</h2> <p>Colorado was one of the few places where the state Populist Party won an election. The state was still new in the 1890s. Traditional national parties were not fully established. People also knew their elected officials well. Electors identified more with personal ties than party loyalties. These conditions allowed a third party to come to power.</p> <p>Silver also helped populism in Colorado. In 1873, the US government established the gold standard. That meant the government no longer minted silver currency. At the same time, Colorado was about to have a massive silver boom. The value of silver mined in the state surpassed that of gold in 1874. Mine owners were forced to find other markets for their silver. Miners were angry the federal government rejected silver. This made them open to populist ideas.</p> <p>From 1876 to 1890, Republicans won five governor's races. Democrats won twice. Republicans kept control of one or both houses of the legislature.</p> <p>Working-class Coloradans didn't see much difference between the two parties. Both seemed more concerned with attracting investment than addressing their concerns. Investment in mines largely came from eastern cities. This bred resentment. Coloradans wanted profits earned in Colorado to stay in the state.</p> <p>This resentment brought about several third-party movements. Many of these independent parties drew their strength from working people. Two such groups were the Knights of Labor and the Farmers’ Alliance. In the summer of 1890, these two groups joined to form the Independent Party. The party called for government ownership of railroads, telegraphs, and reservoirs. The Independent Party’s candidate received only 6 percent of the vote in that year’s governor's race. However, supporters remained hopeful. In September 1891, they reorganized as the People’s Party. Populism had arrived in Colorado.</p> <h2>Election of 1892</h2> <p>Colorado’s Populists won their first major victory in 1892. Pro-labor candidate Davis Hanson Waite won the race with 47 percent of the vote. Waite’s victory was the biggest the Populists had achieved in the nation.</p> <h2>Populism in Power</h2> <p>The Panic of 1893 affected Colorado’s mining industry. The price of silver dropped from over one dollar per ounce in 1890 to sixty-three cents per ounce in 1894. Almost half the mines in Colorado closed. By July 1893, some 2,000 of Aspen’s 2,200 mine workers had lost their jobs. Railroad traffic and steel output also declined. Banks across the state began to close. Twelve banks in Denver alone went under between July 17 and July 19.</p> <p>The Populists struggled to respond to the economic collapse. However, they did have some successes. Their greatest achievement was the passage of equal suffrage. On November 7, 1893, a Populist-supported referendum gave women the vote.</p> <p>After Waite's troubled term as governor, the 1894 election returned the Republicans to power.</p> <h2>Election of 1896</h2> <p>In 1896, tensions within Colorado’s People’s Party grew. Waite worried about the influence of non-Populist silver advocates. He thought of silver as an election tactic. Once in power, Populists could pass a reform agenda. However, others worried they would scare off prosilver allies with a radical agenda. Increasingly, the Populists trumpeted free silver as their major goal.</p> <h2>Decline and Legacy</h2> <p>The Populist challenge ended in 1902. Even though Populism waned, Colorado’s labor movement intensified. Demands for an eight-hour workday increased.</p> <p>Nationally, the Progressive movement adopted many of the Populists’ reforms. The movement extended the vote to women in 1920. It laid the groundwork for greater federal involvement in industrial and financial sectors.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-8th-grade--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-8th-grade.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-8th-grade.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-8th-grade field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item" id="id-field-8th-grade"><p>Populism was a third-party political movement of the 1890s. The Populist, or People’s Party, was strong in the south, Midwest, and west. It focused on farmers and workers who felt changes to the economy were making it hard to survive. In the west, miners agreed with farmers. In 1892, they met in Omaha, Nebraska to create the Populist Party.</p> <p>The People’s Party held the Colorado governorship for one term from 1893–95. The Populism movement had dissolved by 1900. The movement enabled working people to challenge the two-party system.</p> <h2>Politics in Colorado</h2> <p>Colorado was one of the few places where the state Populist Party won an election. Political conditions in Colorado were unique. The state was still new in the 1890s. Traditional national parties were not fully established. People also knew their elected officials well. Electors identified more with personal ties than party loyalties. These conditions allowed a third party to come to power.</p> <p>Silver also helped populism in Colorado. In 1873, the US government established the gold standard. That meant the government no longer minted silver currency. At the same time, Colorado was about to have a massive silver boom. The value of silver mined in the state surpassed that of gold in 1874. Mine owners were forced to find other markets for their silver. Miners were angry the federal government rejected silver. This made them open to populist ideas.</p> <p>Other economic trends also contributed to the rise of populism in Colorado. By the 1880s, mining in the state required large amounts of investment capital. As a result, many of Colorado’s miners worked for large operations owned by big companies. This went against the ideas of independence and self-sufficiency that drove Americans west.</p> <p>From 1876 to 1890, Republicans won five governor's races. Democrats won twice. Republicans kept control of one or both houses of the legislature.</p> <p>Working-class Coloradans didn't see much difference between the two major parties. Both seemed more concerned with attracting investment than addressing the concerns of Coloradans. Investment in mines largely came from eastern cities. These out-of-state investments bred resentment. Coloradans wanted profits earned in Colorado to stay in the state.</p> <p>This resentment brought about several third-party movements. Greenback, Greenback-Labor, Prohibition, and Union-Labor Parties were all active alternatives in the 1880s.</p> <p>Many of these independent parties drew their strength from working people. Two such groups were the Knights of Labor and the Farmers’ Alliance. In the summer of 1890, these two groups joined to form the Independent Party. The party called for government ownership of railroads, telegraphs, ditches, and reservoirs. The Independent Party’s candidate received only 6 percent of the vote in that year’s governor's race. However, supporters remained hopeful. In September 1891, they reorganized as the People’s Party. Populism had arrived in Colorado.</p> <h2>Election of 1892</h2> <p>Colorado’s Populists won their first major victory in 1892. Pro-labor candidate Davis Hanson Waite won the race with 47 percent of the vote. Waite’s victory was the biggest the Populists had achieved in the nation.</p> <p>Populists wanted to reform Colorado’s existing political system. The proposals included the secret ballot, the referendum, and the recall.</p> <p>The Populists’ platform in Colorado focused the free coinage of silver. Both the Democrats and the Republicans refused to restore silver as legal tender. Because silver mining was so important to the Colorado economy, prosilver factions emerged within each. These prosilver allies were instrumental in Waite's victory.</p> <p>The editor of the Rocky Mountain News was Thomas M. Patterson. Patterson called on the Democratic Party’s silverites to vote for Waite. Waite won almost all of the northern and central mining counties. He also won the ten counties ranking highest in silver production.</p> <h2>Populism in Power</h2> <p>With the help of the Silver Democrats, the People’s Party controlled the state Senate. The GOP controlled the House. However, Waite’s headstrong manner wore thin. He had trouble coordinating the alliance with the Silver Democrats. Tensions between his own party’s farming and mining factions hurt his efforts to pass legislation.</p> <p>The Panic of 1893 posed an even more serious threat to Waite. The recession affected Colorado’s mining industry. In June 1893, Great Britain closed India's mints to silver coinage. The price of silver dropped from over one dollar per ounce in 1890 to sixty-three cents per ounce in 1894. Almost half the mines in Colorado closed. By July 1893, some 2,000 of Aspen’s 2,200 mine workers had lost their jobs. Railroad traffic and steel output also declined. Banks across the state began to close. Twelve banks in Denver alone went under between July 17 and July 19.</p> <p>The Populists struggled to respond to the economic collapse. However, they did have some political successes. They passed legislation mandating a maximum eight-hour workday for government employees. Their greatest achievement was the passage of equal suffrage. On November 7, 1893, a Populist-supported referendum gave the vote to women.</p> <p>After Waite's troubled term as governor, the 1894 election returned the Republicans to power.</p> <h2>Election of 1896</h2> <p>Leading up to the presidential election of 1896, tensions within Colorado’s People’s Party grew. Waite worried about the influence of non-Populist silver advocates within the party. Waite and his allies thought of silver as an electoral tactic. From there, they could enforce a broader reform agenda once in power. However, most Populists worried they would scare off prosilver allies with a radical agenda. To avoid the creation of a silver party, the Populists trumpeted free silver as their major goal.</p> <h2>Decline and Legacy</h2> <p>The People’s Party continued to run candidates in Colorado through the turn of the century. The issue of free coinage of silver brought many of Colorado’s Populists into the Democratic fold in 1896. Without the support of the Democrats, the Populist challenge ended in 1902. Even though Populism waned, Colorado’s labor movement intensified. Demands for an eight-hour workday increased.</p> <p>Democrats became the majority party in Colorado for twenty years following Waite’s defeat in 1894.</p> <p>At the national level, the Progressive movement of the early twentieth century adopted many of the Populists’ demands for reform. The movement extended the vote to women in 1920. It also laid the groundwork for greater federal involvement in the nation’s industrial and financial sectors.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-10th-grade--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--node--field-10th-grade.html.twig x field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig * field--field-10th-grade.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-10th-grade field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item" id="id-field-10th-grade"><p>Populism was a third-party political movement of the 1890s. The Populist, or People’s Party, was strong in the south, Midwest, and west. It focused on the grievances of farmers and workers. These people felt that changes to the United States' economy were making it difficult to make ends meet. In the west, miners agreed with farmers. In 1892, they met in Omaha, Nebraska to create the Populist Party.</p> <p>The People’s Party held the Colorado governorship for one term from 1893–95. The Populism movement had dissolved by 1900. Although short lived, the movement enabled working people to challenge the two-party political order. In the following decades, state and federal governments would institute Populist proposals, including women’s suffrage and the secret ballot.</p> <h2>Politics in Colorado</h2> <p>Colorado was one of the few places where the state Populist Party won an election. Political conditions in Colorado were unique. Since the state was still new in the 1890s, the traditional national parties were not fully established. People also knew their elected officials well. Electors identified more with personal relationships than party loyalties. These conditions allowed a third party to come to power.</p> <p>Silver also helped populism in Colorado. In 1873, the US government established the gold standard. That meant the government no longer minted silver currency. At the same time, Colorado was on the cusp of a massive silver boom. The value of silver mined in the state surpassed that of gold in 1874. Mine owners were forced to find other markets for their silver. Miners and mine owners were angry at the federal government’s rejection of the silver industry, making them prone to populist ideas.</p> <p>Other economic trends also contributed to the rise of populism in Colorado. By the 1880s, mining in the state required large amounts of investment capital. As a result, many of Colorado’s miners worked for large operations owned by big companies. This went against the myths of independence and self-sufficiency that had propelled Americans west.</p> <p>From 1876 to 1890, Republicans won five gubernatorial elections. Democrats won twice. Even then, Republicans maintained control of one or both houses of the legislature.</p> <p>During the 1880s, working-class Coloradans complained that there was little difference between the platforms, goals, or attitudes of the two major parties. Both Democrats and Republicans seemed more concerned with attracting investment than addressing the concerns of Coloradans. Investment in mines largely came from eastern cities. British capitalists often owned Colorado’s irrigation and cattle corporations. These out-of-state investments bred resentment among Coloradans who wanted profits earned in Colorado to stay in the state.</p> <p>Political dissatisfaction sowed the seeds for several third-party movements in late nineteenth-century Colorado. Greenback, Greenback-Labor, Prohibition, and Union-Labor Parties were all active alternatives in the 1880s.</p> <p>Many of these independent parties drew their strength from groups of working people, such as the Knights of Labor, an organization for industrial workers, and the Farmers’ Alliance. In the summer of 1890, these two groups joined together to form the Independent Party. The party called for government ownership of railroads, telegraphs, ditches, and reservoirs. They also wanted a prohibition on foreign ownership of Colorado land. Although the Independent Party’s candidate received only 6 percent of the vote in that year’s governor's race, supporters remained hopeful. In September 1891, they reorganized as the People’s Party. Populism had arrived in Colorado.</p> <h2>Election of 1892</h2> <p>Colorado’s Populists won their first major victory in 1892. Pro-labor candidate Davis Hanson Waite won a three-way governor’s race with 47 percent of the vote. Waite’s victory was the biggest the Populists had achieved in the nation.</p> <p>Populism was fueled by a shift toward corporate consolidation across many industries, but especially in mining, during the late 1880s and early 1890s. The Populists led a coalition of prohibitionists, urban reformers, and labor leaders into the election of 1892. They touted their proposals to reform Colorado’s existing political system. The proposals included the secret ballot, the referendum, and the recall.</p> <p>The Populists’ platform in Colorado focused the free coinage of silver. Both the Democrats and the Republicans refused to restore silver to the status of legal tender. Because silver mining was so important to the Colorado economy, this decision placed state leaders of both major parties in an awkward position. Prosilver factions emerged within each. These prosilver allies proved instrumental in the victory of Populist candidate Davis Waite.</p> <p>The influential editor of the Rocky Mountain News, Thomas M. Patterson, called on the Democratic Party’s silverites to vote for Waite. As a result, Waite carried almost all of the northern and central mining counties. He also won the ten counties ranking highest in silver production.</p> <h2>Populism in Power</h2> <p>With the help of the Silver Democrats, the People’s Party controlled the state Senate. The GOP continued to dominate the House. However, Waite’s headstrong manner soon wore thin. He had difficulty coordinating the alliance with the Silver Democrats. Tensions between his own party’s farming and mining factions hurt his efforts to pass legislation.</p> <p>The Panic of 1893 posed an even more serious threats to Waite. The recession affected Colorado’s mining and smelting industries. In June 1893, Great Britain closed India's mints to silver coinage. This shut off the last subsidized market for American silver. The price of silver dropped from over one dollar per ounce in 1890 to sixty-three cents per ounce in 1894. Almost half the mines in Colorado closed. By July 1893, some 2,000 of Aspen’s 2,200 mine workers had lost their jobs. Railroad traffic and steel output also declined, and banks across the state began to close. Twelve banks in Denver alone went under between July 17 and July 19.</p> <p>The Populists struggled to respond to the economic collapse, but did have some political successes. They passed legislation mandating a maximum eight-hour workday for government employees. However, their greatest achievement was the passage of equal suffrage. On November 7, 1893, a Populist-supported referendum extended the vote to women.</p> <p>Waite’s troubled term as governor gave his political enemies plenty of ammunition in the 1894 election, which returned the Republicans to power.</p> <h2>Election of 1896</h2> <p>Leading up to the presidential election of 1896, tensions within Colorado’s People’s Party grew. Waite worried about the growing influence of non-Populist silver advocates within the party. Waite and his allies thought of silver as an electoral tactic from which they could enforce a broader reform agenda once in power. Most Populists, however, were worried that they would scare off prosilver allies from the major parties if they pursued too radical an agenda. To avoid the formation of an independent silver party, the Populists trumpeted free silver as their major and sometimes only goal.</p> <p>Running as an independent Populist candidate, Waite got less than 2 percent of the vote. Alva Adams won the governorship.</p> <h2>Decline and Legacy</h2> <p>The People’s Party continued to fruitlessly run candidates in Colorado through the turn of the century. The issue of free coinage of silver brought many of Colorado’s Populists into the Democratic fold in 1896. Without the support of the Democrats, the Populist challenge ended in 1902.</p> <p>Even though Populism waned, Colorado’s labor movement intensified. Demands for an eight-hour workday; the referendum; and the nationalization of telephones, telegraphs, railroads, and mines all increased.</p> <p>Democrats became the majority party in Colorado for twenty years following Waite’s defeat in 1894. They grew more responsive to labor’s needs. Democrats were more willing to take an active stance toward economic regulation.</p> <p>At the national level, the Progressive movement of the early twentieth century adopted many of the Populists’ demands for political reform. The movement extended the vote to women in 1920 and laid the groundwork for greater federal involvement in the nation’s industrial and financial sectors.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/encyclopedia/templates/field/field--node--encyclopedia-article.html.twig' --> Tue, 31 Jan 2017 19:51:28 +0000 yongli 2255 at http://coloradoencyclopedia.org