Spotlight: Colorado's new state historian Susan Schulten
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University of Denver history professor Susan Schulten says commemorating Colorado's 150th anniversary next year is a chance to revisit the role it played in U.S. history when it became a state 100 years after the country's independence.
The big picture: Schulten, who on Friday takes over as state historian, says it took time for Colorado to be admitted into the Union. Even its precursor, the Territory of Colorado, arrived as a war started ripping the nation apart.
Yes, but: Once it became a state onAug. 1, 1876, its inclusion was immediately consequential, Schulten, who specializes in U.S. history, tells us.
- The state's three electoral votes helped secure a victory for Republican Rutherford B. Hayes in what remains one of the most contentious presidential elections in U.S. history.
What she's saying: "I really think that people want the complicated story, which is not all one about oppression or gloom and not all one about celebration," Schulten tells us about her approach to her new role.
We caught up with Schulten to learn more about her.
⛰️ Her fun Colorado history fact: The streets around the State Capitol are named after Civil War heroes, including Presidents Lincoln and Grant, the latter of whom granted Colorado statehood.
- She says she used to take first-year DU students downtown to show how "the Civil War is marked even out here, way out in the West."
👀 Favorite historic spot in Denver: The Capitol or Cheesman Park
📚 Reading list: "John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs" by Ian Leslie
🏛️ Favorite museum: The Denver Museum of Nature and Science
🎧 On repeat: The Beatles, but especially "A Day in the Life"
📰 Go-to news sources: Denverite, Axios Denver and The New York Times
📺 Streaming: "The Americans" on FX