Along with the Westliche Post and Anzeiger des Westens, both of St. Louis, it was one of the three most successful German-language newspapers in the United States Midwest,[2] and described as "the leading Republican paper of the Northwest", alongside the Chicago Tribune.

Hesing's independent political venture would fall into disrepute within a few years and the Staats-Zeitung returned to the Republican ranks.

[18] Necessary lead type for producing a German-language paper proved impossible to obtain on short notice, and as a temporary measure, production was moved briefly to the German enclave of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

[18] After a mere 20 days, production returned to a new press in a new facility in Chicago, the city in which the paper would remain for the rest of its existence, with an expansion of physical size following one month later.

[18] A new permanent home for the paper was finally located about one mile away from the Chicago city center, in a new multistory structure built at the corner of Washington Street and Fifth Avenue.

[18] Historically Republican, the newspaper endorsed Democratic candidate Samuel J. Tilden in the 1876 United States presidential election.

In 1899, the majority stockholders of the paper created a new board of directors and ousted long-time treasurer Charles Francis Pietsch.

Editor Arthur Lorenz was reportedly "unrestrained" in his support for the Germans, and the paper lost a great deal of advertising and funding as a result.

"[22] In 1921, the paper was sold for $25,000 and Colonel John Clinnin, assistant United States district attorney, recommended deportation proceedings for Lorenz.

[26] Upon his appointment as postmaster of Chicago in 1893, Washington Hesing was replaced by notable Illinois Republican Joseph Brucker as managing editor of the paper.

[27] Other notable members of the staff of and contributors to the Staats-Zeitung were Adolf Wiesner (who served in an editorial position from 1866 to 1867), Caspar Butz, Emil Dietzsch, August Boecklin, Henry E.O.