January is a month of new beginnings and looking forward to a new and brighter future. January is known for the massive changes in American and European culture and history.
The first of the major changes to take place in the new year was the infamous Emancipation Proclamation taking effect on January 1st. After centuries of systemic and brutal oppression, Abraham Lincoln declared that all enslaved persons in states with slavery in effect were now free. This single moment in history was a turning point for all African Americans around the country and was a powerful move for the Union Army at the time to have former slaves fight to free their enslaved brothers and sisters. However, this proclamation wasn’t as freeing as it was proposed as border states were not given the rights to freedom. This also led to a change in perspective of the fighting, as the North now watched as the Union fought to end slavery rather than unite a crumbling Union. The Emancipation Proclamation, while not as large as proposed, paved the way for millions of African Americans to have not just rights, but a voice and strong standing in America today.
As America continues to change socially and culturally today, a seemingly foolish purchase of Alaska from Russia just a century earlier gained a reputation as a place for opportunities. Nicknamed Sewards Folly’s, in reference to William Seward’s support for the purchase, the newly purchased land symbolized America’s interest in turning the most barren and desolate wastelands into a land of opportunity. This would later pay off in the public’s eye due to its high amount of natural resources, including prized metals such as silver and Gold. These sought-after resources lead America to a time of surplus wealth and a more stable economy after many financial shifts during the 1930s and 40s.
On the other side of the world, as America is beginning to regain its footing in the world of greater politics, the Soviet Union has been stomping through Europe, freeing prisoners of war and burning work camps to the ground. The most famous of these camps, Auschwitz, was set ablaze after being liberated by the Red Army’s 93rd forward unit on January 27th, 1945. After almost 15 years of oppression and lies made about the Jewish population in Europe, the symbol of their pain and suffering burns behind them as they march towards friendly towns, far from the bombs, the Nazis, and a hatred hammered into the minds of German citizens. Today, these atrocities are remembered every year as International Holocaust Remembrance Day and have been celebrated for nearly a century this year.
As the new year begins for us, we look back at the many changes that have brought us to where we are today and remember those who lost their freedoms in the process of making a better world. We move forward with the knowledge of past mistakes to make a better future for generations to come.
