Today In History Spotlights Jan. 1, 1863, President Lincoln Signs the Emancipation Proclamation

Today’s History Spotlight

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President Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation. Though Lincoln’s original goal at the outset of the Civil War was the preservation of the union, he soon saw the complete abolition of slavery as a means of achieving that goal. As the war’s early years progressed, he began to envision a new birth of freedom for the country.

Lincoln would turn the tide of the war to not just restoration of the union, but freedom for African-American slaves. Though the proclamation did not take immediate effect, as it only pertained to slavery in Confederate states, the document paved the way for the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which Lincoln pushed for as the war neared its end.

What Happened On This Day – January 1

1999 The Euro becomes the official currency in 11 countries. While the Euro was already valid for bank transfers, notes and coins were introduced on January 1, 2002.
1993 Czechoslovakia is dissolved. The country was peacefully divided into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.
1992 Russia is formed. The formation of the Russian Federation followed the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
1958 The European Economic Community is founded. The EEC was a predecessor of today’s European Union (EU)
1912 Republic of China is founded. It was succeeded by the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

Births On This Day – January 1

1977 Bobby Roode – Canadian wrestler
1895 J. Edgar Hoover – American 1st Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
1864 Alfred Stieglitz – American photographer
1863 Pierre de Coubertin – French historian, educator, founded the International Olympic Committee
1735 Paul Revere – American military officer

Deaths On This Day – January 1

1997 Townes Van Zandt – American singer-songwriter, guitarist
1958 Edward Weston – American photographer
1953 Hank Williams – American singer-songwriter, guitarist
1894 Heinrich Hertz – German physicist
1782 Johann Christian Bach – German composer

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Garrett Smith

Garrett Smith is a writer for NRN and recent graduate from Western Carolina University. He is a history major with a minor in political science. As a Conservative, Smith believes that the Left has taken over America's education system, which means they now control its history. To make their fellow Americans feel guilty, they often invoke a feeling of "American Shame" in students, indoctrinating them with radical, un-American ideas. It is Smith's goal to teach Americans the true history of America, and along with this, use its history to explain what makes us great.