There’s an old expression out there…
Those Who Do Not Learn History Are Doomed To Repeat It.
Apparently, historians trace this familiar quote back to the writer, philosopher, and Harvard professor of the early 1900’s – George Santayana. And in its original form, apparently Santayana wrote it, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
Hmm. As a historian who spends a great deal of time researching Our Iowa Heritage, I’ve been impressed at times, when I’ve come across a story or two from our past that shows me that our society has done a pretty good job of identifying our past mistakes and has put in the hard work of doing better in the present. A personal example, is how I’ve come to the aha revelation that, for most of my 70-plus years, I’ve been, as an old white guy, fairly unaware of the ugly, and downright disgusting, things my white ancestors did to our Native American neighbors here in Iowa, as we, in the name of Manifest Destiny, took their land as if it belonged exclusively to us.
Now, I can’t change history, nor am I called to go around feeling guilty for the sins of others, but, as I see it, I can – now that I’m aware of these past injustices – do my part in helping my generation not repeat similar injustices, or as Santayana pointed out – if I fail to learn from past mistakes, I’m most likely doomed to repeat them.
Which brings me back, now, to this present moment, and from my perspective, a not-so-pleasant example where a portion of today’s American society is failing to learn from our past. And know, that I’m not bringing this post forward to condemn one specific group of Americans, but my hope is that by pointing out some hypocrisy, we might all learn a good lesson from the past – thus, hopefully, reducing our chances of screwing-up the future! So, here we go…
Today, there’s a political firestorm surrounding the idea of “being woke”. Here’s just one example that might best illustrate my point. In November 2022, Florida’s Republican governor gave a fiery political speech, declaring – “(We) will never surrender to the woke mob … Florida is where woke goes to die.”
Wikipedia says that “woke” is an adjective derived from African-American Vernacular English, meaning… Alert to racial prejudice and discrimination.
As a historian, I find it painfully hilarious that among American conservatives today, the phrase “being woke” has come to be used as an insult, with members of the Republican Party increasingly using the term to criticize members of the opposition party. The reason I smile, you ask?
Many don’t realize that the Republican Party – when birthed just prior to the 1860 National Election – came into existence because thousands of young Americans had grown tired and weary of a political system that failed to recognize Thomas Jefferson’s words found in the Declaration of Independence:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.“
Many in the North were fed up with a political system that refused to stand up for those in our midst who were enslaved – treating them as property instead of human beings. You see, in the late 1850’s, the political system across America was failing to address a very sad truth. Here in Iowa, for example, while we were, technically, a “free state”, there were still many in both the Democrat and Whig Parties who either supported the practice of holding slaves, or simply believed it best, politically, to ignore the subject.
But wait!
Across the nation, there arose a radical Voice of Truth. Young people began joining together, hearing the cry of freedom for all. In cities all across the United States, these radicals began forming local political organizations that stood up for those who had no voice. Their name?
The Wide Awakes.
Yes, you heard it correctly. These radicals called themselves the Wide Awakes, and the brand-new political party – called The Republican Party – was birthed in Pittsburgh in 1856, calling for all Americans to awaken to the tyranny of slavery. By 1860, when this new party gathered in Chicago for their first National Convention, many of the party leaders were members of the Wide Awakes, and it was in this “woke” condition, they nominated a young statesman from Illinois to be their choice to become the 16th President of the United States. I’m guessing you might recognize the name…
Read more here about the Wide Awakes in Iowa.
In Indiana, one historian reported: “1860 was the most colorful in the memory of the Hoosier electorate. ‘Speeches, day and night, torch-light processions, and all kinds of noise and confusion are the go, with all parties,’ commented the independent Indianapolis Locomotive. Congressman Julian too was impressed by the ‘contrivance and spectacular display’ which prevailed in the current canvass. Each party took unusual pains to mobilize its followers in disciplined political clubs, but the most remarkable of these were the Lincoln ‘Rail Maulers’ and ‘Wide Awakes,’ whose organizations extended throughout the state. Clad in gaudy uniforms the members of these quasi-military bands participated in all Republican demonstrations. The “Wide Awakes” in particular were well drilled and served as political police in escorting party speakers and in preserving order at public meetings. Party emulation made every political rally the occasion for carefully arranged parades through banner-bedecked streets, torchlight processions, elaborate floats and transparencies, blaring bands, and fireworks.”
Read more about one of Iowa City’s most vocal abolitionists – William Penn Clarke.
Once nominated, the Lincoln Campaign took the fire found in these Wide Awake groups, and turned it into a national push that literally changed the course of America! By the middle of the 1860 campaign, Republicans bragged that they had Wide Awake chapters in every county of every northern (free) state, and on the day of Lincoln’s election as President, Wide Awakes had grown to 500,000 members, with the group remaining active for several decades!
Isn’t it intriguing that today’s Republican Party has taken, basically, the same language that helped form their party in 1860, and its leaders now treat it as derogatory? Hmm. Do we understand the historical significance? What do we need to learn here?
History shows us that during these turbulent times of the 1850’s and 60’s, men and women from both existing parties – Democrat & Whig – left their political power behind in order to stand with those Truths they found to be self evident. Here in Iowa, for example, our first Territorial governor – Robert Lucas, a long-time Democrat – left his party to stand with what was right. Iowa’s Civil War governor – Samuel Kirkwood – was a long-time Democrat in Ohio before switching parties in order to be the abolitionist his conscience called him to be. So today, where are the Awakes, or as Dr. King called them “the maladjusted” who will stand with those American Truths that are self-evident? Might I suggest that we all awaken to these foundational truths that are supposedly self-evident. And if that means I’m woke – then so be it!
“Now the old men are folding their arms and going to sleep,” said William H. Seward while campaigning for Lincoln, “and the young men are Wide Awake.”
Let that be said of women and men across America today.
Kudos to the amazing resources below for the many quotes, photographs, etc. used on this page.
Woke – definition, Merriam-Webster On-Line Dictionary
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