Reasons to reconnect with our past
New York celebrates Women’s History Month (March), Black History Month (February) and Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) each year. But most New Yorkers would be surprised to learn that October is defined in state law as New York State History Month. “The purpose of this month,” says the law, “shall be to celebrate the history of New York state and recognize the contributions of state and local historians.”
State History Month passes every year without much notice from official New York. The governor does not issue a proclamation, the Legislature does not pass a resolution, and editorial writers rarely write about it. That’s indicative of New York’s inclination to ignore or downplay its own history. New Yorkers have always seemed too busy making history to slow down and study it.
But there are at least four reasons why we should commemorate New York State History Month and give more
attention to our history.
History is our common heritage.
New York today is the product of history. Our state’s history is something all New Yorkers have in common, so studying it can help us identify as New Yorkers and bring us together at a time when we seem divided along political and cultural lines. History shows what New York has done right over the years, how we have progressed, and also where we have fallen short.
History is a source of wisdom and guidance.
As the adage goes: “History does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” Many of the issues we face today — government regulation, individual rights, immigration, environment, political corruption and issues related to race and gender — are all things New Yorkers have wrestled with in history. Studying the origins, precedents and parallels will provide insights into how to shape a better common future. For example:
• A court has recently ruled that New York’s new ethics law is unconstitutional. That should not surprise us. Ethics reform initiatives began with Gov. Charles Evans Hughes in 1907. Just about every governor since then has proposed his or her own ethical guidelines, rules or commission. Each one seems to work for a while and then is upended by public indifference, political domination of the ethics boards, evolving forms of political corruption or court decisions.
• Our state is struggling with an influx of thousands of new immigrants. But New York has long been the entry point for the majority of immigrants; over a million people came through Ellis Island in 1907. Studying how New York coped over the years would provide insights into how to deal with the present crisis.
• There are calls from many sources for various types of social justice and economic reform. New York has always been at the forefront there: for example, on women’s rights (dating from the Seneca Falls women’s rights convention in 1848), civil rights (our first civil rights law was enacted in 1873) and environmental protection (dating from Gov. Theodore Roosevelt’s 1899 executive order mandating abatement of pollution in Kayaderosseras Creek in Saratoga County).
History is an educational resource.
New York history gets scant coverage in our schools. Students graduate with little knowledge of the history of their own state. State History Month might be an opportune time to begin redressing that. The State History Month law provides that “the commissioner of education, through the office of state history, is hereby authorized to undertake projects to recognize New York state history month. Such projects may include the creation of an essay contest for state residents who are enrolled in any elementary or secondary education program which shall reflect upon the importance of New York state history.” That would be a good start toward broadening the coverage of state and local history in our schools, and could enable
students to connect with history in a direct, immediate way.
History inspires us. State history can be enjoyable and entertaining as well as educational. The best history books and museums draw on the resources of place, context and local memories to help stories and events come alive and resonate with meaning, despite the gap in years.
From Sackets Harbor to Cooperstown, the Capitol to Harriet Tubman’s house, the Erie Canal to the Stonewall Inn, history is all around us here in New York. October is a great time to engage with and explore it.