In addition to Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Day, Iowans have another reason to celebrate during the last week of the year. On December 28, 1846, President James K. Polk signed a bill admitting Iowa into the Union.

This year, Iowa will celebrate its 178th birthday. Let’s take a look back at when Iowa became the 29th state.

Iowa has always been a free state. On March 3, 1845, Congress passed legislation to allow for the admission of the Territories of Florida and Iowa into the Union. The carefully crafted bill kept intact the political arrangement at the time to keep the number of free and slave states the same. Eventually, the political cauldron between free and slave states boiled over into the Civil War.

History confirms the institution of slavery was contrary to a republic founded upon “self-evident” truths that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

From the Revolutionary War through the 21st century, Americans have sought to form a more perfect Union. And we’ve got the growing pains to prove it.

During my annual 99 county meetings, I’m often asked about political division. The media commonly refer to “Red” and “Blue” states, ostensibly divided by political, social and regional ideologies. History shows us heated divisions have splintered public opinion since the earliest days of our nation’s founding, in times of war, economic crises and, most recently, the pandemic.

Most notably, the institution of slavery divided the North and the South, leading to the Civil War and assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. The Civil War was the greatest loss of American lives on the battlefield, with more than 650,000 military fatalities – more than all major American wars combined. Iowa had the highest per capita number of soldiers in the Civil War. Nearly 80,000 freedom-loving Iowans enlisted in the Union army, with 13,000 fatalities.

Iowa’s earliest settlers participated in the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes to help enslaved people escape to freedom. The southern half of our state has a rich history in the perilous path to freedom, including “stations” in Fremont, Mills, Cass, Adair, Dallas, Polk and eastward to the Mississippi River. Keep in mind, federal law made it a crime to help “passengers” on the Underground Railroad, punishable by fine or imprisonment.

Even so, the anti-slavery movement gained steam across the state. Abolitionists and Free Soilers joined forces with Quakers and Congregationalists to let freedom ring. The publisher of the “Hamilton Freeman” – predecessor to today’s “Webster City Daily Freeman” – named the newspaper to signify his opposition to slavery. Its first issue was published in 1857 and temporarily suspended when the publisher enlisted in the Union Army.

Congress authorized the National Park Service in 1998 to research the Underground Railroad. The State Historical Society of Iowa conducted research when the Iowa Freedom Trail Project began in 2002 to document places and people who helped fugitive slaves.

So far, the National Park Service lists 26 sites across Iowa, and updates the national list twice yearly. Some sites are open to the public, including The Todd House in Fremont County; George B. Hitchcock house in Cass County; Jordan House in West Des Moines; Shattering Silence Monument in Des Moines; and Lewelling-Gibbs House in Henry County.

I encourage Iowans to visit these historic sites with your kids and grandkids. I often say we must learn from history or risk repeating mistakes of the past. In fact, communities across the country are in the crosshairs of a 21st century human trafficking crisis.

As Iowa’s senior U.S. Senator, I’ve led efforts to combat these horrendous crimes against humanity by helping to raise public awareness, improve resources and secure justice for survivors. Most recently, I’ve focused my oversight work on protecting unaccompanied migrant children from criminal exploitation, prompted by concerns I was hearing from Iowans.

Throughout our state’s history, Iowans have continued beating the drum for freedom and civic engagement, from the abolitionist movement to desegregation and women’s suffrage. The Great Seal of Iowa is a testimonial for the ages: “Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.”

As we celebrate Iowa’s 178 years of statehood, let’s remember the sacrifices and grit of the earliest settlers and the resilience of those who strengthen our communities today. Looking ahead to the New Year, let’s recommit ourselves to America’s promise of freedom and prosperity for generations to come.

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Charles Grassley, a Republican from New Hartford,

represents Iowa in the U.S. Senate.