The year 1863 was a significant one that started off with one major piece of news.

President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, proclaiming that all slaves be forever free.

Lincoln’s signature changed the course of history and finally began righting an age-old wrong.

Now, 150 years later, most of us live life without ever thinking about America’s 1863 New Year’s resolution, a fact of life that was surely part of Lincoln’s long-term goal.

But pausing to remember the past, where we’ve been and how we got here is a good thing occasionally.

Monday night, two local groups joined forces to host a special commemoration of 1863.

The Natchez National Historical Park and the Natchez Association for the Preservation of African American Culture hosted a watch night service at the City Auditorium.

The program honored the tradition Southern African-Americans started on New Year’s Eve 1862 as they waited on midnight — and freedom — to arrive.

Period-appropriate songs and a few history lessons filled the program, and more than 100 locals filled the auditorium seats.

Those involved deserve a thank you for their work and participation, and we all would be well served by remembering the significance of what happened 150 years ago.