It published on many different subjects like agriculture or reports from Lithuanian communities in the United States, but history was the most popular. The foreword of the first issue began with a Latin proverb, "Homines historiarum ignari semper sunt pueri", or "People ignoring history remain children forever". They built upon the works of Simonas Daukantas, the first historian, who wrote history of Lithuania in Lithuanian and painted an idealized image of the mighty Grand Duchy of Lithuania. "Aušra" was critical regarding the forceful Polonisation executed by the Polish clergy and Tsarist Russification. One of the main aims of "Aušra" editors was to gain the usage rights to Lithuanian language and to revive its prestige.