People who rail against immigrants and minorities these days would do well to study up on their American history. Take for example the case of the Irish. Today the descendants of Irish immigrants constitute one of the most prosperous (second only to Jewish Americans) and powerful ethnic groups in … [Read more...]
Nativism Yesterday and Today – The Case of the Irish
The Original Demon Weed: The Great Anti-Cigarette Crusade
InThePastLane by Edward T. O’Donnell In recent years voters in many states have approved laws legalizing the recreational marijuana use (and that several other states approved medical marijuana use) has prompted much speculation that marijuana may some day enjoy the legal … [Read more...]
The Myth of the Great Blackout of 1965 Baby Boom
The Great Blackout of 1965 While the power outages in the NY-NJ region caused by hurricane Sandy made life difficult for millions, a far larger blackout in November 1965 plunged some 30 million Americans across eight states into darkness. In New York City 800,000 people were trapped during the … [Read more...]
What Have We Got to Hide? The Origins of Secret Balloting in America
This month, when Americans head to the polls to elect men and women to public offices, they will cast their ballots in secret, beyond the watchful eyes of their fellow citizens. Few Americans would have it any other way. We are accustomed to think of voting as a very private matter, akin to a visit … [Read more...]
Iconic Image – Ford to City: Drop Dead (Oct 30, 1975)
In an unfortunate coincidence, given the beating NY took from Hurricane Sandy and the need for federal disaster assistance, today is the anniversary (October 30, 1975) of the infamous NY Daily News headline, FORD TO CITY: Drop Dead. It appeared when New York (and several other major metropolises) … [Read more...]
Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion – And The Election That Got Away
In late October 1884 Republican candidate James G. Blaine seemed all but certain to win the presidency. With the election only one week away, he was campaigning in New York City, wooing the vital Irish Catholic vote to secure New York State and its many electoral votes. Everything was going his … [Read more...]
The Erie Canal — The Original Economic Stimulous Plan
InThePastLane Edward T. O'Donnell Given the raging debate in contemporary American politics over what role if any the government should play in the economy, it’s always instructive to look to history for some insight. One of the … [Read more...]
How Mosquitoes Helped Win the Battle of Yorktown
Every summer Americans spend millions of dollars to destroy, or at least repel, the pesky mosquito. As a people, we hate mosquitoes. But we might be a little less hostile toward these creatures if we realized the role mosquitoes played in winning the American Revolution. Certainly the … [Read more...]
Iconic Images – Olympics, Mexico City, October 17, 1968
InThePastLane.com by Edward T. O'Donnell Today in History - October 17, 1968 - African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise their hands to make the Black Power salute during the medal awards ceremonies … [Read more...]
Margaret Sanger and the Struggle for Women’s Rights
InThePastLane by Edward T. O’Donnell Americans have spent a lot of time and energy in recent years arguing about birth control. The debate has centered not on the morality of contraception, but rather, in the wake of the … [Read more...]