“White Christmas,” the song that first topped the charts in early December 1942, was a war song? It’s true—not in its lyrics of days that are “merry and bright,” of course, but in terms of the context that launched it to an exalted status in the annals of pop music history. In fact, the connection … [Read more...]
White Christmas Was A War Song?
Nativism Yesterday and Today – The Case of the Irish
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...]
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...]
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...]
Broadcasting Extremism: The Rise of Fr. Coughlin
InThePastLane.com by Edward T. O'Donnell On October 5, 1930, Fr. Charles E. Coughlin delivered his first nationally broadcast radio address. Given the strength of anti-Catholic sentiment still prevalent in the United States, it was an extraordinary moment for Irish … [Read more...]