This week at In The Past Lane, the history podcast, It’s our annual St Patrick’s Day episode. In this episode, we explore the stories of two Irish Americans very few people remember, but who in their day were quite famous. One is William Joyce, who was known during World War II as Lord Haw Haw. He … [Read more...]
Episode 056 Two Strange Tales of Irish America: Lord Haw Haw and Bridey Murphy
Episode 045 Thanksgiving and the Great Epidemic of 1616
This week at ITPL, the American history podcast, we examine the history behind the first Thanksgiving in 1621. In particular, we look at a little-known event that preceded the arrival of the Pilgrims in Massachusetts. It was an epidemic that raged across southern New England for four years, … [Read more...]
Episode 013 Why We Pledge Allegiance, Betsy Ross, & More
This week, in honor of the 100th anniversary of Flag Day, we take a look at several intriguing flag-related stories. Here’s the lineup: Why Do We Pledge Allegiance? Here’s the little-known story behind this revered American ritual and the fears that inspired it. Did you know the Pledge was … [Read more...]
Episode 012 The History of Gay Liberation in US History
June is Pride Month in the US, so in this episode we examine the history of the gay rights struggle. Here's the lineup: 1) a short piece on the notion of "hidden history." 2) an interview with Andrew Berman, Executive Director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historical Preservation, an … [Read more...]
When Americans Saw Irish Immigrants as Terrorists
[NOTE - this piece accompanies a similar feature in my podcast, In The Past Lane https://inthepastlane.com/podcast-episode-007-irish-terrorists-spies-and-more/] In case you haven’t noticed, there’s lots of talk about immigration and terrorism these days. Specifically, many Americans are worried … [Read more...]