It's the Independence Day weekend edition of In The Past Lane! Happy July 4th to all! This week, we take a close look at the document at the heart of the July 4th celebration -- the Declaration of Independence. There's a lot more to this patriotic piece of parchment than you might think. Episode … [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...]
Episode 009 Taxes and Tax Revolts in US History and More
This week at In The Past Lane, in honor (if that's the right word) of Tax Day, we take a close look at the history of the fraught relationship between Americans and their taxes. This episode features three segments: 1) an interview with historian William Hogeland about his terrific book on one … [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...]