In The Past Lane - The Podcast About History and Why It Matters
200 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 219 ratingsIn each episode of In The Past Lane, the history podcast, we take up topics in American history and explore them through feature pieces, interviews, book and film reviews, and more. Our guiding philosophy is that history is not just about the past - it's about our world, here and now. History explains why things are the way they are, everything from our economy, religious practices, and foreign policy, to political ideology, family structure, and rates of poverty. Our aim is to be both informative and educational, as well as entertaining and funny. We hope you'll join us for memorable journeys In The Past Lane.
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Episodes
050 Hillbilly Eviction: Big Business and the Making of Appalachian Poverty
January 18, 2018 04:45 - 41 minutes - 37.6 MBThis week at In The Past Lane, the history podcast, we look at the history of one of the more troubled regions in American history, Appalachia. In particular, we’ll examine the backstory to how Appalachia became one of the poorest places in the US, and why it has stayed poor. I’ll speak with historian Steven Stoll about his new book, Ramp Hollow: The Ordeal of Appalachia. Stoll takes us back in time to when immigrants from northern Europe settled the region and developed an agrarian society...
049 Jefferson and Adams: Founders, Foes, and Friends
January 11, 2018 03:58 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBThis week at In The Past Lane, the history podcast, we look at the fractious and imperfect, but also quite revealing relationship between two of the most brilliant Founders, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. The two men came from radically different backgrounds – Adams was the striver from a middle class family in Massachusetts, Jefferson was the entitled one from Virginia. And yet, both became ardent revolutionaries in the 1770s, both served in the Continental Congress, and both were named t...
048 The Southern Vision of a Vast Empire of Slavery
January 02, 2018 03:20 - 41 minutes - 38 MBThis week at In The Past Lane, the history podcast, we look at how in the decades before the Civil War, proslavery southerners dominated US foreign policy and promoted a vision of an ever expanding empire of slavery, both within the US but also throughout the western hemisphere. I’ll speak with historian Matthew Karp about his new book, This Vast Southern Empire: Slaveholders at the Helm of American Foreign Policy. Let’s start with some key background to this period. Between 1820 and 1860...
047 How the War of 1812 Ended the American Revolution
December 17, 2017 23:23 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MBThis week at In The Past Lane, the history podcast, we look at a crucial war in American history that’s often overlooked, the War of 1812. I’ll speak with historian Willard Sterne Randall about his book, Unshackling America: How the War of 1812 Truly Ended the American Revolution. As you’ll hear, he argues that the American Revolution didn’t really end in 1783. Rather, it wasn’t until the US won the War of 1812 that the nation truly gained its independence. That’s because after the US gained...
046 How the US Government Segregated America in the 20th Century
December 05, 2017 04:37 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MBLast week at In The Past Lane, the history podcast, we focused in the Pilgrims in the early 1600s. This week, we jump ahead 4 centuries to the mid 20th century to look at the history behind the unending problem of racial segregation in American society. I’ll speak with scholar Richard Rothstein about his book, The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. As you’ll hear, he lays out in meticulously researched detail, some uncomfortable truths about the his...
045 Thanksgiving and the Great Epidemic of 1616
November 20, 2017 22:36 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBThis 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, beginning in 1616. The disease came from European traders and it devastated the Native American population of southern New England. And as a result, this epidemic helped pave the way for the success of th...
044 The Remaking of America during Reconstruction & the Gilded Age
November 14, 2017 16:35 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MBThis week at ITPL, the American history podcast, we take on the last third of the 19th century, a period known as both Reconstruction and the Gilded Age. As many of you know, the Gilded Age is the period of US history that I specialize in. I know I’m biased, but to me, this is the most fascinating and compelling period in US history. It’s when the United States leaves behind the agrarian republic envisioned by founders like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and plunges headlong into an...
043 The Goat Castle Murder in Jim Crow Mississippi
October 31, 2017 18:54 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBThis week I speak with historian Karen Cox, author of a new book titled: Goat Castle: A True Story of Murder, Race, and the Gothic South. It tells the incredible story of a murder that took place in Natchez, Mississippi in 1932. It’s a captivating tale in its own right, but as you’ll soon hear, the Goat Castle story reveals a great deal about the US in the early years of the Great Depression, everything from mass media and sensationalism, to Jim Crow racism and popular nostalgia for the Old ...
042 The Rise and Fall of Activist Entrepreneurs since the 1960s
October 19, 2017 17:31 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBThis week at In The Past Lane, the American history podcast, I interview historian Joshua Clark Davis about his new book, From Head Shops to Whole Foods: The Rise and Fall of Activist Entrepreneurs. Davis takes us through a fascinating examination of 4 types of what he calls activist entrepreneurship: African American bookstores, feminist businesses, head shops, and organic food markets. His work challenges the notion that political activists on the left rejected capitalism and the market. ...
041 Saratoga: The Tipping Point of the American Revolution
October 10, 2017 01:49 - 41 minutes - 38.9 MBThis week marks the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Saratoga, So I’ll speak with Dean Snow, author of a new book titled, 1777: Tipping Point at Saratoga. It’ll give you a new appreciation of how this often overlooked battle was in many ways, the decisive moment in the American Revolution. It led the many British military leaders to argue that they could not win this war because the American colonies constituted too large a geographic area, and because American soldiers in the Continent...
040 Little Rock 1957 and the Problem of Civil Rights Memory
September 26, 2017 15:46 - 42 minutes - 39.7 MBThis week we look at a story that calls into question just how successful the Civil Rights Movement really was. It’s the iconic story of the Little Rock Nine, the courageous African American students who began the process of desegregating Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. They faced a hostile state governor, Orville Faubus, who called out the state’s National Guard to prevent the federally-mandated desegregation order. Then, after the Eisenhower administration sent in troops from...
039 Ken Burns and Coming to Terms with The Vietnam War
September 17, 2017 03:43 - 47 minutes - 44.3 MBThis week I speak with America's most acclaimed documentary filmmaker, Ken Burns, about his new project, The Vietnam War. This 10-part, 18-hour epic debuts on PBS on September 17, 2017. Vietnam has long been one of the most divisive events in recent US history. And yet, after making films on the two most popular wars in US history, the Civil War and World War II, Ken Burns has taken on this extraordinarily complicated and emotion-filled topic. It's sure to generate a lot of commentary and --...
038 Classroom Wars! The History Behind the Fights over Bilingual Ed and Sex Ed in US Public Schools
September 11, 2017 03:54 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBIt's September, so this history podcast is rolling out its annual back-to-school episode. This go around, we address the question: What do the controversies in the 1960s and 1970s surrounding sex education and bilingual education have to do with each other? Well, quite a bit, as it turns out. And that's why I'll sit down with historian Natalia Petrzela to talk about her book, Classroom Wars: Language, Sex, and the Making of Modern Political Culture (Oxford University Press). It's a fascinat...
037 The History Unfolded Project and What Americans Knew About The Holocaust
September 01, 2017 02:29 - 27 minutes - 25.7 MBThis week at In The Past Lane, the history podcast, we respond to the virulent anti-semitism that was on display during the neo-Nazi and white supremacist march in Charlottesville,VA by bringing to you an episode about a remarkable history research project. It’s called, History Unfolded: US Newspapers and the Holocaust, and it’s bringing to light thousands of articles that appeared in US newspapers between 1933 and 1945 that told American readers in vivid detail about the Nazi campaign to pe...
036 The Myth of Libertarianism in US History
August 22, 2017 01:54 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MBThis week we take on the topic of libertarianism, an ideology that in recent years has gained many adherents, including political conservatives and people in business, especially the high tech industry. But it's worth asking, what is libertarianism and where does it fit in the history of American political culture? Is it a mainstream ideology with deep roots in American history? Or is it one on the fringe? And what accounts for its surging popularity in recent years? Well, to answer these...
035 Albert Cashier, Transgender Soldier in the American Civil War
August 11, 2017 16:43 - 12 minutes - 12.3 MBPresident Trump's announcement via Twitter that transgender personnel would no longer be allowed to serve in the US armed forces provides an excellent opportunity to take a look at the history of female and trans soldiers who have fought in past US wars. Most people would be surprised to learn that there are over 100 documented cases of women who served in the Confederate and Union armies during the Civil War. In this episode, we look at the story of Albert Cashier, possibly the best known t...
034 The Zenger Trial and the Birth of the Free Press in America
August 01, 2017 15:40 - 30 minutes - 28.7 MBWith the mainstream news media under siege these days, and with some people – including one particularly powerful and influential person – denouncing it as so-called “fake news,” this seems like a good time to explore the history of a free press. Just consider how central the free press has been to American history. So many key moments in American history have derived from, or somehow involved, the freedom of the press. * The abolitionist press and the eventual end of slavery. * Muckrakers...
033 The Ten Commandments in US History: The Making of an American Icon
July 23, 2017 05:01 - 40 minutes - 37.6 MBThis week at In The Past Lane, the podcast about history and why it matters, we look at the fascinating history of the Ten Commandments in the U.S. You might think that a history of the Ten Commandments would be situated in Israel, but it turns out that it’s a very American story. In fact, over the last 150 years Americans have found many imaginative ways to embrace, reimagine, and repurpose the Ten Commandments. To learn more about this story, I’ll talk with historian Jenna Weissman Joselit...
032 How Baseball Became America’s National Pastime
July 14, 2017 22:46 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MBThis week we step up to the plate to take on the origins and history of baseball, and how the sport has both reflected and shaped American society. Among the many things we'll discuss: Early bat and ball games that date back as 14th century Europe (and one involving nuns and monks!). How British immigrants in the 18th century brought early forms of baseball to North America, including rounders and cricket. Why baseball emerged as a popular sport in US cities, and not in the pastu...
031 America’s Forgotten Colony in Cuba
July 07, 2017 20:19 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBThis week, In the Past Lane explores the fascinating and little-known story of an American colony that developed on a small island off Cuba following the Spanish American War of 1898. The Isle of Pines attracted some 2,000 American settlers in the early 20th century. Many of them viewed the island in the same way earlier generations of Americans saw the trans-Mississippi west -- as a place brimming with opportunity for adventure, self-reinvention, and economic advancement. At the heart of ...
030 Presidents and the Media: The History of Political Spin
July 02, 2017 13:45 - 45 minutes - 42.7 MBThis week at In The Past Lane, we talk about the American presidency – specifically the history of how US presidents have endeavored to communicate their positions on key issues of the day. To use modern political parlance, it’s the history of “spin,” that important but sometimes tawdry business of crafting and communicating a political message in such as way that it enhances your political standing. American presidents have struggled to do this since the days of the Washington administratio...
029 Spies, Traitors, & Saboteurs: Civil Liberties in Times of National Crisis
June 17, 2017 19:52 - 33 minutes - 31.4 MBThis week, In The Past Lane is in Chicago to check out a cool history exhibition and speak with John Russick of the Chicago History Museum. The exhibition, "Spies, Traitors, and Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America," was originally created by the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC in the wake of September 11. The idea behind it was to explore the way the United States has handled the challenges posed by internal threats -- terrorists, spies, saboteurs, hate groups, etc -- while at...
028 The Crises of the 1790s and the Making of US National Identity
May 31, 2017 14:55 - 48 minutes - 45.6 MBIn this episode, we dive into the tumultuous and critically important years of the 1790s, a time when the very fate of the new republic hung in the balance. First, I’ll do a short set-up segment on the really perilous political scene in the United States in the 1790s. It's a lively period when many of the key Founders like George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson clashed bitterly over foreign and domestic policy, so much so that many people feared civil war ...
027 JFK at 100 - The Legacy and Memory of a President
May 21, 2017 04:05 - 48 minutes - 45.4 MBIn this episode, in recognition of John F. Kennedy's 100 birthday -- I know, 100?, Really? -- we dive into the life and legacy of the nation's 35th President. Every couple of years, we read about a poll that ranks the presidents of the United States from best to worst. These surveys generally attract a lot of public attention, and they do so for two reasons. First, lots of people want to know where recent presidents rank (where's Obama? Bush?). And second, many people want to know who’s in...
026 The Spanish American War & The Birth of US Imperialism
May 07, 2017 04:16 - 49 minutes - 46.2 MBIn this episode, we take a close look at a small war that had a massive impact on American history - the Spanish American War that began in 1898. In fact, the US is still dealing with its effects at this very moment, since there are thousands of American military personal stationed all around the world, most notably in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Korea. At the heart of this story is the question: Why in the 1890s did the US abandon a century of isolationist foreign policy to be...
025 Who Was Thomas Jefferson?
April 22, 2017 20:27 - 41 minutes - 38.7 MBIn this episode, we take a close look at another Founding Father - Thomas Jefferson (Episode 23 focused on Alexander Hamilton). And why not? Jefferson was born in the month of April – April 13th to be precise – and he’s Thomas Jefferson, maybe the most multi-talented of the Founders. He was part businessman, philosopher, writer, naturalist, theologian, statesman, architect, and inventor -- among other things. To help us understand Jefferson and why he still matters – despite all the Hamilton...
024 The Path to War: The US and World War I
April 07, 2017 19:15 - 48 minutes - 44.8 MBThis week we mark the 100th anniversary of the US entry into The Great War, or what we’ve come to know as World War I. The US declaration of war in April 1917 marked a decisive turning point in American history, as for the first time the US engaged in a European war. This decision marked a decisive break with the nation’s longstanding tradition of isolationism when it came to European affairs. But at the outset of the war in 1914, that spirit of isolationism was running high in the US. Refle...
023 Alexander Hamilton: The Man, The Myth, and yes, The Musical!
March 22, 2017 05:23 - 50 minutes - 46.8 MBIn this episode of ITPL, we focus on Alexander Hamilton. You may have noticed that Hamilton has become the hottest Founder in recent years – and it’s all due to the smash Broadway hit, “Hamilton: The Musical.” So here's the lineup: 1. First, I provide a brief backgrounder on the remarkable life of Alexander Hamilton. 2. Second, I sit down with historian Stephen F. Knott to discuss his book, Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America (Sourcebooks, 2015). He and his co-auth...
022 The History of Mass Incarceration in America - part 2
March 07, 2017 23:43 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBWhy are so many Americans in prison? Right now, there are 2.3 million Americans held in US prisons. That's a HUGE number, relative to the overall US population. The US makes up just 5% of the world's population, but we hold 25% of the world's prison population. Put another way, 1 in 4 people held in prison around the world is an American citizen. And a disproportionate number of these inmates are people of color, mostly African American and Latino. Furthermore, this phenomenon of mass incarc...
021 The History of Mass Incarceration in America - part 1
February 07, 2017 17:00 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MBHow did it come to pass that in the United States that we imprison more people than any nation in the world? That's right - the US comprises 5% of the world's population, but it holds 25% of the world's prison population. That's more people in US prisons than Russia, China, Iran -- you name it. How did it come to pass that we've put 2.3 million of our fellow Americans in prisons? Well, in this first of a two-part exploration of the origins of mass incarceration, I visit the Eastern State Pe...
020 African American Soldiers in the Civil War
January 06, 2017 01:40 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBIn this episode of ITPL, we focus on the experiences of African Americans who joined the Union Army during the Civil War and the profound impact they had on the war's final outcome -- and on American society in the decades that followed. There's a lot more to this story than what you may have seen in the award-winning film, "Glory" (1989). So here's the lineup: 1. First, I provide a brief backgrounder on the basic details regarding African Americans and their service in the Union Army and ...
019 The Hidden History of Indian Slavery in America
December 15, 2016 20:10 - 42 minutes - 40 MBThis week at ITPL, I speak with historian Andres Resendez about his new book, The Other Slavery: The Uncovered History of Indian Slavery in America. The enslaving of native peoples in the Americas began the moment Christopher Columbus arrived. And it was no small venture. Some 2.5 – 5 million Indians were enslaved (compared to approximately 12 million Africans). In my interview with Professor Resendez, he explains how and why this system of exploitation started and why it somehow remained hi...
018 The Rise of Conservative Media
October 25, 2016 22:24 - 54 minutes - 50.8 MBThis week at In The Past Lane, we talk to historian Nicole Hemmer about her new book, Messengers of the Right: Conservative Media and the Transformation of American Politics (Penn Press, 2016). Hemmer, who also co-hosts the terrific history podcast, Past Present, provides a fascinating look into the 30 years of American political history before the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. We learn that long, long before the rise of Rush Limbaugh (1988) and FoxNews (1996), conservative "media activ...
017 American Revolutions
October 08, 2016 04:20 - 55 minutes - 51.2 MBThis week at In The Past Lane, we take a new look at a familiar event - the American Revolution. Think you know this key chapter in American history? Think again. For as our special guest, historian Alan Taylor, argues in his new book, American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804, the American Revolution was also a civil war. And it had an impact far beyond the 13 colonies along the Atlantic coast. We also talk to Jim Moran, Director of Outreach at the American Antiquarian Society ...
016 Women and the White House - Convention Edition!
July 26, 2016 16:12 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBThis week, as the Democratic National Convention prepares to make history by nominating a woman for the presidency, In The Past Lane takes a close look at women who have sought the nation’s highest office. Here’s the lineup: 1) First, I bring you a short segment on a curious voting controversy that few people have ever heard of. 2) Next, I speak with historian Ellen Fitzpatrick about her terrific new book, The Highest Glass Ceiling: Women’s Quest for the American Presidency. 3) Finally, I sp...
015 The History of the Republican Party - Convention Edition!
July 19, 2016 23:28 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MBThis week, in honor of the G.O.P. Convention, In The Past Lane explores the fascinating history of the Republican Party. I speak with historian Heather Cox Richardson, author of a superb history of the Republican party. She’ll take us on a fascinating journey through eras when the GOP was the party of big business and Wall Street and when it periodically shifted to become the party of the people and the common good. And she'll bring her analysis all the way to the present to help put Donald ...
014 What the Declaration of Independence Declared (and Declares Today)
July 03, 2016 06:26 - 27 minutes - 25.8 MBIt'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. So here’s the lineup: We'll start with a look at three key things about the Declaration and how it came to be -- including the fact that America’s actual Independence Day is July 2, not July 4. Next, we ...
013 Why We Pledge Allegiance, Betsy Ross, & More
June 14, 2016 20:07 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBThis week, in honor of the 100th anniversary of Flag Day, we take a look at several intriguing flag-related stories. Here’s the lineup: 1. 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 written by a socialist? Or that it’s wording has been changed twice? Or that the original salute was dropped during World War II because it too closely resembled the fascist salute of Nazi Germany? 2. N...
012 The History of Gay Liberation in the US
June 06, 2016 14:52 - 50 minutes - 46.7 MBJune 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 organization that has played a key role in getting historical landmark status for the famous Stonewall Inn. 3) an interview with historian Jim Downs about his extraordinary new book, Stand By Me: The Forg...
011 Scandal! in American History
May 17, 2016 20:08 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MBWho doesn't love a good scandal - so long as it doesn't involve them? This week at In The Past Lane we examine the important -- and often positive -- role scandals have played in American history. Here's the lineup: 1) a short segment on the role of scandals in US history 2) an interview with historian Daniel Czitrom about his new book, New York Exposed: The Gilded Age Police Scandal That Launched the Progressive Era (Oxford U Press, 2016). We talk about the famous Lexow Commission investiga...
010 Harriet Tubman on the Twenty & More
April 29, 2016 18:13 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBThis week at the In The Past Lane history podcast, we take up some timely questions: Who was Harriet Tubman and why did the U.S. Treasury Dept. choose her as the first woman to appear on the $20 bill? And why has President Andrew Jackson been demoted to the backside of the bill? Along the way, we’ll speak with the historian who literally wrote the book on Harriet Tubman, historian Catherine Clinton. We’ll also check in with historian Stephanie Yuhl in our History Skinny segment where we disc...
009 Taxes and Tax Revolts in US History and More
April 15, 2016 21:30 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MBThis 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 of the biggest tax revolts in US history, the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794. 2) the story of a one-man, one-day tax revolt by Henry David Thoreau that -- eventually -- exerted a tremendous influence on s...
008 How America Got Cool
April 03, 2016 01:34 - 44 minutes - 41 MBThis week In The Past Lane looks into the little known and yet hugely significant development of the ice and refrigeration industries in US history. 1) first we tell the story of Frederick Tudor, the "Ice King," who single-handedly invented the ice industry way back in 1806. This development radically redefined the American life, especially the American diet. 2) Then we check in with historian Jonathan Rees, the nation's leading authority on all things related refrigeration, to learn how m...
007 Irish Terrorists and Spies in America & More
March 17, 2016 14:11 - 44 minutes - 40.7 MBWith St. Patrick's Day (March 17) being celebrated this week, In The Past Lane takes a look at some fascinating Irish American history. 1) We start with a feature piece on why Americans in the late 19th century associated Irish immigrants with terrorism. That's right, long before 9/11, the Irish inspired fear among Americans as a dangerous immigrant group that committed acts of terrorism. 2) Next, we present a feature on Hercules Mulligan, the Irish immigrant who served as a trusted spy ag...
006 Why Do We Hold Political Primaries?
March 02, 2016 20:37 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBThis week at In The Past Lane, the American history podcast, we take a look at the history behind something that's dominating the news these days: political primaries. Their origin dates not to 1787 and the Constitutional Convention, but rather to ca. 1900 and the efforts of Progressives to reduce political corruption and increase the voice of the people in elections. Here's the lineup: 1) The origin and history of the political primary 2) History Skinny segment where we discuss how histo...
005 Where Have You Gone, Robert F. Kennedy?
February 16, 2016 17:00 - 45 minutes - 41.7 MBThis week at In The Past Lane, the podcast about history and why it matters, we take a close look at Robert F. Kennedy. Here's the lineup: 1) First up, it's a short feature on the basics of the life of RFK. 2) Next, I speak with author Larry Tye about his new book, Bobby Kennedy: The Making of A Liberal Icon (2016, Random House). Tye is the author of many best-selling biographies and he's at his best in this new look at RFK. One of the myths he's eager to dispel is the notion that there wer...
004 The Abolitionist Movement & More
February 13, 2016 02:53 - 40 minutes - 36.8 MBThis week at In The Past Lane, the American history podcast, we focus on the movement to abolish slavery. We start with a thinkpiece titled, "The Daunting Challenge the Abolitionists Faced in Taking on Slavery." Abolitionism is one of the most remarkable movements in United States history. And yet, few Americans can name more than one or two abolitionists – maybe William Lloyd Garrison, or Frederick Douglass, or Sojourner Truth. Why is that? And why is it also true that few people remember a...
003 Prohibition and Other Prohibitions in US History
February 05, 2016 17:00 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBThis week's episode focuses on American prohibitions. That’s right, Prohibitions in the plural. Even though Americans think of themselves as a people who have always prized individual liberty, history shows that there are MANY examples where one group of Americans tried to stop another group of Americans from engaging in a particular behavior. So here’s the lineup: 1. First, a feature on a little-known prohibition crusade from the early 20th century that tried to ban cigarettes. 2. Then I...
002 The Statue of Liberty & Immigration History
January 30, 2016 13:36 - 42 minutes - 38.8 MBIn this episode of In The Past Lane, the American history podcast, we look at a little-known aspect of American immigration history - the story behind the Statue of Liberty and how it came to symbolize America's tradition of welcoming immigrants. Next, I speak with historian Vincent Cannato about why immigration is now - and seemingly always has been - a hot-button political issue; Finally, it's The History Skinny, the segment where historian Stephanie Yuhl and I examine how history has mad...
001 Death and The Civil War / Mercy Street PBS Ep 1 Review
January 22, 2016 20:38 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBThis week at In The Past Lane, the American history podcast, we take on the American Civil War. Not the whole thing but rather a specific aspect of this massive military conflict: medicine and death. This episode has three parts: 1) a short thinkpiece on death and medicine and the Civil War 2) an in-depth interview with Lisa Wolfinger, co-creator ad executive producer of "Mercy Street" 3) Mercy Street Rewind - ITPL's Senior Correspondent, historian Megan Kate Nelson, provides her insightf...