This 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 history has made headlines in recent days, everything from Donald Trump relating a story about an incident from the Spanish American War that never happened, to Mississippi declaring April Confederate Heritage Month. 3) Mercy Street Rewind - ITPL's Senior Correspondent, historian Megan Kate Nelson, provides her insightful assessment of Episode 6 of "Mercy Street." Note - to avoid spoilers, Mercy Street Rewind appears as a separate segment in this podcast feed. Show notes and credits at www.InThePastLane.com

Episode 006 credits:

Suggested Readings about the History of Political Primaries:

Geoffrey Cowan, Let the People Rule: Theodore Roosevelt and the Birth of the Presidential Primary (2016)

David W. Moore and Andrew E. Smith, The First Primary: New Hampshire’s Outsize Role in Presidential Nominations (2015)

Alan Ware, The American Direct Primary: Party Institutionalization and Transformation in the North (2002)

Links for stories Discussed in The History Skinny segment:

Donald Trump and the Pig Blood Myth Donald Trump cites dubious legend about Gen. Pershing, pig’s blood and Muslims

Mississippi Declares April Confederate Heritage Month Historian Kevin Levin weighs in via his blog, Civil War Memory

New data shows declining American interest in historic sites http://humanitiesindicators.org/content/indicatordoc.aspx?i=101

National Geographic –Science Helps Trace Slaves to Their African Homelands  

“What if Washington, Hamilton, Lincoln and Kennedy had Twitter?”http://flip.it/.gMmL

Music:

Jay Graham, ITPL Intro (courtesy, JayGMusic.com) Kevin McCleod, “Impact Moderato” (Free Music Archive)

Lee Rosevere, “Going Home” (Free Music Archive)

Andy Cohen, “Trophy Endorphins” (Free Music Archive)

The Bell, “I Am History” (Free Music Archive)