This 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 discuss history that’s made headlines. So put the top down and join us for another informative and fun journey In The Past Lane.

Episode 010 notes and credits

Further reading about the history of Harriet Tubman, Andrew Jackson, and the Underground Railroad

Catherine Clinton, “The Long Journey from the Age of Jackson to Harriet Tubman on the Twenty” History News Network http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/162628

Catherine Clinton, Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom (2004)

Catherine Clinton’s website: http://www.catherineclinton.com/

Feminista Jones, “Keep Harriet Tubman – and all women – off the $20 bill,”The Washington Post, May 14, 2015

Eric Foner, Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad (Norton, 2015)

Music for This Episode:

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)

Jon Luc Hefferman, “Winter Trek” (Free Music Archive)

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 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 social justice struggles around the world, including women's suffrage and civil rights for African Americans in the US. 3) a fun grab bag of things related to the history of taxes in US history, including - wait for it - a reason to be thankful for taxes ... seriously ...

Episode 009 notes and credits

Further reading about the history of taxes and tax revolts

Charles Adams, Those Dirty Rotten Taxes: The Tax Revolts That Built America (1998).

William Hogeland, The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels Who Challenged America’s Newfound Sovereignty (2010)

Thomas P. Slaughter, The Whiskey Rebellion: Frontier Epilogue to the American Revolution (1986)

Henry David Thoreau, Walden, Civil Disobedience, and Other Writings, William Rossi, Ed. (2008)

Some History Podcasts to Check Out

Ben Frankin’s World with Liz Covart http://www.benfranklinsworld.com/

Past Present with Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Petrzela, and Neil Young http://www.pastpresentpodcast.com/

Slate’s History of Slavery with Rebecca Onion http://www.slate.com/articles/slate_plus/history_of_slavery.html

The Way of Improvement Leads Home with John Fea http://www.philipvickersfithian.com/

BackStory with the American History Guys http://backstoryradio.org/

Music for This Episode:

Jay Graham, ITPL Intro (courtesy, JayGMusic.com)

Kevin McCleod, “Impact Moderato” (Free Music Archive)

The Womb, “I Hope That It Hurts” (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)

The Bell, “On The Street” (Free Music Archive)

Jason Shaw, “Acoustic Meditation” (Free Music Archive)

This 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 mechanical refrigeration and machine-made ice accelerated this transformation of everyday life. 3) Finally, we take just a few minutes to visit a unique bar in New York City. It's called Minus 5 and with the exception of the floor and ceiling, it's made entirely of ice and kept at a temperature of Minus 5 centigrade (minus 19 F). Yeah, I know ...

Episode 008 notes and credits

Further Reading about the history of ice and refrigeration

Oscar Edward Anderson, Jr. Refrigeration in America: A History of a New Technology and Its Impact (Princeton University Press, 1953).

Mariana Gosnell, Ice: The Nature, the History, and the Uses of an Astonishing Substance (Knopf, 2005)

Jonathan Rees, Refrigeration Nation: A History of Ice, Appliances, and Enterprise in America (John Hopkins University Press, 2013)

Jonathan Rees, Refrigerator (Bloomsbury, 2015)

Carl Seaburg and Stanley Paterson, The Ice King: Frederic Tudor and His Circle (Massachusetts Historical Society and Mystic Seaport, 2003).

Gavin Weightman, The Frozen-Water Trade: A True Story (Hyperion, 2003)

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)

The Bell, “On The Street” (Free Music Archive)

Jason Shaw, “Jenny’s Theme (Free Music Archive)

With 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 against the British during the American revolution. You might recognize his name if you've seen "Hamilton, The Musical," or listened to the soundtrack. 3) Then we turn to The History Skinny, the segment where we talk about news stories that relate to history. This week we chat it up with In The Past Lane's Senior Historical Correspondent, Stephanie Yuhl. 4)and finally, it's on to a short piece on the dozens of American slang terms (47 to be precise) that start with the word "Irish." Ever hear of Irish confetti? Show notes and credits at: www.InThePastLane.com

Episode 007 notes and credits

Further Reading about the Irish and the Fenian Movement

Terry Golway, For the Cause of Liberty: A Thousand Years of Ireland’s Heroes (2000).

Shane Kenna, Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa: Unrepentant Fenian (2015)

K.R.M. Short, The dynamite war: Irish American bombers in Victorian Britain (1979).

Peter Vronsky, Ridgeway: The American Fenian Invasion and the 1866 Battle That Made Canada (2011)

Patrick Freyne, “‘O’Dynamite’ Rossa: Was Fenian leader the first terrorist?” The Irish Times, Aug 1, 2015 http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/o-dynamite-rossa-was-fenian-leader-the-first-terrorist-1.2303447

Niall Whelehan, “Scientific warfare or the quickest way to liberate Ireland’: the Brooklyn Dynamite School,” History Ireland, Nov/Dec 2008.http://www.historyireland.com/18th-19th-century-history/scientific-warfare-or-the-quickest-way-to-liberate-ireland-the-brooklyn-dynamite-school/

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)

Howie and Ann Mitchell, “Irish Washerwoman” (Free Music Archive)

Mercy Street Rewind is a special feature from In The Past Lane, the podcast about history and why it matters. Historian and cultural critic Megan Kate Nelson joins me for a review of each episode of the PBS drama, "Mercy Street." This week we talk about Season 1, Episode 6. Learn more at the show page http://inthepastlane.com/mercy-street-rewind-season1/

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)