Everything is a Primary Source

Eric Salmonsen

History through Pop CultureJoin social studies teacher, historian and pop culturist Eric Salmonsen as he and his drop-in guests break down pop culture artifacts to see what history can be forged from them.Learn how you can contribute to the conversation at everything-history.com

  1. -1 j

    The X-Files

    America at 250 Episode 8: "X Marks the Spot: How The X-Files represent 1990s society and culture."  Val is the archivist at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago, and therefore a deep thinker about television and radio programming's place in history.  She chose her favorite TV show, The X-Files, to be the subject of the first drop-in episode in the Windy City, and we had a great conversation about the groundbreaking science fiction show. The letter X appeared frequently in 1990s pop culture: Gen X, X-Games, X-Men, and of course, The X-Files. The running theme of all Xs seemed to be something different, edgy and outside of the ordinary.  Val explains that it wasn't just the topics of The X-Files that set the show apart, but that it was made in an unconventional way, symptomatic of the last decade of the 20th century.  This is the eighth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776. Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #1990s #xfiles

    The X-Files

  2. 14 août

    Electronic Selector

    America at 250 Episode 7: "Full Circuit: 'Electronic Selector' as a refection of the 1950s'"  Ric chose to discuss "Electronic Selector," a cross between a trivia board game and a electrical tutorial from the 1950s as the last recording during the preview event at the NH Telephone Museum in Warner back in May.  If this box was marketed in the present it would likely be referred to as a STEM activity, because as Ric indicated, it was activities like this which opened pathways for him and many youths of the era to explore electrical engineering and other technical careers.  I snagged Electronic Selector out of a bin at Goodwill Buy the Pound because of the vibrant graphics, but I never put together exactly what it is until Ric walked me through it.  It makes sense that products like this would be developed in the post-World War II period as there was a desire, and perhaps need, to have young people equipped with skills to take on the increasingly high tech world around them.This is the seventh episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.  Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #1950s #electronicselector #electrical

    Electronic Selector

  3. 7 août

    Back to the Future (1985)

    America at 250 Episode 6: "Future Boy: 1985's Back to the Future as a primary source"  Gwen asked to chat about 1985's Back to the Future for her podcast segment and I was glad to oblige considering it is one of my all-time favorites.  The 1985 movie could've been incredibly hokey but the recipe of writers, director, actors and special effects makes it a near-perfect contemporary classic.  But what can it tell us about the society it was made for in the 1980s?  This is the sixth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.  I honestly feel foolish for saying it was a stretch connecting the Declaration of Independence to Back to the Future considering its signing is one of two events Doc Brown uses to illustrate the capabilities of his time machine.  However, I like Gwen's take on the challenge even better.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #backtothefuture #80smovies #1980s

    Back to the Future (1985)

  4. 31 juil.

    Telephone Tales

    America at 250 Episode 5: "A Telephone's Ring: The many tales the telephone tells"If you host a drop-in podcast at a telephone museum, you're bound to get more than a few conversations about the world-changing device recorded.   A veteran social studies teacher, my guest, Pam, teaches just as I do, using artifacts of everyday life to tell stories and learn about the past in doing so.  In this talk we go from learning about a telephone that went full circle, to learning about how the dial was added to the device, and even how phones were created in the first place.This is the fifth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #telephone #phones #oralhistory

    Telephone Tales

  5. 24 juil.

    A Conversation with a Career Phone Company Man

    America at 250 Episode 4: "A Lineman for the Country: A conversation about the evolution of telecommunications with a career phone company man."This is the kind of episode I imagined making when I started taking the Everything is a Primary Source Podcast out into the world.  I had just sat down with Pam to record a piece at the New Hampshire Telephone Museum when Bill, a retired telephone company man, and his family came in to visit.  Bill and Pam immediately got to talking and I just sat back, microphones on, taking in the interesting stories that someone with such an incredibly interesting career might tell. Bill worked for telecommunications companies for 50 years, and what a monumental half a century that was as he was immediately involved with the entire communication system as it evolved from analog to digital to fiber.  Bill and his fellow telephone employees were responsible for ensuring the integrity of the infrastructure so that the most important trait of our culture--sharing of information--could continue unabated. This is the fourth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #telephone #phones #oralhistory

    A Conversation with a Career Phone Company Man

  6. 18 juil.

    The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

    America at 250 Episode 3: "Our House: Virginia Lee Burton's 1942 picture book, The Little House as a primary source."Sage took the time to speak with me at the New Hampshire Telephone Museum this Spring, selecting Virginia Lee Burton's 1942 Caldecott Award-winning picture book, The Little House to chat about.  The book tells the tale of a personified pink cottage as it enjoys its existence in the country until the noise and congestion of the big city envelopes it.  Sage and I try to determine what this book can tell us regarding attitudes  as the country experienced significant changes as the first half of the 20th Century came to an end.This is the third episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.

    The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

  7. 11 juil.

    Phone Phreaking

    America at 250 Episode 2: "Telecom Rebels: Phone Phreaking as a Document of the 1970s"Dave met with me at the New Hampshire Telephone Museum in Warner to discuss the "Phone Phreaking" trend of the 1970s.  Rebellious, technologically-minded youth used their know-how to work the monopolistic phone system to make free calls to telephones all over the world.  This at the forefront of the computer revolution, something that notable Phone Phreaks like Steve Jobs regarded as necessary for that movement to take place.**Be advised that telecommunications sounds are played from 8:50 to approximately 10:00**This is the second episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#history #popculture #phonephreaking #americanrevolution #america250 #1970s

    Phone Phreaking

  8. 4 juil.

    The Declaration of Independence

    America at 250, Episode 1: "We Begin."Historian Jim Ambuske, Ph.D. specializes in 18th Century studies, and the American Revolution specifically, so I could think of no more appropriate guest to have on the podcast to dissect the Declaration of Independence as an artifact of its time and place.This is the first episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture will not only be examined for historical value, but for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration. #history #popculture #declarationofindependence #americanrevolution #america250

    The Declaration of Independence
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History through Pop CultureJoin social studies teacher, historian and pop culturist Eric Salmonsen as he and his drop-in guests break down pop culture artifacts to see what history can be forged from them.Learn how you can contribute to the conversation at everything-history.com

Informations

  • Création
    Eric Salmonsen
  • Années d’activité
    2022 - 2026
  • Épisodes
    225
  • Classification
    Tous publics
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Eric Salmonsen
  • Site web de l’émission
    Everything is a Primary Source