Everything is a Primary Source

Eric Salmonsen

5.0 (4)
History
Updated Weekly

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

5d ago

The Briar Rose

America at 250 Episode 15: "Picking through the Past: The Briar Rose consignment shop as a crossroads for history"The Briar Rose in Litchfield, IL is the kind of store everyone should want in their town. Filled with a little bit of everything, old and new, and with a steady arrival of furniture, clothes, antiques, toys, and trinkets, it acts as a representation of many points in history and aspects of popular culture. A perfect topic for this show.Danell Fogle owns Briar Rose and I was happy that she took some time to talk with me this summer. Just like the contents of her store (and this podcast), we go from one topic to the next, but with the throughline of preserving the past. And, although we recorded this at the end of June, Danell's preview of Litchfield's Halloween activities comes at a perfect time!This is the fifteenth 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. While this episode doesn't directly mention the Declaration of Independence, the nearby Illinois town of Bunker Hill does come up. Curious to see if my theory that the town was named after the Bunker Hill in Charlestown, MA which was the site of a Revolutionary War battle, I checked the town's website for clues. It turns out that some of the town's founders were from New England--which adds credibility to my idea--with one of them coming from Salisbury, NH. That small town is is just a stone's throw away from Warner, where I recorded the first set of oral histories for this project.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250#podcast #popculture #rt66 #illinois
Oct 3

Litchfield, Illinois

America at 250 Episode 14: "Welcome to Litchfield: Analyzing the Illinois town as a Primary Source."Carol Sneed is the President of the Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center in southwestern Illinois, and was the first to record with me after I rolled into town along the Mother Road. She was happy to set the scene for a day of podcasting by explaining the history of the town of Litchfield.Although Litchfield became a proud Route 66 town a hundred years ago, its origin was with the railroads in the mid 19th century. Our conversation about this town, which has so many stories, past and present, reminds us that everywhere has a storied past, regardless if an iconic highway passes through it or not.This is the fourteenth 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/america250#podcast #popculture #rt66 #illinois
Sep 25

American TV & Movies as Ambassadors

America at 250 Episode 13: "Making F*R*I*E*N*D*S All Around the World: American TV and movies as cultural ambassadors."Maya met with me as the last guest of my day podcasting in Chicago this summer. She works at the Museum of Broadcast Communication, a position helped along by her extensive experience teaching English all over the world. She learned very quickly through her students just how much of a cultural impact American TV shows and feature films have made all around the globe.Maya and I discuss the How and Why of certain media resonating with audiences around the globe, be it Seventh Heaven, Breaking Bad, Forrest Gump, Shawshank Redemption, or Family Guy. We also look into how these shows can create a certain image of our country in the minds of people who have never been to the USA, contributing to what one of her friends from Italy once said, "America is like a movie." This is the thirteenth 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/america250#podcast #popculture #TV #movies #globalization
Sep 17

Television Advertising

America at 250 Episode 12: "We the Viewers: How TV advertising is a reflection of different eras and places."Brent is a volunteer docent at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago, which is a perfect spot for him as he has spent most of his life connected to television production in one way or another. As an ad man on Michigan Avenue--Chicago's answer to Madison Avenue-- Brent witnessed and took part in the evolution of marketing that responded to TV programming and viewing practices.Although I'm releasing these episodes in the order I recorded them, this one lands well for Constitution Day. Much of this conversation involves examples from the history of American commerce, something that would have looked very different had it not been for the structure of the US Constitution, particularly Article I, section 8.This is the twelfth 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/america250#podcast #popculture #TV #TVadvertising #constitution
Sep 11

Local TV Affiliates

America at 250 Episode 11: "Voice of the People: the democratization of media and its reflection of time and place."Having spent fifteen years working as a reporter and news anchor for different news affiliates around the country, Shawn Patrick Floss knows a thing or two about the power of cameras and microphones when placed in reach of ordinary people. We met at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago and had an enlightening conversation about how people on the outside of the media world have had their say. Shawn was happy to share insights on what inspired him to pursue a career in TV news, and how rewarding his job was when he could give a "voice to the voiceless." We also discuss the many ways people of all ages can share their thoughts and ideas in a constantly evolving and democratizing media landscape.This is the eleventh 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/america250#podcast #popculture #TV #localaffiliate #tvnews
Sep 4

Chicago's WLUP "The Loop" Radio

America at 250 Episode 10: "Staying in the Loop: Chicago's WLUP radio as an example of terrestrial radio's role in civic life." The Museum of Broadcast Communications has a special exhibit dedicated to its hometown Rock n roll radio station, 97.7 FM, WLUP. Starting in 1977, "The Loop" immediately secured its place in the everyday life of Chicagoans like my guest, Luke, who grew up listening to its lineup of boundary-pushing DJs through the 80s and 90s.Our conversation highlights the role of radio stations-- of all formats --and their role in supporting strong civics in the range of their signal, something that has declined over the last 30 years due to corporate take over of local stations, satellite radio, and rise (ironically) of on-demand audio.This is the tenth 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 #chicago #TheLoop #radio
Aug 28

Sesame Street

America at 250 Episode 9: "Sweepin' the Clouds Away: Sesame Street as a product of, and contributor to, American culture." Mary Cay carries a lifelong adoration of Sesame Street and is quite familiar with its place on the pantheon of both children's educational TV and public broadcasting. We had a wonderful conversation about how the show came to achieve that status at a hall of honor, the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago.I recognize that Sesame Street takes place in New York and not Chicago, but one of the many great points my guest in the Second City makes about the pioneering children's program is that it had an urban setting, something not very common for the era in which it first entered households. This is the ninth 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.**As it occasionally happens when you discuss history on the fly, I make a misstatement in this episode. 1990 is the year of the Americans with Disabilities Act, but I link it to the Bicentennial, 1976. However, legislation typically is the result of many years of work, and in the case of the ADA, much of that promotion began in the mid 1970s.**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 #sesamestreet #pbs
Aug 21

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

Trailer

A Word About Primary Sources

Episode 1: The Everything is a Primary Source Podcast is introduced and explained.

5

out of 5

4 Ratings

Fun show!

09/22/2022

TripleGemini71

I was a guest and had such a great time! The show is light and fun and informative!

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

Creator

Eric Salmonsen
Years Active

2022 - 2026
Episodes

232
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Copyright 2026 Eric Salmonsen
Show Website

Everything is a Primary Source