A history of the US in 100 unexpected objects

This year, the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, offering a chance for the nation to take stock of its remarkable, complicated past. But what if that story is best told not through precedents, wars, and stirring speeches, but instead through a collection of unexpected, often unsung objects? That's the aim of American radio producer Roman Mars's new series, A History of the United States in a Hundred Objects. And in this episode of the History Extra podcast, Emily Briffitt caught up with Roman to find out more. We're here today to talk about the podcast series that you've done, a history of the United States in a hundred objects.

And in this you reframe US history through everyday artifacts we've made and often forgotten. Why did you decide to examine US history through objects like this? And not just the famous ones, but the everyday ones, the ones used by the average person? Yeah, well, this is a sort of spiritual and literal sequel to A History of the World in 100 Objects that was this landmark series that Neil McGregor presented for the BBC. And all those objects that he presented were from the British Museum.

And we knew we wanted to do something different. Look, well, what was really happening was like the 250th anniversary was coming up the United States and there seemed like a cause to do a a news show, like like a sequel to a history of the world, but make it about the US, also make it about objects, but not tie it to a museum, not tie it to things thought to be saved and put in behind museum class to really think about, you know, what makes US history, what tells the story of us through the things we throw away and ignore and not pay attention to, through everyday things, not be tied to a museum. And I just think it was the approach that really kind of lit up my interest.

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