The second edition of Popular Culture in American History updates the text for a contemporary readership and explores academic developments in this area of study over the last decade. Its compact, classroom-friendly format makes it an ideal text for courses in media studies, popular culture, or American history. Introducing almost half a century of the best scholarship on popular culture in the USA, this fully revised second edition has a more focused historical remit, with analysis and primary source material from the 1830s to the present. Each main essay examines a pivotal moment, issue or genre in American popular culture, from the 'penny press' to the Internet. Long-term trends, such as the blurring of once-sharp distinctions between 'high' and 'low' culture, are also explored. This new edition, along with its extended reading lists, illuminating contextual commentary, and chronologies of major events, make it an ideal undergraduate text for media and cultural studies courses. With enhanced presentation of scholarly and primary source material aimed at prompting and guiding student discussions, this carefully assembled selection offers both a historical overview and detailed cultural analysis.