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The Road to Now

349 EpisodesProduced by RTN ProductionsWebsite

Bob Crawford (The Avett Brothers) & Dr. Ben Sawyer (MTSU History) share conversations with great thinkers from a variety of backgrounds – historians, artists, legal scholars, political figures and more –who help us uncover the many roads that run between past and present. For more information, visit… read more

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Farewell

February 22nd, 2024

0:39

An important message from RadioPublic

#301 The Election of 1992 w/ Julian Zelizer (Third Party Series #6)

March 25th, 2024

53:31

In 1992, President George Bush’s bid for a second term did not go well. Despite taking 79% of the electoral vote in 1988, holding office during the …

#300 The Election of 1980 w/ Rick Perlstein (Third Party Series #5)

March 18th, 2024

52:28

On November 4, 1980, California Republican Ronald Reagan trounced Jimmy Carter at the polls, beating the incumbent by almost 10 percentage points in …

#299 The Election of 1948 w/ Jefferson Cowie (Third Party Series #4)

March 11th, 2024

55:02

The famous image of a victorious Harry Truman holding up a newspaper headlined “Dewey defeats Truman” is clear evidence that the 1948 Presidential …

#298 The Election of 1912 w/ Michael Patrick Cullinane (Third Party Series #3)

March 4th, 2024

52:54

The Presidential election of 1912 was an unusual moment in American history. It featured an embattled incumbent President facing criticism from his former allies. It offered voters a choice between the sitting President …

#297 The Election of 1860 w/ Michael Green (Third Party Series #2)

February 26th, 2024

56:58

The Presidential election of 1860 is one we Americans know well. That election sent 
Abraham Lincoln to the White House, southern enslavers to the …

#296 The Election of 1824 w/ Lindsay Chervinsky (Third Party Series #1)

February 19th, 2024

52:57

The Election of 1824 was a turning point in American history. Long before the fall of 1824, Americans understood that the winner would be the first …

The Electoral College w/ Edward Foley

February 12th, 2024

1:08:34

The Constitution empowers the electoral college to select the President, but the process for counting electors’ votes remains in the hands of …

#295 The Pursuit of Happiness w/ Jeffrey Rosen

February 5th, 2024

50:38

The inalienable right to “the pursuit of happiness” is enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, but what exactly does that phrase mean? While …

The Best Stories You've (Probably) Never Heard w/ Greg Jackson

January 29th, 2024

1:22:54

One episode. Two historians/podcasters. Four stories from American history that you’ve probably never heard. And an unknown number of listeners that we hope will find these stories as fascinating and surprising as we do.

The FBI w/ Stephen Underhill

January 22nd, 2024

53:25

The FBI has been the subject of criticism and concern since it was founded in 1908, but it has nevertheless become one of the most powerful, stable, …

#294 The Stephen Foster Story w/ Richard Blanton, Donna Phillips Johnny Warren

January 15th, 2024

53:55

Stephen Foster was America’s first great published musician. He wrote some of America’s great folk songs, including “Oh, Suzanna,” “Camptown Races” …

#293 New Year, Old Us w/ Ben Bob

January 8th, 2024

50:20

Ben & Bob kick off the new year with a conversation over some current events, including the history of New Year’s Resolutions (and why Bob …

#291 A Forgotten History of American Suburbs w/ Tim Keogh

December 4th, 2023

54:35

The suburbs have long been a symbol of American prosperity in the post-WWII era. Yet the contrast between suburban wealth and “inner city” poverty …

Photographing the President w/ Pete Souza

November 27th, 2023

40:55

As the person responsible for documenting the Obama Administration, Pete Souza spent more time with Barack Obama than almost anyone else, which left him with some deep in sights on Obama and the office of the …

Faith in Freedom w/ Andrew Polk

November 20th, 2023

55:59

Faith has played an important role in American history, but not always in the ways we’d expect.

In this episode, Andy Polk joins Bob and Ben to …

#290 The Circus: An Exit Interview w/ Mark McKinnon

November 13th, 2023

51:18

Bob welcomes Mark McKinnon for an exit interview about his work as co-producer and co-host of The Circus. Showtime announced last week that after …

Monsanto’s Past, Our Future w/ Bart Elmore

November 6th, 2023

1:06:00

Monsanto’s Past, Our Future w/ Bart Elmore

 

The Monsanto Company officially ceased to exist when it was acquired by Bayer in 2018, but its legacy lives on in courtrooms, factory towns and farms across the globe. Today …

#289 The Dead Bodies in Your Favorite Museum w/ Tanya Marsh

October 30th, 2023

49:39

Two things you probably don’t know: 1) your favorite museum probably holds human remains and 2) it’s completely legal to sell human bones on the …

#288 Ukraine and Russia: The History Behind the War w/ Serhy Yekelchyk

October 23rd, 2023

50:46

When Vladimir Putin ordered Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, he and many others assumed that Russia’s “special operation” would end …

#287 Robert Hanssen: The FBI’s Most Damaging Spy w/ Major Garrett

October 16th, 2023

50:52

FBI agent Robert Hanssen was one of the most damaging spies in US history. From 1979 to 2001, Hanssen delivered some of the United States governments’ most sensitive secrets to Soviet and Russian agents, who used them …

#286 Rounder Records and the Transformation of American Roots Music w/ David Menconi

October 9th, 2023

45:14

From its founding in 1970, Rounder Records was different. What started as the passion project for three New England music lovers who wanted to …

#285 The American Buffalo w/ Dayton Duncan

October 2nd, 2023

51:03

In the late 18th century, tens of millions of buffalo lived in North America. By the mid-1880s, they were on the brink of extinction. For the white settlers who sought to “conquer” the American west, and the Native …

# 284 Emmylou Harris Rodney Crowell on Americana Music

September 25th, 2023

52:18

What is Americana music? Is it a genre? A community? A refuge? Twenty four years after the founding of the Americana Music Association and thirteen years since the first Grammy was awarded for Best Americana Album, …

Celebrating Levon Helm w/ John Barry Larry Campbell

September 18th, 2023

50:17

Although he passed away a decade ago, Levon Helm is still the voice of Americana music. Always will be, in my opinion. Levon was drummer for The …

#283 The Singers Talk w/ Jason Thomas Gordon

September 11th, 2023

51:48

Jason Thomas Gordon spent nearly a decade interviewing some of the greatest vocalists in modern music to find out about their earliest experiences singing, the voices that influenced them growing up, and how they …

The Kinks w/ Mark Doyle

September 4th, 2023

47:59

The Kinks are one of the great rock bands of the 20th century and, like all artists, they reflect the times and places they’ve inhabited. In this episode, we speak with Mark Doyle about his excellent book  The Kinks: …

#282 Tecumseh William Henry Harrison’s Struggle for a Nation w/ Peter Stark

August 28th, 2023

52:05

The war between the US Army and the Native American confederation during the war of 1812 is a buried story in an often-overlooked event, yet its impact on the history of North America is profound. The leading figures on …

#281 Montgomery C. Meigs: Master Builder of the Union Army w/ Robert O’Harrow Jr.

August 21st, 2023

50:51

Washington D.C. in the 1850s was a tale of two cities. It was the Capitol city of a rapidly expanding new nation while at the same time ground zero …

#280 Standard Deviations: The politics of education in Florida and beyond w/ Ana Goñi-Lessan Andrew Polk

August 14th, 2023

48:40

The recent changes to Florida’s education system have gotten nationwide attention, with similar stories playing out across the US. In this episode, Ben & Bob investigate the nature of these reforms, who is behind …

#279 Warren G. Harding and Other Affairs w/ Ben Bob

August 7th, 2023

50:13

Ben & Bob have been on the road for most of the summer, so in this episode they catch up to talk about the 100th anniversary of the death of Warren G. Harding, the feedback they got from their conversation on ai, …

Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism w/ Edward Baptist

July 31st, 2023

51:37

Slavery was an integral part of the American republic from the moment of independence until the abolition of the so-called “peculiar institution” …

George Carlin's American Dream w/ Michael Bonfiglio Kliph Nesteroff

July 24th, 2023

51:02

George Carlin had a comedy career that spanned half a century, and his take on the US remains relevant more than a decade after his death in 2008. The new HBO documentary George Carlin’s American Dream tells Carlin’s …

#278 Artificial Intelligence w/ Roger McNamee

July 17th, 2023

50:49

Roger McNamee has spent decades helping American tech companies secure financing. In the last few years, however, he’s become well-known for helping American citizens secure themselves against tech companies. After …

The Rise and Fall of the American Suburbs w/ Kyle Riismandel

July 10th, 2023

50:08

In the years after World War II, Americans moved to the suburbs in search of the peace and safety that many came to equate with the “American Dream.” By the end of the 1970s, however, suburbanites had come sense that …

Benjamin Franklin w/ Dayton Duncan David Schmidt

July 3rd, 2023

51:34

It’s difficult to fathom how Benjamin Franklin accomplished so much in a single lifetime. It’s equally difficult to imagine how to take such an …

#277 The Allman Brothers’ Journey to Fillmore East w/ Bob Beatty

June 26th, 2023

52:35

The Allman Brothers’ 1971 album At Fillmore East features one of the era’s great rock bands at its prime, selling over a million copies despite not producing a single “hit” song. It is also the last album produced by …

#276 Christianity and American Politics in the 21st Century w/ John Fea

June 19th, 2023

49:55

John Fea is taking on the history of Christianity and American politics in the 21st century. In three volumes. In this (single) episode, we talk …

Juneteenth w/ Annette Gordon-Reed

June 12th, 2023

52:00

Juneteenth, which celebrates the emancipation of enslaved Americans at the end of the Civil War, has gone from a local holiday in Texas to a national …

#275 No Labels w/ Mark McKinnon

June 5th, 2023

53:46

Mark McKinnon is a political advisor, reform advocate, and host of Showtime’s The Circus. In this episode he joins Ben & Bob to talk about his …

#274 The Original Green New Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps w/ Neil Maher#274

May 29th, 2023

51:01

In the last few years, many on the left have been calling for a “Green New Deal,” but we might have already had that. Between 1933 and 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corps enlisted more than three million young men in …

#273 Seven Years of RTN w/ Doug Heye Margaret Talev

May 22nd, 2023

51:21

It’s been seven years since Ben & Bob launched the first episode of The Road to Now, so we invited two of our early guests – Doug Heye & Margaret Talev – to join us for a conversation about how things have …

#272 Country Capitalism w/ Bartow Elmore

May 15th, 2023

50:21

The “Amazon economy” seems like something new, but it rests on the physical and intellectual infrastructure built by those who came long before the age of the internet and leaves many of the same marks on the …

Reaganland w/ Richard Perlstein

May 8th, 2023

56:09

Today's Republican party looks a lot different than it did just a few decades ago, but it rests on many of the same organizations and ideologies that …

#271 American Ramble w/ Neil King Jr.

May 1st, 2023

53:26

In 2021, Neil King Jr. threw a few basic items into a backpack and walked from his home in Washington, DC to New York City. Along the way he met new people, uncovered forgotten moments of history, and spent many days …

#270 Women American Slavery w/ Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers

April 24th, 2023

50:37

Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers’ is a historian whose work has shed new light on the roles that women played in American slavery. In this episode, she …

#269 The Archaeology of Dust w/ Anita Radini

April 17th, 2023

53:19

For most of us, dust is a surface-level annoyance. For Anita Radini, it is a fountain of information about the past. In this episode, Anita joins us to share the fascinating new details about the lives of Medieval women …

#268 John Quincy Adams: Founding Son

April 10th, 2023

56:26

On Thursday, April 13th, the first episode of Bob’s new audio documentary Founding Son: John Quincy’s America premieres (on all podcast platforms), so Ben & Bob decided to celebrate the occasion by talking Adams’ …

#267 Benghazi w/ Ethan Chorin

April 3rd, 2023

50:34

On September 11, 2012, al-Qaeda-affiliated militants attacked a US mission in Benghazi, Libya and killed four Americans. That tragic loss of life …

A Conversation w/ Ken Burns (#191 Rebroadcast)

March 27th, 2023

1:02:21

Ken Burns joins Bob and Ben for a conversation about American history and the themes he sees playing out in the US today. Ken shares his process for selecting subjects for his films and explains how his new 3-part film

#266 College Basketball: The Story of March Madness w/ Dana O'Neil

March 20th, 2023

47:55

The Athletic's Dana O'Neil joins Bob & Ben for a conversation about the history of the NCAA tournament, how college basketball built the fan base …

#265 The Legacy of Jimmy Carter’s Foreign Policy w/ Nancy Mitchell

March 6th, 2023

46:21

Jimmy Carter only served four years as President (1977-1981) but his approach to foreign policy produced big results, including the return of the …

#264 Andrew Young on Jimmy Carter

February 27th, 2023

50:31

Andrew Young was already an iconic civil rights leader and sitting Congressman from Georgia’s 5th District when a dark horse candidate named Jimmy Carter asked for his support in the 1976 Presidential election. Young …

#263 Mourning the Presidents w/ Lindsay Chervinsky

February 20th, 2023

50:14

A Presidency is defined by the decisions that a person makes while serving as Executive, but a Presidential legacy is about much more than that. In the new book, Mourning the Presidents: Loss and Legacy in American …

#262 Atlanta Charlotte: Women's History in the Urban South w/ La Shonda Mims

February 13th, 2023

51:12

In the 20th Century, leaders in Atlanta and Charlotte championed a “New South” vision that they hoped would attract the investment needed to …

#261 Jordan Gross: Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, Idaho

February 6th, 2023

50:27

Jordan Gross played 11 seasons as an Offensive Tackle for the Carolina Panthers. In his rookie season, he was a starting member of the Panthers team …

#260 Presidential Transitions w/ David Marchick

January 23rd, 2023

48:16

January 20th was the official halfway mark of the Biden Administration’s first term. That might seem like a an odd time to discuss Presidential transitions, but with the justice department still prosecuting participants …

#259 Silent Spring Revolution w/ Douglas Brinkley

January 16th, 2023

51:17

At the end of World War II, the United States had few laws protecting the environment. Just 30 years later, the Environmental Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act had been enacted, representing the urgency of, …

#258 The Feres Doctrine (Part II) w/ Maximillian Potter Richard Stayskal

January 9th, 2023

49:01

This is part two of our conversation w/ Maximillian Potter & Richard Stayskal. For part 1, check out RTN episode # 257.

Since 1950, the Feres Doctrine has prevented active-duty members of the US Armed Forces from …

#257 The Feres Doctrine w/ Maximillian Potter Richard Stayskal

January 2nd, 2023

51:18

Since 1950, the Feres Doctrine has prevented active-duty members of the US Armed Forces from suing the government for wrongful injury or death that …

The Bering Straight: An Environmental History w/ Bathsheba Demuth

December 26th, 2022

54:49

In 1848, New England ships crossed the Bering Strait in pursuit of the bowhead whales that provided their income. In the years since, the activity of outsiders- from hunters, to government bureaucrats from the US and …

Uncivil Christmas: The Civil War Christmas in Williamsburg w/ Carson Hudson

December 19th, 2022

50:10

Bob & Ben speak w/ historian Carson Hudson, whose program “Uncivil Christmas” tells of life in Williamsburg, Virginia during the years of the …

#256 The Legacy of Lyndon Baines Johnson w/ Mark Updegrove Mark A. Lawrence

December 12th, 2022

58:27

Lyndon B. Johnson’s Presidency is bookended by the tragedies of JFK’s assassination and the escalation of the Vietnam war, but his career in politics …

#255 Freedom’s Dominion w/ Jefferson Cowie

December 5th, 2022

1:16:08

On July 4, 1964, Alabama Governor George Wallace decried the passing of “ [a] law that is going to destroy individual freedom and liberty in this …

The History of Santa Claus Christmas Culture w/ James Cooper (A Holiday Classic!)

November 28th, 2022

35:18

Christmas expert James Cooper joins Bob and Ben to explain how Santa Claus, Christmas trees, and other Christmas traditions made their way into …

The History of St. Jude Children’s Hospital w/ Richard Shadyac

November 24th, 2022

51:02

On February 4, 1962, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital opened its doors in Memphis, TN with a promise to help victims of childhood cancer regardless of race, religion, or national origin. Since then the hospital has …

#253 Searching for America’s Emotional Source Code with Dov Baron

November 14th, 2022

1:08:35

This week on the Road to Now, Bob welcomes leadership consultant, author, and speaker Dov Baron. Inc. Magazine has named Dov one of the top 100 …

Chernobyl, The Last Czars, and the Pros Cons of Dramatizing History w/ Philippa Heatherington Jon Waterlow

November 7th, 2022

54:24

The Netflix series The Last Czars and HBO’s Chernobyl have (in very different ways) brought Russian & Soviet history to televisions across the world. In this episode, Ben sits down with fellow Russian historians Dr. …

#252 Deathcare Revolution w/ Tanya Marsh

October 31st, 2022

47:21

Death is something that we all have in common, but what happens to our remains can vary. In this episode, RTN favorite Tanya Marsh breaks down the …

#251 The West Wing Beyond w/ Pete Souza

October 24th, 2022

56:39

Pete Souza has spent more time inside the ‘Presidential bubble’ than almost anyone. The more than thirteen years he spent photographing Ronald Reagan …

#250 Celebrating Levon Helm w/ John Barry Larry Campbell

October 17th, 2022

57:12

Although he passed away a decade ago, Levon Helm is still the voice of Americana music. Always will be, in my opinion. Levon was drummer for The …

#249 The Corruption of Libertarian Philosophy w/ Andrew Koppelman

October 10th, 2022

45:33

Libertarianism has had a tremendous influence on American politics, but according to Andrew Koppelman, its most prominent adherents have stripped …

Journalism Politics w/ Bill Plante Olivier Knox

October 3rd, 2022

1:10:38

Bill Plante was a remarkable reporter. He spent four tours as a CBS correspondent in Vietnam, he interviewed Martin Luther King Jr in 1965, and he served as CBS’ White House Correspondent from 1976 until his retirement …

#248 The Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict w/ Laurence Broers

September 26th, 2022

44:44

Armenia and Azerbaijan were once fellow Republics within the USSR, but in the Soviet Union’s last days tension between them led to bloodshed and …

#247 The FBI w/ Stephen Underhill

September 19th, 2022

1:00:24

The FBI has been the subject of criticism and concern since it was founded in 1908, but it has nevertheless become one of the most powerful, stable, …

The Great Exception: The Rise and Fall of the New Deal w/ Jefferson Cowie

September 12th, 2022

59:26

The New Deal policies of the 1930s never brought an end to the Great Depression, but by establishing Social Security, ending child labor, and …

The French Revolution w/ Peter McPhee

September 5th, 2022

50:53

On August 4, 1789, the National Assembly of France adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which asserted the Enlightenment ideals of universal rights and democracy. Though the French …

#246 Rank Choice Voting w/ Scott Huffmon

August 29th, 2022

34:53

Could the structure of elections in the US be feeding the polarization in modern politics? Currently only about twenty percent of voters show up to …

#245 Cryptocurrency: A Brief History w/ David Hollerith

August 22nd, 2022

1:04:45

When Bitcoin launched in January 2009, few people took it seriously and even fewer had the means to mine, buy or spend it. By the end of 2021, the Pew Research Center reported that 16% of Americans had held …

#244 Presidential Rhetoric: The last one hundred years w/ Bruce Carlson

August 15th, 2022

1:10:34

Political rhetoric has become increasingly divisive in the 21st century, but many of the themes and rhetorical strategies we see today have deep …

#243 Out of the Trenches: What a World War I Truce Can Teach Us About Modern Politics w/ Curt Stedron

August 8th, 2022

58:10

Partisanship in politics has become increasingly tense in the 21st century, and while many Americans lament this polarization, few seem convinced …

The Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East w/ Eugene Rogan

August 1st, 2022

53:35

At the beginning of the 20th century, most of the territory that we call the Middle East- including Syria, Iraq, Israel and Turkey- were part of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman alliance w/ Germany and Austria-Hungary …

#242 Why Bushwick Bill Matters w/ Charles Hughes

July 25th, 2022

1:15:27

You might know Bushwick Bill as a member of the iconic Houston rap group The Geto Boys, but his contributions to rap music, his role in the debates …

#241 Basically Anybody Can Do It

July 18th, 2022

30:55

Ben tells Bob how Thai food became so prominent in the US and shares the story of the bizarre origins and sudden demolition of the Georgia …

Surrender in the American Civil War w/ David Silkenat

July 11th, 2022

43:36

Robert E. Lee’s surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865 marked the end of the American Civil War, but it was just one of many times …

#240 When the People Decide: A History of Ballot Initiatives w/ Jenna Spinelle

July 4th, 2022

53:33

Jenna Spinelle joins Ben & Bob for a discussion about her new podcast, When the People Decide, which traces the origins of ballot initiatives in …

#239 The Best History Stories You’ve Probably Never Heard w/ Greg Jackson

June 27th, 2022

1:23:00

One episode. Two historians/podcasters. Four stories from American history that you’ve probably never heard. And an unknown number of listeners that we hope will find these stories as fascinating and surprising as we do.

#238 The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame w/ John Goehrke

June 20th, 2022

35:39

Since 1995, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame located in Cleveland, Ohio has worked to engage, inspire and teach people about the power of Rock music …

#237 George Carlin’s American Dream w/ Michael Bonfiglio Kliph Nesteroff

June 13th, 2022

1:06:43

George Carlin had a comedy career that spanned half a century, and his take on the US remains relevant more than a decade after his death in 2008. The new HBO documentary George Carlin’s American Dream tells Carlin’s …

#236 Catching Up w/ Doug Heye

June 6th, 2022

1:06:41

Long-time friend of RTN Doug Heye returns to share his take on the state of politics in the US. Doug has served as communications director for the …

In the Footsteps of Lafayette w/ Julien Icher

May 30th, 2022

41:55

On August 15, 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette arrived in the United States to say farewell to the country whose independence he helped secure more than four decades earlier. Over the next 15 months, Lafayette visited all …

#235 Catching Up w/ Heather Cox Richardson

May 23rd, 2022

55:00

Heather Cox Richardson returns to the show to talk history, politics, and life in general. Heather shares her thoughts on what history has to teach …

#234 Primary Problems w/ Brian Rosenwald

May 19th, 2022

1:23:13

Brian Rosenwald joins Bob and Ben to talk about the state of American political media, its impact on the divide between Democrats & Republicans, …

The Origins of American Immigration Policy w/ Hidetaka Hirota

May 16th, 2022

45:25

Hidetaka Hirota joins Bob and Ben for a conversation about the history of immigration law in the United States and the ways that government officials …

#233 The 6th Anniversary Show w/ Matt Negrin

May 9th, 2022

50:17

The Road to Now just celebrated its 6 year anniversary, so we invited our old friend (and all-time record holder for most RTN appearances) Matt Negrin

#232 Attention

May 2nd, 2022

29:19

Bob and Ben catch up to talk about Jonathan Haidt’s recent article in the May issue of The Atlantic, “Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid,” and their take on the problems of social media …

#231 Freedom of Speech w/ Lynn Greenky

April 25th, 2022

47:49

The first amendment right to the freedom of speech is a cornerstone of American liberty, but this broad principle becomes a bit narrower when put into practice. Why, for example, is burning an American flag in protest …

The Armenian Genocide w/ Ron Suny

April 18th, 2022

50:33

Ron Suny joins Ben for a conversation about the Armenian Genocide. Ron, one of the world’s foremost experts on the history of the Armenian genocide, …

#230 1984: The Year the Music Changed Forever w/ Michaelangelo Matos

April 11th, 2022

47:44
In this episode, music writer Michaelangelo Matos joins Bob and Ben to break down why he thinks 1984 was a crucial year for the music industry. Michaelangelo also shares why he loves books about a single year.

Check …

#229 Benjamin Franklin w/ Dayton Duncan and David Schmidt

April 4th, 2022

58:33

It’s difficult to fathom how Benjamin Franklin accomplished so much in a single lifetime. It’s equally difficult to imagine how to take such an …

The Russian Revolution w/ Lewis Siegelbaum

March 28th, 2022

48:17

The Russian Revolution that began with the fall of Tsar Nicholas II in February of 1917 and continued into a second revolution the following October, …

#228 Concerts of Change: The Soundtrack of Human Rights

March 21st, 2022

1:01:43

For the past year, Bob has been working on an audio docu-series that traces musicians’ activism for human rights through benefit concerts from the 1970s to the 1990s. That series, Concerts of Change: The Soundtrack of …

#227 Russia’s Long History of Nationalizing Foreign Property

March 14th, 2022

39:55

The Russian government recently made moves to nationalize the property of foreign owned firms that ceased operation in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Ben’s research is all about the history of foreign …

#226 Russian Rubles, Western Sanctions w/ Kristy Ironside

March 7th, 2022

1:05:58

Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch a brutal invasion of Ukraine has sparked a coordinated wave of sanctions from the US and members of the European Union. This may be the most comprehensive set of sanctions that Moscow …

#225 Inside American Militias w/ Heath Druzin

February 28th, 2022

41:48

Journalist Heath Druzin’s new podcast Extremely American examines the American militia movement through first-hand interviews with militia members and their opponents. In this episode, Heath joins Bob and Ben for a …

#224 The Electoral College w/ Edward Foley

February 21st, 2022

1:07:54

The Constitution empowers the electoral college to select the President, but the process for counting electors’ votes remains in the hands of …

#223 Presidential Records Other Controversies

February 14th, 2022

55:04

Bob & Ben catch up to talk about the Presidential Records Act and how Trump's violations of the act stack up to other Presidents' handling of …

#222 Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? w/ John Fea

February 7th, 2022

53:28

Bob speaks with Messiah College’s John Fea about Christianity in Early America and the ways that the founders viewed the relationship between faith …

#221 Ukraine w/ Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon

January 31st, 2022

1:13:01

Ukraine has gotten a lot of intermittent attention in the US over the last few years, but the stories we hear are usually about the US and Russia. To counter that tendency, we offer you a story about Ukraine that is …

Crossroads Special: History Daily - Two Stories from the Space Race

January 29th, 2022

33:49

Today we’ve got a little something special for you- something we’re calling “Crossroads.” From time to time, on weekends, Bob and I will be sharing episodes of podcasts that we think our audience might enjoy, and our …

#220 Processing the Past w/ Jon Grinspan

January 24th, 2022

45:12

Jon Grinspan is a curator of political history at the Smithsonian Museum of American History and a frequent contributor to The New York Times. In …

#219 Swept Away w/ John Logan and John Gallagher

January 17th, 2022

45:14

On January 9, the new musical Swept Away, which is based on the music of Bob’s band The Avett Brothers, premiered at the Berkeley Repertory Theater. In this episode, the musical’s writer, John Logan (Any Given Sunday, …

#218 The History of Cigarettes w/ Louis Kyriakoudes

January 10th, 2022

1:11:07

In 1998, as part of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, the biggest US tobacco companies agreed to open their archives to the public. Inside company documents was a story of tobacco executives who understood that …

#217 Forward

January 3rd, 2022

30:49

Bob & Ben catch up for a conversation about 2021 and what may await us in the New Year. They discuss free speech on college campuses, the state …

America's First War on Christmas w/ Bruce Carlson

December 20th, 2021

1:01:55

On December 25, 1776, George Washington and his men celebrated their first post-Declaration of Independence Christmas by crossing a freezing river to mount a surprise attack against their enemies. The plan worked, but …

#216 Faith in Freedom w/ Andrew Polk

December 13th, 2021

1:00:22

Faith has played an important role in American history, but not always in the ways we’d expect.

In this episode, Andy Polk joins Bob and Ben to …

#215 The Power of Story (Revisited) w/ Donna Washington

December 6th, 2021

57:19

The stories we tell about ourselves help us make sense of the world. And while we all have stories as individuals, a set them within a shared narrative that is the foundation of our communities. In this episode, …

The Wild West w/ Dick Kreck

November 29th, 2021

49:45

During a trip to Denver, Bob and Ben were fortunate enough to sit down with journalist and historian Dick Kreck at the historic Brown Palace hotel for a conversation about the history of the Wild West and the city of …

#214 Woody Guthrie: Crafting Everyday Life w/ Nora Guthrie

November 22nd, 2021

56:26

Nora Guthrie, daughter of American icon Woody Guthrie, joins Ben & Bob to talk about her father’s life and the many ways she’s contributed to sharing his story. Nora discusses the inspiration for Woody’s music, his …

#213 The 2020 Election: A First Draft w/ Robert Costa

November 15th, 2021

58:09

The 2020 Presidential election was one of the most tumultuous in American history, and while Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump is settled, …

#212 Redistricting: A Primer w/ Wendy Underhill Ben Williams

November 8th, 2021

37:47

There is a lot at stake when congressional districts are redrawn every ten years, and the complexity of redistricting can make it hard for even well-informed citizens to understand the process. In this episode, we get a …

The American Empire w/ Daniel Immerwahr

November 1st, 2021

53:06

Is the United States an empire? US citizens have struggled with this question for a long time. Though our historical narrative traces our origins to the war for independence against the British Empire, we often forget …

#211 The Constitution w/ Jeffrey Rosen

October 25th, 2021

59:05

In May of 1787, delegates from 12 states met in Philadelphia and began debating what would become the US Constitution. They published the document …

#210 Miss America’s Secret Past w/ Amy Argetsinger

October 18th, 2021

1:02:44

The Miss America pageant has always had its critics, but the stories of the organization and those who participated in it are far more dynamic than most people recognize. In this episode, Bob & Ben speak with Amy …

#209 The Corn Syrup Controversy w/ Benjamin Cohen

October 11th, 2021

55:07

How did corn syrup get such a bad reputation? While there are certainly differences between this corn-based sweetener and the sugar that comes from …

A Frail League of Friendship: The Articles of Confederation w/ Greg Jackson (Expanded Rebroadcast)

October 4th, 2021

1:07:55

In 1776, the US declared independence. Eleven years later, in 1787, delegates from 12 states (we’re looking at YOU Rhode Island) got together in Philadelphia and wrote the Constitution. In between those triumphant …

#208 Monsanto’s Past, Our Future w/ Bart Elmore

September 27th, 2021

1:07:13

The Monsanto Company officially ceased to exist when it was acquired by Bayer in 2018, but its legacy lives on in courtrooms, factory towns and farms across the globe. Today the company’s name is most associated with …

This Episode Kills Fascists: Woody Guthrie's Life Legacy w/ Deana McCloud

September 20th, 2021

47:42

Most Americans know Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land”, but the song, much like the man who wrote it, is far more complex than many of us realize. Guthrie, who was born in Oklahoma in 1912, moved west during the …

#207 Vigilantes

September 13th, 2021

50:20

Bob & Ben catch up to talk about the state of political and social unrest in the US and where they see current events within recent history. They …

The History of Coffee w/ Mark Pendergrast

September 6th, 2021

41:13

Most Americans drink coffee. Our love for coffee ties us to people and countries around the world, and to those who lived long before us. In this episode of The Road to Now, we speak with Mark Pendergrast, author of

The Mignonette Everything Else w/ Neil Hanson

August 23rd, 2021

34:25

Neil Hanson is one of the most interesting people we know. He’s written books on World War I, the Spanish Armada, and the fire that destroyed London in 1666. He once teamed up with history’s greatest treasure hunter to …

#205 The History of Student Debt w/ Ellie Shermer

August 16th, 2021

1:16:05

According to the US Department of Education, 45 million Americans collectively owe $1.7 billion in total student loan debt. While the weight of …

#204 Historical Narratives Power

August 9th, 2021

29:44

When two people look at the same set of facts and reach an entirely different conclusion, it’s often because of a difference in the way they understand their place in the world. In this episode (recorded when Bob began …

#203 How to Talk to a Science Denier w/ Lee McIntyre

August 2nd, 2021

53:59

The rejection of scientific expertise has been one of the most consequential social trends of the 21st century and, for those of us who remain committed to the scientific method, it may also be the most frustrating. …

#202 A Tour Guide’s History of Los Angeles

July 19th, 2021

1:06:32

Millions of people from across the globe visit Los Angeles every year, but only a lucky few have gotten a tour of the city from tour guides/stand up comics, Rivers Langley, Anna Valenzuela & Carter Glascock. In this …

How the American Dream Became Temporary w/ Louis Hyman

July 12th, 2021

50:23

Three generations ago, large American corporations offered their employees the stability of life-long employment and the promise of a pension-funded retirement. In the 21st Century, that model has given way to the "gig …

#201 Game Show Archive w/ Bob Boden Chris Bensch

July 5th, 2021

56:03

Game shows have been featured in network lineups from the very beginning of television and, like all forms of entertainment, they tell us a lot about …

Coffee with The Avett Brothers (Expanded Rebroadcast)

June 28th, 2021

50:17

This is an expanded version of episode 72, which originally aired in September 2017.

In this episode of The Road to Now, we sit down for coffee and conversation with Bob’s bandmates in The Avett Brothers for a …

#200 American History in Russia w/ Sean Guillory

June 21st, 2021

1:02:20

Since establishing Sean’s Russia Blog in 2005, Sean Guillory has been one of the most prominent public-facing scholars in Russian and Soviet History. …

#199 Reaganland w/ Rick Perlstein

June 14th, 2021

1:03:37

Today's Republican party looks a lot different than it did just a few decades ago, but it rests on many of the same organizations and ideologies that …

#198 Juneteenth w/ Annette Gordon-Reed

June 7th, 2021

59:26

Juneteenth, which celebrates the emancipation of enslaved Americans at the end of the Civil War, has gone from a local holiday in Texas to a national …

The History of the Harlem Globetrotters

May 31st, 2021

36:02

The Harlem Globetrotters are one of those great parts of American culture that almost everyone knows and loves. For most of us today, the …

#197 Energy Crises: A Half-Century of Hard Choices w/ Jay Hakes

May 17th, 2021

58:43

Since the OPEC oil embargo of 1973, policy makers have had to make hard choices to ensure that American citizens can access the cheap and plentiful …

The 5th Anniversary Party

May 3rd, 2021

1:31:13

It’s the 5th anniversary of The Road to Now so Bob and Ben invited a brilliant lineup of past guests to answer one question: “What has been the most unexpected turn you’ve seen in the last 5 years and how has it changed …

#195 Fixing Elections w/ Louis Woods

April 26th, 2021

54:09

Proponents of voting restrictions such as those recently enacted in Georgia have argued that these laws will restore voters’ faith in democracy. History, however, offers a long list of reasons to be skeptical. In this …

#194 The Rise and Fall of the American Suburbs w/ Kyle Kiismandel

April 12th, 2021

1:01:54

In the years after World War II, Americans moved to the suburbs in search of the peace and safety that many came to equate with the “American Dream.” By the end of the 1970s, however, suburbanites had come sense that …

#193 Understanding the American Rescue Plan Act w/ Erlinda Doherty

March 22nd, 2021

43:30

The $1.9 billion stimulus plan that President Biden signed into law on March 11th has implications for everyone in the United States, but …

#192 The History of Financial Bubbles w/ William Quinn

March 15th, 2021

1:00:31

Market bubbles can make and break fortunes, and which side of things you end up on has everything to do with what you’re holding when the bubble …

Gerd Schroth's Road from Child of Nazi Germany to American Citizen

March 1st, 2021

54:39

The Nazi regime that came to power in Germany in 1933 unleashed the most brutal and comprehensive war that humanity has ever seen. The horrors of the Nazis and the destruction they left behind is something most of us …

#191 A Conversation with Ken Burns

February 15th, 2021

1:07:10

Ken Burns joins Bob and Ben for a conversation about American history and the themes he sees playing out in the US today. Ken shares his process for selecting subjects for his films and explains how his new 3-part film

#190 American Militias w/ Amy Cooter

February 8th, 2021

46:36

Bob and Ben talk with Dr. Amy Cooter, a sociologist at Vanderbilt University whose research examines American militias. Amy shares what she’s learned …

#189 Space Lasers

February 1st, 2021

37:53

Bob and Ben respond to feedback about their episode on the 1776 project, evaluate the “worst President ever” claim, and discuss the utopian vision of “unbiased history.” Ben tries to focus on asking Bob questions and …

#188 Why the 1776 Report Still Matters w/ John Fea

January 25th, 2021

1:17:59

One of Joe Biden’s first acts as President of the United States was to sign an executive order that disbanded his predecessor’s advisory committee to promote “patriotic education.” This came just two days after the …

#187 The Insurrection Episode

January 18th, 2021

1:12:50

Bob Crawford is back, so he and Ben decided to take an episode to talk about recent political developments and where they (might) fit into our …

#185 Pragmatic History w/ Bill Scher

December 21st, 2020

1:10:04

Journalist Bill Scher joins Ben for a conversation about political pragmatism and the accomplishments that come from compromise and playing the long …

The History of Santa Claus and Christmas Culture w/ James Cooper (RTN #182 Rebroadcast)

December 7th, 2020

40:34

Ben and Bob caught up with Christmas expert James Cooper to find out the origins of Santa Claus, Christmas trees, and all the other parts of Christmas that most of us take for granted. James explains how Santa Claus and …

#184 The President’s Cabinet w/ Lindsay Chervinsky

November 23rd, 2020

1:24:42

Presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky joins us to talk about the origins of the President’s cabinet and how the decisions George Washington made have outlasted his time in office by more than 200 years. We also …

#183 The History of the Lumbee Indians w/ Malinda Maynor Lowery

November 9th, 2020

1:19:16

The Lumbee are the largest Indian tribe east of the Mississippi, and while few are familiar with their story, Lumbee history is remarkable both in itself and as a way to more richly understand the United States in …

Making the Call w/ Matt Negrin #1: Oh God What if He Claims Victory?!

October 30th, 2020

42:40

Note: Episodes 2-4 of this series, featuring Sarah Mimms, Brian Karem & Josh Shapiro are currently available on our website at RTNpod.me/makingthecall.

In the first of his four part series on media coverage and …

# 182 The Story of North Carolina Popular Music w/ David Menconi (ft. guest co-host Dolph Ramseur)

October 19th, 2020

51:13

Journalist David Menconi has documented the people and sounds of North Carolina’s music scene for almost three decades. In this episode, Ben and …

Washington's Farewell Revisited w/ John Avlon

October 5th, 2020

34:31

This episode is a reair of RTN #48 (with an updated intro).

George Washington is one of the most revered figures in American history. As Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, Washington led his troops to one of …

#181 More Questions than Answers

September 21st, 2020

45:15

2020 has been “eventful” so Bob & Ben decided to take an episode to sit back and cover what’s been happening lately and answer questions from our …

#180 The Transformation of American Policing w/ Stuart Schrader

September 7th, 2020

1:45:44

The confrontations between demonstrators and police that have taken place in the last few months have resulted in a national debate about law …

#179 The Pursuit of Happiness w/ Ravi Patel

August 24th, 2020

1:36:27

Ravi Patel has been a lot of things– an investment banker, an actor, the co-founder of an organization that benefits undernourished children– but in recent years, he’s set out to find the answers to life’s big questions …

#178 The Facebook Catastrophe w/ Roger McNamee

August 10th, 2020

1:11:55

In 2006, Roger McNamee played a crucial role in convincing Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg not to sell his company to Yahoo!. A couple of years …

#177 How the South Won the Civil War w/ Heather Cox Richardson

July 27th, 2020

1:48:24

The military engagements of the US Civil War came to an end in 1865, but the ideology of the confederacy was not so easily defeated. In this episode …

#176 Musical Chairs w/ Joe Kwon

July 13th, 2020

1:20:24

Cellist Joe Kwon joins Bob & Ben to talk about his journey from aspiring classical musician to Bob’s bandmate in The Avett Brothers. Joe shares …

I Can’t Breathe: Surviving the Dual Pandemics of Racism and Covid-19 w/ Louis Woods

June 29th, 2020

2:00:02

As Americans grapple with the devastation wrought by the dual pandemics of racism and Covid-19, it is critically important to understand the vast racial disparities Covid-19 has exposed within the African American …

#175 The Death of Expertise w/ Tom Nichols

June 22nd, 2020

1:30:42

Tom Nichols is University Professor at the Naval War College, where he specializes in international affairs, and a respected commentator on US …

#174 Direction w/ Michael Bonfiglio

June 15th, 2020

1:21:30

Michael Bonfiglio is an award-winning filmmaker whose work as a director and producer includes May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers (2017), the ESPN 30 for 30 documentaries You Don’t Know Bo: The Legend of Bo …

#173 The South w/ Trae Crowder

June 1st, 2020

1:23:36

Since going viral with his Liberal Redneck videos in 2016, comedian Trae Crowder has become well-known for sharing a perspective that is southern in origin, but not quite what most people expect. In this episode, Trae …

#172 Fourth Anniversary Party

May 18th, 2020

58:21

There was a lot happening when Bob and Ben launched the first episode of The Road to Now on May 19th, 2016. It was the year of a Presidential election, there was an intense feeling of partisanship in the air, and people …

#171 Baseball in Context w/ Jayson Stark

May 11th, 2020

1:34:54

Baseball is part of America’s cultural fabric, and few people know the game and its place in society as well as Jayson Stark. As a celebrated …

#170 Soviet Soldiers and the Red Army in World War II w/ Brandon Schechter

May 4th, 2020

1:02:17

On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany launched an attack on the USSR that caught Soviet leaders completely off guard. Over the next four years, the Red Army was transformed, as were the lives of more than 34 million men and …

# 169 The Kinks: Songs of the Semi-Detached w/ Mark Doyle

April 27th, 2020

1:00:22

The Kinks are one of the great rock bands of the 20th century, and like all artists, they reflect the times and places they’ve inhabited. In this episode, we speak with Mark Doyle about his excellent new book The Kinks: …

Technology and the Mind w/ Nicholas Carr

April 20th, 2020

42:08

This is a rebroadcast of an episode that originally aired on March 20, 2017

Note: Given that we are relying more than ever on technology to …

#168 Breaking Down the 5G Conspiracy w/ Stacy Wood

April 13th, 2020

56:04

As people try to make sense of the Coronavirus epidemic, some have unfortunately turned to conspiracy theories linking Covid-19 to the installation of 5G networks. In this episode, Bob and Ben speak with Stacy Wood …

#167 The Outbreak Narrative w/ Priscilla Wald

April 6th, 2020

51:45

When we think of epidemics, we often imagine the central struggle as between microbe and epidemiologist. But as the coronavirus outbreak has reminded …

#166 Everything’s Going To Be Okay

March 30th, 2020

43:45

Based on what you’ve told us on social media, it’s time for a break from the outbreak. So in this episode, Bob and Ben talk about the French …

#165 Saving America’s Cities w/ Lizabeth Cohen

March 23rd, 2020

1:05:26

Note: Bob and Ben start off talking about the Covid-19 outbreak and plans for upcoming episodes of this podcast. We shift to our discussion with Dr. Cohen at about 10:30.

The suburbanization of the American landscape …

#164 What('s) A Disaster

March 16th, 2020

33:11

Disasters abound, and what comes next is all about making good decisions. Ben talks about the Nashville tornado of 1998, the Nashville tornado of …

The History of Coal w/ Chuck Keeney

March 9th, 2020

36:56

Bob and Ben speak with Dr. Chuck Keeney about the history of coal in the United States. Chuck explains the ways that the coal industry has shaped not only the physical landscape of mining towns, but also, through …

#163 The Avett Brothers Archive w/ Tim Mossberger

February 24th, 2020

49:14

For many years now, Tim Mossberger has been building an incredible collection of material objects, music, and information on Bob’s band The Avett …

#162 The Presidents’ Day Rundown

February 17th, 2020

43:22

The Road to Now is celebrating our fourth Presidents’ Day by launching our first Presidents’ Day episode! To mark this momentous occasion, Bob and Ben both sat down with a list of three significant moments in …

#161 Food in the Era of Adulteration w/ Benjamin Cohen

February 10th, 2020

55:59

When it comes to food, knowing what you’re getting can be tricky. On the surface, words such as “pure” and “natural” seem straightforward, yet defining them in the modern world has required experts, laws, and …

#160 NASCAR and Moonshine w/ Kyle Petty and Dan Pierce (Recorded Live at the McGlohon Theater in Charlotte, NC)

February 6th, 2020

45:28

In the last few decades, NASCAR has taken stock car racing from a regional sport anchored in the south, to the national level. Though NASCAR has a reputation as a family-friendly organization, its history is inseparable …

#159 The History of Charlotte, NC w/ Thomas Hanchett Pam Kelley (Recorded Live at the McGlohon Theater in Charlotte, NC)

February 3rd, 2020

48:43

Charlotte, NC has grown tremendously in the last half-century, yet it still lacks a clear national identity. While many know it today for its professional sports franchises or its prominence as a banking hub, the city …

#157 The State of the Union w/ Matt Negrin

January 20th, 2020

48:26

After our last episode on the separation of powers in the Constitution, we heard from several listeners who said they wished we’d spent more time on …

#156 Executive Boundaries

January 13th, 2020

37:25

2020 begins with an Impeachment Trial in the Senate and will end with a Presidential election, so Bob and Ben are kicking off the year discussing the relationship between the Executive and Legislative branches of the …

#155 Uncivil Christmas w/ Carson Hudson

December 23rd, 2019

59:58

In our final episode of 2019, Bob & Ben speak w/ historian Carson Hudson, whose program “Uncivil Christmas” tells of life in Williamsburg, …

#154 America's First War on Christmas w/ Bruce Carlson

December 16th, 2019

1:09:17

On December 25, 1776, George Washington and his men celebrated their first post-Declaration of Independence Christmas by crossing a freezing river to mount a surprise attack against their enemies. The plan worked, but …

#153 Floating Coast: The Environmental History of the Bering Strait w/ Bathsheba Demuth

December 2nd, 2019

56:14

In 1848, New England ships crossed the Bering Strait in pursuit of the bowhead whales that provided their income. In the years since, the activity of outsiders- from hunters, to government bureaucrats, to consumers of …

#152 Building Community and Breaking Barriers w/ Digital Humanities (Recorded Live at ASEEES 2019)

November 25th, 2019

1:02:04

In this episode, recorded live from the 2019 convention of the Association of Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) in San Francisco, …

#151 Live in Chicago w/ Pete Souza Erin Welsh (recorded at Beverly Arts Center)

November 18th, 2019

1:11:47

Pete Souza (photographer for Barack Obama/Ronald Reagan) and Erin Welsh (epidemiologist/cohost of This Podcast Will Kill You) joined Bob and Ben for …

#150 Life on the Road

November 11th, 2019

45:39

It’s our sesquicentennial episode, so Bob and Ben thought it was time to catch up and talk about all the great things that have been happening in the last few months. The conversation covers The Avett Brothers’ new …

#149 The History of Hong Kong w/ Mindy Smith

November 4th, 2019

46:24

The protests that swept through the streets of Hong Kong beginning in the summer of 2019 highlighted the tension that exists between the residents of …

# 148 The Bizarre Life of American Death w/ Caitlin Doughty

October 28th, 2019

56:06

Death is something that everyone has in common, yet most of us spend our lives trying not to think about it. Even as we buy our decorations and costumes for Halloween, we rarely consider that witches, skeleton and other …

#147 How to Remove a Confederate Monument w/ Adam Swensek

October 21st, 2019

1:06:04

In 2015, the New Orleans City Council voted to remove four Confederate monuments from the city. Immediately following that vote, the monuments’ …

#146 Keeping Government Secrets w/ Stacy Wood

October 14th, 2019

1:17:43

With the current impeachment inquiry underway, there has been a lot of talk about government information, where it is stored, and who has the right to access these records. In this episode, Ben speaks with archive and …

#145 The Opioid Crisis w/ Beth Macy

October 7th, 2019

48:10

Right now an average of one person dies about every 11 minutes from an opioid overdose in the United States. The staggering number of lives ruined by opioid addiction has finally gotten public attention in recent years, …

The Seriousness of Being Funny w/ Tom Shadyac (Rebroadcast)

September 30th, 2019

1:07:12

Tom Shadyac will be our guest for a live recording at TPAC’s Polk Theater as part of the Nashville Comedy Festival on April 18th, 2020! Click here …

#144 Saudi Arabia and the Middle East w/ Sean Foley

September 23rd, 2019

50:53

The recent drone strike on Saudi oil fields has implications for the entire world, but we remain uncertain who is responsible for the attack. Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility, but Trump claims it was …

#143 Research!

September 16th, 2019

35:34

Bob and Ben talk about some of the incredible resources that are now available electronically and how they have opened up new opportunities for historians. Bob talks about how his research on Monsanto, which he’s …

#142 How Talk Radio Took Over the Republican Party w/ Brian Rosenwald

September 9th, 2019

1:09:58

Brian Rosenwald joins Ben and Bob to discuss his new book Talk Radio’s America: How an Industry Took Over A Party That Took Over the United States, which traces the emergence of talk radio as a major powerhouse in …

#141 The Last Czars, Chernobyl, and the Pros Cons of Dramatizing History w/ Philippa Hetherington Jon Waterlow

September 2nd, 2019

57:25

The Netflix series The Last Czars and HBO’s Chernobyl have (in very different ways) brought Russian & Soviet history to televisions across the world. In this episode, Ben sits down with fellow Russian historians …

#140 Citizen Coke: The History of Coca-Cola w/ Bartow Elmore

August 26th, 2019

1:05:31

Coca-Cola is one of the most well-known products on planet earth, but did you ever wonder how a brown fizzy drink fueled the rise of a corporate …

# 139 Healthcare, the Law and the Future(s) of Privacy w/ Roy Wyman

August 19th, 2019

1:11:49

Technology is transforming the production & availability of knowledge. Many experts predict AI & nanotechnology will soon bring about a …

#138 The Power of Story (Live from NCSL's 2019 Legislative Summit)

August 12th, 2019

1:03:04

We make sense of our place in the world through stories. Our history as individuals & communities is always present, but the parts of the story we emphasize, as well as those we forget, are crucial in understanding …

RTN Theology #11 The Character of Virtue w/ Stanley Hauerwas

July 29th, 2019

1:21:42

RTN Theology now is now on its own podcast feed! Subscribe anywhere you get The Road to Now for RTN Theology episodes 12-19 and more!

RTN Theology

# 137 Making Fun of History: Creating Serious Games w/ Ben Sawyer

July 22nd, 2019

56:45

Creating games that are both fun and educational takes a lot of work, but Digitalmill’s Ben Sawyer has been doing it successfully for more than two …

#136 The City of the Future: Apex, North Carolina

July 15th, 2019

39:53

When the city of Apex, NC was founded in 1873, it was little more than a railroad stop with a tiny rural population. In the last half-century, …

#135 Surrender in the American Civil War w/ David Silkenat

July 8th, 2019

45:30

Robert E. Lee’s surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865 marked the end of the American Civil War, but it was just one of many times …

#134 The American Empire w/ Daniel Immerwahr

July 1st, 2019

1:04:13

Is the United States an empire? US citizens have struggled with this question for a long time. Though our historical narrative traces our origins to the war for independence against the British Empire, we often forget …

RTN Theology 10: The Life Legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer

June 24th, 2019

1:04:30

RTN Theology now is now on its own podcast feed! Subscribe to RTN Theology anywhere you get The Road to Now for episodes 12-19 and more!

This episode …

Life, Beer Politics w/ Gov. John Hickenlooper (Rebroadcast)

June 21st, 2019

45:14

This is a rebroadcast of episode #6, which originally aired in July of 2016.

In this episode of The Road to Now, we speak with Colorado Governor John …

#133 Bonnaroo Past Present w/ festival co-founder Ashley Capps (live from Bonnaroo)

June 16th, 2019

51:27

In 2002, Ashley Capps took a gamble- he rented hundreds of acres in rural Tennessee and put on a music festival. Coming on the heels of the infamous …

#132 In the Footsteps of Lafayette w/ Julien Icher

June 10th, 2019

52:11

On August 15, 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette arrived in the United States to say farewell to the country whose independence he helped secure more than four decades earlier. Over the next 15 months, Lafayette visited all …

#131 Photographing the President w/ Pete Souza

June 3rd, 2019

47:09

As the person responsible for documenting the Obama Administration, Pete Souza spent more time with Barack Obama than almost anyone else, which left him with some deep in sights on Obama and the office of the …

#130 Sources, Methods Music w/ Robert Costa

May 28th, 2019

58:32

Bob speaks with The Washington Post’s Robert Costa about the methods used by reporters covering the White House and Capitol Hill. Costa talks about …

#129 RTN Third Anniversary Party w/ Matt Negrin

May 20th, 2019

38:07

On May 18 2016, Ben and Bob launched the first three episodes of their new podcast called The Road To Now. One of the guests in those episodes was a young journalist named Matt Negrin, who Bob met during a visit to the …

#128 A Frail League of Friendship: The Articles of Confederation w/ Greg Jackson

May 6th, 2019

1:00:13

In 1776, the US declared independence. Eleven years later, in 1787, delegates from 12 states (we’re looking at YOU Rhode Island) got together in Philadelphia and wrote the Constitution. In between those triumphant …

RTN Theology #9: Burying White Privilege: Resurrecting a Badass Christianity w/ Miguel De La Torre

April 29th, 2019

36:56

RTN Theology now is now on its own podcast feed! Subscribe anywhere you get The Road to Now for RTN Theology episodes 12-19 and more!

In this episode …

#127 The History of Privacy in Modern America w/ Sarah Igo

April 22nd, 2019

51:52

The data collection practices of companies such as facebook, google and amazon have led many Americans to wonder if privacy is dead. Though these …

#126 The Origins of American Immigration Policy w/ Hidetaka Hirota

April 8th, 2019

47:37

Hidetaka Hirota joins Bob and Ben for a conversation about the history of immigration law in the United States and the ways that government officials …

RTN Voices #1: The Life Times of Rufus Allan Sevier (RTN April Fools Episode)

April 1st, 2019

24:46

This episode launched April 1, 2019. It's an April Fools trick, but we hope you enjoy it anyway!

Rufus Allan Sevier was born on December 7, 1916 in …

RTN Theology #8 Elizabeth Seton and Catholics in Early America w/ Catherine O'Donnell

March 25th, 2019

1:01:14

RTN Theology now is now on its own podcast feed! Subscribe anywhere you get The Road to Now for RTN Theology episodes 12-19 and more!

Bob speaks with …

#125 When the Irish Invaded Canada w/ Chris Klein

March 18th, 2019

46:37

In 1866, the Fenian Brotherhood, comprised primarily of Irish Civil War veterans, led a series of attacks on Canadian provinces just across the border from the United States. Their goal: seize Canadian territory and …

#124 Political Coalitions from 1990 to 2019 w/ Amy Walter

March 11th, 2019

55:50

Amy Walter has been covering Congress and Congressional races since the early 1990s. In this episode, Amy joins Bob to talk about the political …

#123 How to Tell a Good Story w/ Jakob Lewis

March 4th, 2019

1:16:41

Jakob Lewis knows how to tell a good story. As the host and producer of the podcast Neighbors, Jakob built a nation-wide audience by talking to those around him and turning them into compelling stories that captured the …

#122 The Arctic w/ Heidi Bohaker Alison Smith

February 25th, 2019

1:01:36

When most of us think of the earth, we imagine going “north” as going “up.” Modern maps, however, obscure many geographic realities, including the existence of an Arctic world, which unites the US, Canada, Russia, …

RTN Theology #7 Remembering Walter B. Jones: Living by Faith and by Truth

February 18th, 2019

52:13

RTN Theology now is now on its own podcast feed! Subscribe anywhere you get The Road to Now for RTN Theology episodes 12-19 and more!

In this episode …

#121 Gender and History w/ Lisa Fine

February 11th, 2019

1:00:53

Bob and Ben talk with Lisa Fine about the ways that viewing history through the lens of gender can help us understand the past. Lisa explains the origins of women’s history, the impact that gender theory had on the …

#120 The History of Influenza w/ John Barry

February 4th, 2019

51:53

The influenza strain that hit the world in 1918 killed between 50 and 100 million people. It was not the first flu to have such an impact on humanity, and it also may not be the last. In this episode we talk with John …

#119 Karl Marx and History

January 28th, 2019

44:26

When Americans think of Karl Marx, they probably think of the self-proclaimed Marxist governments whose rivalry with the US & Western Europe …

#118 The GI Bill and the Legacy of Racial Discrimination w/ Louis Woods

January 21st, 2019

1:21:08

Most Americans grow up learning about the civil rights movement from a very young age, but the stories we tell about the March on Washington, Dr. King’s speeches, and the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts of 1964-65 …

#117 American Slavery w/ Edward Baptist

January 14th, 2019

57:22

Slavery was an integral part of the American republic from the moment of independence until the abolition of the so-called “peculiar institution” …

#116 What is the Middle Class? w/ Scott Wasserman

January 7th, 2019

47:38

Most Americans identify themselves as middle class. But what does that mean? Bob & Ben talk with The Bell Policy Center’s Scott Wasserman to talk …

#115 The 1970s w/ Jefferson Cowie

December 17th, 2018

1:07:12

The 1970s was a pivotal decade in American history. In a ten-year span, the United States admitted defeat in Vietnam, saw a President resign in shame, and came face to face with many of the atrocities it had committed …

#114 Making the Government Talk: US Covert Operations and Freedom of Information w/ Peter Kornbluh

December 10th, 2018

56:43

Peter Kornbluh has spent his life working to shed light on US covert operations abroad. Along with his colleagues at the National Security Archive,

#113 War on the Banana Skin

December 3rd, 2018

37:37

Bob and Ben sit down to talk about the current events and historical questions that have been on their mind lately. They cover the GI bill delays that student veterans are currently facing, the one war that Teddy …

#112 The Ottoman Empire and the Rise of the Modern Middle East w/ Eugene Rogan

November 19th, 2018

1:01:55

At the beginning of the 20th century, most of the territory that we call the Middle East- including Syria, Iraq, Israel and Turkey- were part of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman alliance w/ Germany and Austria-Hungary …

#23.2 Felon Disfranchisement and Citizenship in the US w/ Pippa Holloway (w/ update)

November 12th, 2018

54:15

On November 6, 2018, the people of Florida voted to amend their state’s constitution to restore voting rights to an estimated one and a half million citizens who had lost this right due to a prior felony conviction. In …

#111 Dvořák in America w/ Matt Negrin

November 5th, 2018

55:56

What does it mean to be American? This isn't just a question for us in 2018 -- it was an unanswered question for the country in the late 19th century when it came to musical identity. And of all the people to try to …

#110 Gerry Adams and the Global Road to Peace

October 29th, 2018

44:48

Note: Gerry Adams will be giving a public talk in the Civil Rights Room of the Nashville Public Library on Saturday, November 3rd at 10:00am. The talk is open to the public and Gerry invites you to come say hello! For …

RTN Theology #6 The Road to Hope? The Challenges of Faith in Politics

October 22nd, 2018

1:28:46

RTN Theology now is now on its own podcast feed! Subscribe anywhere you get The Road to Now for RTN Theology episodes 12-19 and more!

Discussing the …

#109 Presidential Impeachment w/ Jeffrey Engel

October 15th, 2018

1:19:48

Bob and Ben speak with Jeffrey Engel about the history of Presidential impeachment and how understanding the past can inform the debates surrounding …

#108 From Scunthorpe to Brooklyn w/ The Ruen Brothers

October 8th, 2018

51:30

Henry & Rupert Stansall (aka The Ruen Brothers) began their musical careers playing in the Working Men’s clubs of Scunthorpe in Northern England at a time in life when most of us were only beginning to discover …

#106 Why You Should Vote w/ Andy Bernstein

September 24th, 2018

58:52

National Voter Registration Day is Tuesday, September 25th, and Bob and Ben are doing their part to get the word out. In this episode we speak with HeadCount Executive Director Andy Bernstein to talk about the work …

#105 Charlie Cook on the 2018 Midterm Elections

September 10th, 2018

51:56

This week we take a deep dive into the upcoming Midterm Elections with Editor and Publisher of The Cook Political Report, and NBC News political …

#104 Bill Plante Olivier Knox on Journalism and Politics (live at Glover Park Group)

August 22nd, 2018

1:12:38

Veteran journalists Bill Plante & Olivier Knox join Bob & Ben for a conversation about the press and how journalism has changed in recent …

#103 How the American Dream Became Temporary w/ Louis Hyman

August 20th, 2018

50:03

“Make American Great Again” is not a precise slogan, but it did capture the sense of anxiety many Americans feel about work in the 21st century. The “gig economy,” in which more and more American workers rely on …

#102 Stand Up Comedy and Los Angeles w/ Pat Reilly

August 13th, 2018

1:24:31

Ben talks with Sociologist Pat Reilly, whose research examines the organization and economics of stand up comedy in Los Angeles. Pat explains what …

#101 Nativism in American Politics w/ David Bennett

July 30th, 2018

1:09:58

Bob & Ben speak with Syracuse University’s Dr. David Bennett to learn more about the history of nativism in the United States. Dr. Bennett discusses his book The Party of Fear: From Nativist Movements to the New …

#100 RTN One Hundred

July 23rd, 2018

40:22

A lot has changed since the first episode of The Road to Now launched in May 2016, so Bob and Ben decided to spend some time reflecting on the …

RTN Theology #4: Kutter Callaway on Reconstructing Our Cultural and Spiritual Norms

July 16th, 2018

51:22

RTN Theology now is now on its own podcast feed! Subscribe anywhere you get The Road to Now for RTN Theology episodes 12-19 and more!

In this episode …

BONUS: Elvis Presley America (from My History Can Beat Up Your Politics)

July 9th, 2018

49:19

Last fall, our good friend and fellow podcaster Bruce Carlson invited Ben to join him for a conversation about Elvis Presley and his impact on …

#99 The History Politics of the World Cup w/ Alex Galarza Matt Negrin

June 18th, 2018

1:08:30

The 2018 FIFA World Cup is underway in Russia, so Ben sat down with soccer historian Alex Galarza and RTN favorite Matt Negrin to talk about the history of the World Cup. We discuss the corruption that has plagued FIFA, …

#33 Jim Cornette on the History of Professional Wrestling

June 11th, 2018

50:03

There’s a good chance you don’t appreciate how engrained professional wrestling is in American history and culture, and this episode is about to …

#98 Dwight Eisenhower US Foreign Intervention in the 1950s w/ William Hitchcock

June 4th, 2018

49:11

The world we live in today has Dwight Eisenhower’s fingerprints all over it. When Dwight Eisenhower gave his farewell address on January 17, 1960, he warned the American people of the growing influence of a …

#96 Tyler Mahan Coe on Podcasting the History of Country Music

May 21st, 2018

1:03:20

For the third installment of our Music May series, Ben caught up with Tyler Mahan Coe whose podcast Cocaine & Rhinestones dives into some of the most famous stories in the history of country music. As a musician and …

#95 Tom Marshall on Writing Phish and Everything Else

May 14th, 2018

1:08:05

You may have heard Tom Marshall’s words even if you’ve never heard him speak. For the last four decades Tom has been the chief lyricist for the band …

#94 This Episode Kills Fascists: The Life Legacy of Woody Guthrie w/ Deana McCloud

May 7th, 2018

54:30

Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” is one of the well-known tunes in the United States, but the song, and the man who wrote it, are far more …

#93 Woodrow Wilson Presidential Morality w/ Patricia O’Toole

April 30th, 2018

58:58

On The Road to Now, we talk a lot about how understanding history is essential to making informed political decisions. In today’s episode, Patricia …

Catching Up: Sean Foley on Syria and the Middle East

April 27th, 2018

22:13

In episode 53, we spoke with Sean Foley about Syria and the historic forces at work in the Syrian Civil War. A lot has changed since we first spoke …

#92 The Armenian Genocide w/ Ronald Suny

April 23rd, 2018

51:20

The Armenian genocide was one of the most tragic events in the 20th century. The Ottoman government’s deliberate attempt to purge Armenians during World War I led to the elimination of approximately 1.5 million of the 2 …

#91 The History of Satire and the American Political Cartoon w/ Richard Samuel West

April 16th, 2018

1:02:56

In this episode of The Road to Now, Richard Samuel West joins Bob and Ben for a conversation on the history of political cartoons in the United …

#90 The History of the Cherokee Nation w/ John Sedgwick

April 9th, 2018

52:11

Note: We are aware of the controversy surrounding this book and are currently working to bring voices to the table to discuss this further.

Native Americans are one of the most significant, yet overlooked, groups in …

#40 The Life Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. w/ Clayborne Carson

April 2nd, 2018

27:02

April 4, 2018 marks 50 years since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In honor or Dr. King's legacy, this week we are re-airing our interview w/ Dr. Clayborne Carson.

On August 28th, 1963 Clayborne Carson …

RTN Theology #3: A Conversation with Kate Bowler

March 26th, 2018

1:07:39

RTN Theology now is now on its own podcast feed! Subscribe anywhere you get The Road to Now for RTN Theology episodes 12-19 and more!

Chris Breslin …

#89 The GOP and Tax Reform Revisited w/ Brian Riedl

March 19th, 2018

41:56

The debate over taxation and the economy is an argument that is as old as the nation itself. In our previous episode, historian Robert McElvaine …

#88 Taxation, the Great Depression, and the GOP Tax Reform w/ Robert McElvaine

March 12th, 2018

46:41

Taxation is a controversial topic in the United States. Some Americans see taxation as a penalty on hard work, while others see it as a way to alleviate social ills and discourage activity they deem undesirable. And …

#87 All Roads Lead to Douglas Brinkley

March 5th, 2018

57:10

During a recent tour with The Avett Brothers, Bob caught up with historian Douglas Brinkley to talk about history and the state of American politics. …

#86 William McKinley and the Republican Party with Robert Merry

February 19th, 2018

55:03

The Republican Party has changed a lot since a few former Whigs started the party in the 1850s. Today, the party’s legacy is usually defined in terms …

#84 America’s Forgotten War: The War of 1812 w/ Don Hickey

January 22nd, 2018

45:51

The War of 1812 isn’t an event most of us get excited about. The conflict between the US and Great Britain lasted almost 3 years, but like a lot of sequels, it didn’t live up to the original. When the war was over, …

#83 Foreign Policy in American History w/ Joyce Kaufman

January 8th, 2018

52:30

There is no question that Donald Trump’s approach to foreign affairs is nothing we’ve seen from the Presidents who preceded him.  In a recent New …

#81 The History of Coffee w/ Mark Pendergrast

December 11th, 2017

41:08

Americans love coffee. According to recent statistics, more than 60% of Americans drink at least one cup of coffee every day, and the market research firm Mintel predicts that coffee shops will take in more than $23 …

RTN Theology #1: The Intersection of Christianity Culture in the United States ft. James K.A. Smith

December 7th, 2017

1:11:43

RTN Theology now is now on its own podcast feed! Subscribe anywhere you get The Road to Now for RTN Theology episodes 12-19 and more!

In the premier …

#80 Navajo Code Talkers, Pocahontas, Native American History w/ Ashley Riley Sousa

November 30th, 2017

30:03

A few days ago, President Donald Trump welcomed the Navajo Code Talkers to the White House. Instead of focusing solely on the veterans’ contributions …

#47 The History of Christianity w/ Molly Worthen (Rebroadcast)

November 23rd, 2017

1:00:44

Are faith and reason compatible? How do people of faith reconcile themselves to a secular world? These are difficult and complex questions that have …

#79 The Russian Revolution w/ Lewis Siegelbaum

November 16th, 2017

47:14

The Russian Revolution that began with the fall of Tsar Nicholas II in February of 1917 and continued into a second revolution the following October, …

#78 The French Revolution w/ Peter McPhee

November 9th, 2017

39:58

On August 4, 1789, the National Assembly of France adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which asserted the Enlightenment ideals of universal rights and democracy. Though the French …

#77 Martin Luther the Reformation with Donald Fortson

October 30th, 2017

40:40

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther delivered his 95 Theses to the Catholic Church. We don’t know for sure if Luther actually nailed them to the door …

#76 History of American Cemeteries with Tanya Marsh

October 23rd, 2017

37:51

Death is something that all humans have in common. How we dealt with death is not. The cemeteries that occupy prominent places in the American landscape, as well as the twenty-one thousand funeral homes in operation …

#75 William Walker, Historical Markers, and (Re)Writing History

October 16th, 2017

29:27

On the corner of 4th Avenue and Commerce Street in Nashville, there’s a historical marker that reads:

“William Walker; Grey-eyed Man of Destiny; Born May 8, 1824, Walker moved to this site from 6th Ave. N. in 1840.  In …

#72 Coffee With The Avett Brothers

September 25th, 2017

36:33

In this episode of The Road to Now, we sit down for coffee and conversation with Bob’s bandmates in The Avett Brothers for a discussion about art, …

#71 Gerd Schroth on Life as a Child of Nazi Germany, Refugee, Immigrant, And Now, American Citizen

September 18th, 2017

47:09

The Nazi regime that came to power in Germany in 1933 unleashed the most brutal and comprehensive war that humanity has ever seen. The horrors of the Nazis and the destruction they left behind is something most of us …

#69 Lance Armstrong on Moving Forward Without Forgetting the Past

September 4th, 2017

31:27

Lance Armstrong is one of the most recognized names in modern American sports. He’s also one of the most divisive. He’s a man who helped raise almost …

#68 The Politics of Immigration in American History with Andrew Gyory

August 28th, 2017

43:34

In 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which was the first major legislative act in American history to restrict immigration. In this episode we talk with historian Andrew Gyory about the reasons that …

#66 Charles Darwin and American History w/ Randall Fuller

August 14th, 2017

35:13

Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species is one of the most controversial books ever written. For most Americans, Darwin’s theories are associated with the …

#65 The History of Early America w/ Liz Covart

August 7th, 2017

34:07

At The Road to Now, we don’t just make history podcasts- we also listen to them. In this episode we’re excited to share our conversation with fellow history podcaster Dr. Liz Covart, whose podcast Ben Franklin’s World

#64 The History of Oil w/ Paul Roberts

July 31st, 2017

36:01

Oil is one of the oldest fuel sources known to man. Its impact on the world is not simple; while it has powered the vehicles that have made human …

#63 The History of Green Energy w/ Alexis Madrigal

July 24th, 2017

41:59

When most Americans think of sustainable technology, they think of Jimmy Carter's solar panels or the windmills that are beginning to pop up across …

#62 Nuclear Energy w/ Jim Clarke and Steve Krahn

July 17th, 2017

12:24

Since August 6, 1945, when the Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, the world has been aware of the awesome force that nuclear …

#61 The History of Coal w/ Chuck Keeney

July 10th, 2017

38:14

In our first episode of the second season of The Road to Now, Bob and Ben speak with Dr. Chuck Keeney about the history of coal in the United States. Chuck explains the ways that the coal industry has shaped not only …

#59 The History of World War I w/ Mitchell Yockelson

May 15th, 2017

38:46

On April 6, 1917, the United States House of Representatives voted to declare war on Germany, bringing the United States into the brutal war that had raged across Europe since the summer of 1914. America’s entry into …

#58 The History of North Korea w/ Sheena Greitens

May 8th, 2017

30:20

North Korea is a hard place for most Americans to understand. Kim Jung-un and his inner circle keep a tight grip on information, and what the North Korean government does share with outsiders can be hard to decipher. …

#57 Margaret Talev on the White House Press Corps

May 4th, 2017

47:57

On February 17, 2017, President Donald J. Trump tweeted that the American news media is the enemy of the people. This was an escalation from the rhetoric candidate Trump used along the campaign trail continually …

#56 The History of the Harlem Globetrotters w/ Ben Green

May 1st, 2017

33:18

The Harlem Globetrotters are one of those great parts of American culture that almost everyone knows and loves. For most of us today, the …

#55 Neil Hanson on the Mignonette Everything Else

April 24th, 2017

32:23

Neil Hanson is one of the most interesting people we know. He’s written books on World War I, the Spanish Armada, and the fire that destroyed London in 1666. He once teamed up with history’s greatest treasure hunter to …

#54 The (After)Life of James K. Polk w/ Tom Price

April 17th, 2017

40:39

“Who is James K. Polk?” If you’re asking this question to yourself right now, you’re not alone. In fact, “Who is James K. Polk?” was a slogan Polk’s …

#53 The History of Syria w/ Sean Foley

April 13th, 2017

40:51

The Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011, has been one of the most tragic events in recent history. The implications of the situation in Syria stretch far beyond the borders of the country, and the UN estimates that …

#52 Douglas Brinkley on Bob Dylan, John Kennedy, the Rise of the American Individual

April 10th, 2017

35:01

The 1960s was a decade of individualism, and few individuals from this era are as iconic as Bob Dylan and John F. Kennedy. For Dylan, the 60s was just the beginning of a half-century career that has included over 2,500 …

#51 The History of Golf w/ Tony Parker

April 3rd, 2017

38:00

Throughout the latter part of the 20th century the perception of Golf in popular culture was that of a sport for wealthy white men who gathered at …

#50 Ambassador Jack Matlock on Diplomacy US-Russian Relations

March 28th, 2017

26:49

The Cold War that developed between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II, defined the second half of the 20th century. In these …

#49 The History of Technology w/ Nicholas Carr

March 20th, 2017

44:32

The internet has revolutionized the human experience in the 21st century. Our ability to communicate with others, find locations in unfamiliar …

#47 The History of Christianity in America w/ Molly Worthen

March 6th, 2017

1:00:48

Are faith and reason compatible? How do people of faith reconcile themselves to a secular world? These are difficult and complex questions that have …

#46 Martin Van Buren the Age of Jackson w/ Mark Cheathem

February 27th, 2017

51:44

These days, Martin Van Buren is mostly known as the balding nineteenth century President with muttonchops and a funny name. But spend some time talking with Dr. Mark Cheathem, professor of history at Cumberland …

#45 Bruce Carlson on Presidential History

February 20th, 2017

50:55

On April 30, 1789, George Washington stood on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City and took the first Presidential oath of office. The words he spoke that day were those written clearly in Article 2 of the new …

#44 The History of NASCAR w/ Kyle Petty

February 13th, 2017

40:43

When Bill France Sr. founded NASCAR in 1948, his goal was to turn stock car racing from an activity associated with bootlegging roughnecks into a …

#43 The History of the Democratic Party w/ Bruce Schulman

February 5th, 2017

51:54

As the Democratic Party recovers from an unexpected defeat in the 2016 election, it finds itself in search of new leaders who can bring the party through this time of crisis. History shows that parties can withstand …

#42 The History of National Parks w/ Jon Jarvis

January 30th, 2017

57:06

For over 100 years, the National Park Service has maintained and protected some of America’s greatest treasures. Since its founding in 1916, the service has enjoyed broad support from the public as well as elected …

#41 The History of Health Insurance w/ Melissa Thomasson

January 23rd, 2017

53:30

Fixing the American healthcare system has been one of the most difficult and divisive problems in modern US history. The Affordable Care Act has …

#40 The Life Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. w/ Clayborne Carson

January 15th, 2017

41:00

On August 28th,1963 Clayborne Carson was a 19 year-old attending his first civil rights demonstration. That demonstration was the historic March on …

#38 The History of the Republican Party w/ Heather Cox Richardson

January 9th, 2017

1:05:11

Most people agree that the 2016 election marked a turning point for the Republican Party. Whatever the impact of this election in the long term, the changes we’re seeing today are part of a longer historical trajectory …

#37 NASA, Warren G. Harding, Daylight Saving, Political Parties (Listener QA)

January 2nd, 2017

36:26

In the last few weeks, our listeners have submitted some great questions about the history of NASA, Presidential corruption, daylight saving time, & more. We’ve been working hard to get you the answers to these …

#36 Family, History, and Possibilities w/ Turner Simkins

December 26th, 2016

50:09

In episode 36 of The Road to Now, Bob and guest co-host Keith Larson speak with Turner Simkins about his new book Possibilities. Turner tells of the struggles his family went through after his son Brennan was diagnosed …

#35 Jimmy Carter US Foreign Relations w/ Nancy Mitchell

December 18th, 2016

48:43

Jimmy Carter’s Presidency is one few Americans remember fondly. In a 2013 ranking created by statistician Nate Silver, Carter took the #26 spot, …

#34 Tom Shadyac on the Seriousness of Being Funny

December 12th, 2016

1:03:26

Tom Shadyac has probably made you laugh. He was the youngest ever staff joke writer for Bob Hope and he directed some of the biggest comedy films in recent memory, including Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Nutty …

#33 Jim Cornette on the History of Pro Wrestling

December 5th, 2016

50:08

There’s a good chance you don’t appreciate how engrained professional wrestling is in American history and culture, and this episode is about to …

#32 Tolerance and Faith in American Politics w/ Jimmy Williams

November 28th, 2016

53:48

American politics has changed a lot in the last few decades. Jimmy Williams, has observed this from inside the beltway, and has made a few changes …

#30 The Origins of Conservative Talk Radio w/ Brian Rosenwald

November 21st, 2016

1:01:22

The 2016 election is over and many Americans are trying to understand how Donald Trump was able to defeat the political establishment and reveal …

#29 The History of Putin's Russia w/ Arch Getty

November 14th, 2016

45:46

The relationship between the United States and Russia was hotly debated in the 2016 election, and will likely be one of the most important issues in …

#28 The History of Presidential Elections w/ Bruce Carlson

November 7th, 2016

41:23

For the final installment in our election week series, we speak with Bruce Carlson, the creator and host of the podcast My History Can Beat Up Your …

#27 Matt Negrin Alexander Trowbridge on Campaign Surrogates and Presidential Elections

November 3rd, 2016

21:17

In the second installment of our election week series, Road to Now contributors Matt Negrin & Alex Trowbridge of Bloomberg Politics offer up …

#25 The History of Country Soul Music w/ Charles Hughes

October 23rd, 2016

56:02

Dr. Charles Hughes of Rhodes College joins Ben and Bob to talk about his recent book Country Soul, which examines the history of music in the …

#24 The History of the New Deal w/ Jefferson Cowie

October 17th, 2016

1:03:13

In 2009, Ben Sawyer read Jefferson Cowie’s Capital Moves while studying for his doctoral exams, and he loved it. In 2016, Jeff joined the department of history at Vanderbilt, conveniently located about 5 miles from …

#23 The History of Voting Rights w/ Pippa Holloway

October 9th, 2016

41:31

Restoring voting rights for Americans convicted of felonies has been a major issue in the last year, most recently in the state of Virginia. According to The Sentencing Project, almost 6 million Americans are prohibited …

#21 The History of Hollywood and Politics w/ Kathryn Cramer Brownell

September 25th, 2016

47:17

The 2016 Presidential Election is in full swing, and The Road to Now has been working hard to place this election cycle within its historical …

#20 Presidential Debate Extravaganza!

September 19th, 2016

1:06:10

The first Presidential debate of 2016 is fast approaching, and Bob & Ben have put together a Debate Extravaganza to help you get ready for this highly anticipated showdown!

Never before has The Road to Now offered …

#19 Sir Alan Meale on the Brexit, the Labor Party, and the Recent Political History of the United Kingdom

September 13th, 2016

42:06

In The Road to Now’s first episode abroad, Bob and Ben are joined by Sir Alan Meale for a conversation about the politics and recent history of the …

#18 The History of the Internet w/ Bradley Fidler

September 5th, 2016

53:16

In the first episode of The Road to Now recorded over the Internet via Skype, Dr. Bradley Fidler explains the key moments in the development of the Internet and gives his take on the issues facing us as we move further …

#17 The History of US-Central American Relations w/ Carlos Aleman

August 3rd, 2016

36:00

During a recent trip to Nashville, Dr. Carlos Aleman caught up with Ben and Bob for a great discussion about the history of Nicaragua and US relations with Central America in the 20th Century. Carlos’ expertise on this …

#13 Scott Avett and the Road to Now

August 2nd, 2016

41:32

In the lucky 13th episode of the Road to Now, Bob and Ben sit down with the multi-talented Scott Avett to talk about the influences, events, and …

#12 Hillary's Emails the History of Government Documents w/ Stacy Wood

July 26th, 2016

49:59

In episode 12 of the Road to Now, Bob and Ben discuss the Hillary Clinton email controversy and the history of government documents with archives specialist Stacy Wood. Wood places the Clinton controversy within its …

#7 The History of Denver and the Wild West w/ Dick Kreck

June 22nd, 2016

47:07

During a recent trip to Denver, Bob and Ben were fortunate enough to sit down with journalist and historian Dick Kreck at the historic Brown Palace Hotel for a conversation about the history of Denver and its …

#6 Governor John Hickenlooper on His Life in Beer and Politics

June 16th, 2016

44:05

On this episode of The Road to Now, we speak with Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper about his new memoir The Opposite of Woe: My Life in Beer and …

#5 Native American Culture and History w/ Tara Houska and Joseph Genetin-Pilawa

June 9th, 2016

42:02

Tara Houska (Honor the Earth; Native American Affairs Advisor to the Bernie Sanders Campaign) and Dr. Joseph Genetin-Pilawa (Assistant Professor of History at George Mason University) join Bob and Ben to talk about …

#4 The History of Charlotte the Rise of the New South City w/ Thomas Hanchett

June 6th, 2016

52:04

Bob and Ben speak to Thomas Hanchett (former Curator of the Levine Museum of the New South) about the history of Charlotte and the rise of the "New …

#3 On the Media w/ Alexander Trowbridge Matt Negrin

May 19th, 2016

51:50

Bob Crawford of the Avett Brothers talks to Producer Alexander Trowbridge and Writer Matt Negrin of Bloomberg's "With All Due Respect," which is hosted by "Game Change" authors Mark Halpern and John Heilemann. The show …

#1 Welcome to the Road to Now

May 19th, 2016

19:18

In episode 1, Bob Crawford of the Avett Brothers and historian Dr. Benjamin Sawyer of Middle Tennessee State University explain their goals for the Road to Now podcast and attempt to trace the historical roots of the …

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