Episodes 455
Avg. Duration 52m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.8 (619)
Since May 2016
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
96%
Hosting
rss.libsyn.com

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About This Podcast

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 TheRoadToNow.com If you'd like to support our work, join us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheRoadToNow

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Recent Episodes

#370 The Declaration of Independence: A Biography of America's Founding Text w/ Ted Widmer

Jun 08, 2026 1h 4m

The Declaration of Independence has a story that is much bigger than July 4th, 1776. From its origins in enlightenment thought to its evocation by modern politicians, the document has had a life that…

A Forgotten History of Long Island w/ Tim Keogh

Jun 01, 2026 54m

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 overlooks the stories of those living in suburbia…

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

May 25, 2026 53m

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 for a politically fractured and divided nation…

#369 Ten Years of RTN w/ Bob Crawford & Ben Sawyer

May 17, 2026 59m

May 18, 2026 marks exactly ten years since Bob Crawford and Ben Sawyer launched the first episode of The Road to Now, so we decided to get together for a conversation reflecting on our first…

#368 Women & the Civil War Pension System w/ Kristin Jorgensen

May 11, 2026 55m

The Civil War was the bloodiest military engagement in American history, and for the wives of those killed or wounded in battle, the struggle for survival continued long after the shooting ceased in…

#367 Ancient Coins w/ Dean Kinzer

May 04, 2026 1h 4m

It took about ten years, but it looks like our road, like all of them, lead to Rome. Dean Kinzer of Kinzer Coins joins us for a conversation about the role that coins played in the ancient world. He…

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

Apr 27, 2026 47m

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…

The History of Golf w/ Tony Parker

Apr 20, 2026 34m

Throughout the latter part of the 20th century, Golf developed a reputation as a sport for wealthy white men who gathered at their exclusive country clubs to make business deals over 18 holes of…

#366 A Trip to the Hermitage w/ Ben & Bob

Apr 13, 2026 36m

Ben & Bob took a trip to the home of Andrew Jackson, so they took the opportunity to record an episode on their impressions of the Hermitage and why Bob doubts they'll ever have a copy of…

#365 Taxes: An American History w/ Vanessa S. Williamson

Apr 06, 2026 1h 8m

Did you know that the Boston Tea Party was sparked by a corporate tax cut? Or that during the explosive post-WWII economic boom, the highest tax bracket in the US was about 90%? Or that the more…

#364 Henry David Thoreau w/ Erik Ewers & Christopher Loren Ewers

Mar 30, 2026 53m

Directors Erik Ewers & Christopher Loren Ewers join us to discuss their new film, Ken Burns Presents: Henry David Thoreau. Erik & Christopher talk about their rediscovery of Thoreau's place…

Martin Van Buren: America's First Politician w/ James M Bradley

Mar 23, 2026 1h 25m

Martin Van Buren served just one term as President from 1837 to 1841, but as the architect behind the founding of the Democratic Party, his legacy lives on in the US today. In this episode, we speak…

#363 What are America's Founding Principles? w/ Hans Zeiger

Mar 16, 2026 45m

Ben & Bob speak with Hans Zeiger, President of the Jack Miller Center for Teaching America's Founding Principles & History. We discuss the work that the JMC is doing to promote teaching the…

#362 America's Founding Son: John Quincy Adams w/ Bob Crawford

Mar 09, 2026 53m

Bob Crawford's first book has arrived! America's Founding Son: John Quincy Adams from President to Political Maverick launches March 10 via Zando Press and we're celebrating with an episode…

#361 The Oscars: A History of the Academy Awards w/ Monica Sandler

Mar 02, 2026 58m

The Oscars hold a special place in popular culture, but the first Academy Awards ceremony, held in 1929, bore little resemblance to the spectacle most of us know today. In this episode, media expert…

#360 The Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame w/ Joe Spaulding and Casey Soward

Feb 23, 2026 53m

Since opening in 2019, the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame (FARHOF) has worked to preserve and share the rich heritage of American music with the people of Boston and the world. In this episode Ben…

The Stone Pony w/ Nick Corasaniti

Feb 16, 2026 52m

The Stone Pony and its hometown of Asbury Park, New Jersey are iconic settings in the story of some of America's greatest rock musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt, and Southside…

#359 Slippery Roads w/ Ben & Bob

Feb 09, 2026 55m

Having recently been hit with winter storms, Ben & Bob catch up to talk about the literal and figurative slippery roads all around us. The conversation covers talking politics when we don't…

Colombia, the US and the War on Drugs w/ Lina Britto

Feb 02, 2026 1h 27m

Most Americans are aware of Colombia's role in the international drug trade, but we know less about the role that Americans' played in the story as consumers, smuggling pioneers, and practitioners of…

#358 Storm at the Capitol w/ Mary Clare Jalonick

Jan 26, 2026 51m

In just five years, the story of the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the US capitol has already seen more bad faith reinterpretations than most events get over the course of generations. Fortunately,…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Road to Now have?

The Road to Now has published 455 episodes since May 2016, covering topics in History, Society & Culture.

Is The Road to Now still active?

The Road to Now is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 52m.

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