The Road to Now

RTN Productions

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

  1. hace 1 día

    The Declaration of Independence

    On July 2nd, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted a resolution stating that "that these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states." Two days later, on July 4, they adopted the Declaration of Independence, read here for you by (in order of appearance): Bob Crawford, The Road to Now Lindsay Graham, History Daily Greg Jackson, History That Doesn't Suck Lindsey Cormack, Government That Doesn't Suck Ben Sawyer, The Road to Now Colleen Shogan, In Pursuit With final commentary by Lindsay Graham.

    10 min

  2. hace 4 días

    Benjamin Franklin w/ Dayton Duncan and David Schmidt

    This week, as we approach the 250th anniversary of American independence, we shine a light on one of the founding generation's greats: Benjamin Franklin   It's difficult to fathom how Franklin accomplished so much in a single lifetime. It's equally difficult to imagine how to take such an incredible life and consolidate it into four hours of documentary film. In this episode, we cover both feats with writer Dayton Duncan and producer David Schmidt, two of the great minds behind Ken Burns' documentary on Benjamin Franklin. Dayton and David discuss Franklin's life, the work that goes into creating a historical documentary film, and their process for deciding the best way to tell an American icon's story in a pair of two-hour episodes.   Benjamin Franklin: A Film by Ken Burns is available via PBS.org on your local PBS station and we highly recommend it!   If you enjoy this episode, check out Ben and Bob's conversation with Ken Burns in episode #191.   This episode originally aired as #229 on April 4, 2022. This rebroadcast was edited by Ben Sawyer.

    51 min

  3. 22 jun

    Obstinate Daughters: Women in the American Revolution w/ Denise Kiernan

    The American Revolution touched the lives of everyone living in the American colonies, and though the focus is often on the battlefields and political debates, those who were excluded from those places nevertheless played a crucial role in gaining independence. In this episode, Denise Kiernan joins us to discuss her new book, Obstinate Daughters: The Rebels, Writers and Renegade Women Who Ignited the Revolution and how looking at the revolution through women's lives gives us a more perfect understanding of the events that founded the United States of America.   Denise Kiernan is the author of multiple New York Times Bestsellers including The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II (Atria, 2014). She is also a journalist, producer and former head writer of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.   Obstinate Daughters is available June 23, 2026 from Dutton. You can find out more about the book and order your copy at DeniseKiernan.com   This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.

    1 h 1 min

  4. 15 jun

    Been There, Done That w/ Greg Jackson

    If you feel like America is facing hard times right now, you've got a lot in common with your forebearers. Greg Jackson of History That Doesn't Suck joins Ben for a live conversation to discuss his new book Been There, Done That: How Our History Shows What We Can Overcome, and why he thinks highlighting some of America's hardest moments can strengthen us as we work to preserve the American Republic on the eve of its 250th anniversary. If you enjoy this conversation, come join us in Nashville on June 24th as Ben hosts a live event with Greg to celebrate the launch of the book. The event, sponsored by Ben's local bookstore, The Bookshop, is at 7pm at the Noelle. Click here for tickets. You can get your copy of Been There Done That here. This episode was recorded live on international waters during A Cruise That Doesn't Suck. A special thanks to Greg, Dossie McCraw and Riley Neubauer for inviting Ben to be part of the cruise and for all their hard work to organize and record this episode. This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.

    1 h 2 min

  5. 8 jun

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

    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 can teach us a lot about who we are and have been. In this episode, Ted Widmer joins us to discuss his new book, The Living Declaration: A Biography of America's Founding Document, which brings together an impressive set of documents that demonstrate the Declaration's impact on people in the US and around the world.   The Living Declaration drops on June 23, 2026. Click here to preorder a copy and make sure to visit LivingDeclaration.org for a calendar of events related to the book.   Come join Ben as he hosts a live conversation with his friend and History That Doesn't Suck host Greg Jackson about Greg's new book Been There, Done That in Nashville on Thursday, June 24! Click here for more info and to get tickets!   This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.

    1 h 5 min

  6. 1 jun

    A Forgotten History of Long Island w/ Tim Keogh

    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 who were unable to reach "the good life." In this episode Ben & Bob talk with Tim Keogh, whose new book In Levittown's Shadow: Poverty in America's Wealthiest Suburb (Univ. of Chicago Press, 2023), explores the history of suburbanization in Long Island, New York, and argues that post-WWII prosperity relied on those impoverished suburbanites who we've since forgotten. Dr. Tim Keogh is assistant professor of history at Queensborough Community College, part of the City University of New York. This is a rebroadcast of RTN #291 which originally aired as "A Forgotten History of American Suburbs w/ Tim Keogh" on December 4, 2023. This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.

    54 min

  7. 25 may

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

    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 hurtling toward disunion. Standing in the middle of it all was Montgomery C. Meigs, a military engineer who led the construction of two massive public works projects at the same time: the expansion of the Capitol building and an aqueduct to provide water to the residents growing city. Meigs would go on to serve as Quartermaster for the Union Army under Abraham Lincoln. Meigs was an innovator, public servant, and one of the most important patriots of the nineteenth century.   This week Bob welcomes author and journalist Robert O'Harrow Jr. to discuss his 2016 book, The Quartermaster: Montgomery C. Meigs, Lincoln's General, Master Builder of the Union Army.   For thirty years Robert O'Harrow Jr. was an investigative journalist and contributing writer at The Washington Post and was among the first national journalists to cover cybersecurity. In 2017, he part of the team that won a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of notorious Alabama political Roy Moore.   This episode originally aired as RTN #281 on August 21, 2023. This rebroadcast was edited by Ben Sawyer.

    53 min

  8. 17 may

    Ten Years of RTN w/ Bob Crawford & Ben Sawyer

    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 conversation, the unexpected places the show has taken us, and what we've learned along the way.   We are grateful to everyone who has taken the time to listen to this show, sat down with us for an interview, or shared kind words with someone else. When we recorded the first episode in the basement of Bridgestone arena, we didn't know where the show would lead us (or how to make a podcast), but after a decade of great conversations, live shows, and a humbling amount of support from listeners and guests, we're still going strong. And a special thanks to anyone who has supported us on Patreon- we couldn't have made this show what it is without your support.   Here's to another ten years. -Ben & Bob   This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.

    59 min
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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

Información

  • Creador
    RTN Productions
  • Años de actividad
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodios
    458
  • Clasificación
    Explícito
  • Mostrar sitio web
    The Road to Now

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