The Road to Now

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 golf, all the while smoking expensive cigars and drinking martinis (you know, like in CaddyShack?). But then, seemingly from out of nowhere, Tiger Woods burst onto the scene, changing the look and style of the sport forever. It turns out that most Americans' perception of the sport is does not quite fit the reality. The truth behind golf's history is much more complicated and a bit more noble. And today, Golf raises more money for charity than all other major sports combined. For example, since 1970 the FedEx St Jude Classic Golf tournament has raised over $79 million dollars for the hospital (That number was $33 million when this episode originally aired in 2017). In this episode of the Road to Now we get the story straight in our conversation on the history of golf with Dr. Tony Parker of the World Golf Hall of Fame and Museum. This episode originally aired as RTN #51 on April 3, 2017. This rebroadcast was edited by Ben Sawyer.

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 America's Founding Son in the bookstore. They also talk about Cuba's place in American history and other current events. Make sure to check out the upcoming AVTT/PTTN tour dates and plan to catch a show if you can! This episode was recorded in Ben's pickup truck. It was 'edited' by Ben Sawyer and produced by the bumpy roads of Middle Tennessee.

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 democratic a country is, the more taxes its citizens tend to pay? In this episode, Vanessa S. Williamson joins us for a conversation about her new book, The Price of Democracy: The Revolutionary Power of Taxation in American History (Basic Books, 2025), the misunderstandings that shape both liberal and conservative attitudes toward tax policy, and the reasons she thinks that taxation and democracy are inseparable in US history. Dr. Vanessa S. Williamson is Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institute and Senior Fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.

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 in American history, their process for capturing his story, and why Thoreau's views of his own time might resonate with those seeking to make sense of the modern world. The two-part series premieres on PBS March 30-31, so make sure to check your local listings and tune in! This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.

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 with James M. Bradley, author of the new book Martin Van Buren: America's First Politician, to learn how Van Buren helped reshape politics in the 19 century and laid the groundwork for America's two-party system. You can learn more about the work being done to preserve the papers of Martin Van Buren at VanBurenPapers.org. Love history and want to go on a cruise? Join Ben and History That Doesn't Suck's Greg Jackson for a 5-day/4-night cruise of the Caribbean that runs from May 18-22! Visit htdscruise.com for details and enter promo code RTN at checkout for $100 off a cabin! And don't forget that Bob's new book America's Founding Son: John Quincy Adams from President to Political Maverickis now available! Click here to get your copy! This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher and originally aired as episode 324 in January 2025.

Ben & Bob speak with Hans Zeigler, 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 founding principles and civics to Americas young people from kindergarten through college. The JMC will be hosting a National Summit on Civil Education in Philadelphia, May 18-19. Click here for details. Love history and want to go on a cruise? Join Ben and History That Doesn't Suck's Greg Jackson for a 5-day/4-night cruise of the Caribbean that runs from May 18-22! Visit htdscruise.com for details and enter promo code RTN at checkout for $100 off a cabin! And don't forget that Bob's new book America's Founding Son: John Quincy Adams from President to Political Maverickis now available! Click here to get your copy! This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.

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 dedicated to the book. Bob will be speaking about his new at bookstores across the country. Click here for dates & locations! This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher

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 Monica Sandler takes us from that first award ceremony – when both Los Angeles and the films made there struggled for respectability – to the modern extravaganza that draws tens of millions of viewers worldwide. Monica also breaks down the way voting has changed over time, the evolution of categories, and what she thinks was the greatest snub of all time. Dr. Monica Sandler is a film and media historian at Ball State University, specializing in the history of entertainment prizes and their influence on Hollywood. You can find out more about her at her website: MonicaSandlerPhD.com. Come find Ben & Bob on the road this summer! -Bob will be speaking about his new book, America's Founding Son (out March 10) at bookstores across the country. Click here for dates & locations! -Ben will be joining his friend Greg Jackson of History That Doesn't Suck for a history cruise on the Caribbean from May 18-22, featuring a live recording of The Road to Now! Click here to find out more about a History Cruise That Doesn't Suck and use promo code RTN for $100 off a cabin! This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.

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 & Bob speak with FARHOF founder, Joe Spalding, and Casey Soward, President of the Boch Center, which hosts FARHOF in Boston's Wang Theater. To learn more about FARHOF, make sure to visit their website: FARHOF.org. And if you enjoyed this episode, make sure to check out our interview with Deana McCloud on the Woody Guthrie Center in episode 94. This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.

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 Johnny Lyon. The Pony's path from high-risk passion project to iconic venue was, however, anything but direct; from its founding in 1974, the club was caught in the greater forces at work in late-20 century America. So how did the Stone Pony thrive when so many other venues closed? And what set Asbury Park apart from so many other American towns? In this episode, The New York Times' Nick Corasaniti joins us to talk about his new book I Don't Want To Go Home: The Oral History of the Stone Pony (Harpers, 2024) and what he learned from interviewing Bruce Springsteen and dozens of other musicians and industry professionals who helped make the club into what it is today. If you enjoy this episode, make sure to check out our episodes on The Kinks with Mark Doyle and The Allman Brothers' At Fillmore East with Bob Beatty. Bob's new book, America's Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick, which drops on March 10! Make sure to check out the book page at the Zando site and preorder your copy! This episode originally aired as episode 310 on July 29, 2024. This rebroadcast was edited by Ben Sawyer.

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 agree, the Epstein files and more. We also talk about one of the more exciting events on the horizon: Bob's new book, America's Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick, which drops on March 10! Make sure to check out the book page at the Zando site and preorder your copy! This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.

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 a foreign policy that facilitated the rise of Colombian drug production. In this episode, journalist and historian Lina Britto shares the fascinating story of how Colombia emerged as a major supplier of drugs to American consumers and how this relationship affected people in both countries. She also explains the origins of the "War on Drugs" in the US and tells the story of how Americans hippies in search of marijuana laid the groundwork for the distribution techniques later used by Pablo Escobar's cocaine cartel. Dr. Lina Britto is Associate Professor of History at Northwestern University where she specializes in Colombian history and the history of the international drug trade. She is the author of Marijuana Boom: The Rise and Fall of Colombia's First Drug Paradise (University of California Press, 2020) This is a rebroadcast of RTN #318, which originally aired on November 4, 2024. This rebroadcast was edited by Ben Sawyer.

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, Mary Clare Jalonick has brought a diverse set of voices together in her new book, Storm at the Capitol: An Oral History of January 6 (PublicAffairs, 2026). In this episode, Mary joins us to talk about her experience as a journalist who was on the ground that day covering Congress for the Associated Press, what she learned from talking to others about their experiences, and the core facts about the insurrection that should underpin any serious discussion of that day. This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.

The Trump administration's decision to depose Nicolas Maduro and take control of Venezuela's natural resources may have been rash, but to those familiar with the history of US-Latin American relations, it looks familiar. In this episode, Naval War College Associate Professor of Strategy & Policy, Michelle Paranzino, joins us to break dow n the greater history of US foreign policy in Latin America and how that can inform good policy moving forward. The views expressed by Dr. Paranzino are her own and do not reflect the views of her employer or any other part of the US Government. This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.

The Monroe Doctrine has provided Presidents and foreign policy leaders with the rhetorical justification for their actions going back as far as James K. Polk, but the symbolic power attributed to the doctrine is far more substantial than the impact it had when it was published in 1823. In this episode, historian Jay Sexton walks us through the evolution of the Monroe Doctrine in political rhetoric, its implications for modern US foreign policy and why he claims that, in its original form, it amounted to a "nothingburger." Dr. Jay Sexton is the Rich and Nancy Kinder Chair of Constitutional Democracy, Professor of History and Director of the Kinder Institute at the University of Missouri. He has published extensively on the Monroe Doctrine, including The Monroe Doctrine: Empire and Nation in Nineteenth-Century America (Hill and Wang, 2011) and "The Monroe Doctrine in an Age of Global History" (Diplomatic History, 2023). This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer

Worried about money in American politics? We are too, and Jeff Clements is offering up a solution. Jeff is CEO of American Promise, a non-partisan organization dedicated to passing the For Our Freedom amendment to the Constitution, which would differentiate between people and corporations, and allow states to pass their own campaign finance laws. In this episode, he breaks down the history of campaign finance laws, key moments, such as the Citizens United Case, that have brought us to where we are now, and the steps his team have already taken to help add another amendment to the US Constitution. If you want to sign the Citizen Pledge or just learn more about American Promise, make sure to check out AmericanPromise.net. This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.

It's Christmas time and this week we're resharing the original RTN Christmas Classic! Christmas expert James Cooper joins Bob and Ben to explain how Santa Claus, Christmas trees, and other Christmas traditions made their way into popular culture. He also shares stories of lesser known traditions, such as setting fire to the giant Swedish straw goat known as the Gävlebocken! You can find out more about the history of Santa Claus and Christmas at James Cooper's website WhyChristmas.com This is a rebroadcast of RTN #82, which originally aired on December 18, 2017. This reair was edited by Ben Sawyer.

Anita McBride is one of the foremost experts on the legacy of American first ladies. Colleen Shogan served as the 11Archivist of the United States. Together, they're bringing forward a new project called In Pursuit, which offers up a series of essays on Presidents and First Ladies by some of today's most accomplished historians and political leaders. In this episode, Anita and Colleen join Ben and Bob for a discussion about how the project came together, the exciting (and surprising) list of authors and subjects they've assembled, and why the format they envision holds a lot of promise for public engagement. In Pursuit's first essay- a piece on George Washington written by George W. Bush – will launch on substack on February 16, 2026. Make sure to sign up by clicking here! This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.

Dr. Eric Smoodin, film historian at the University of California- Davis and author of Regarding Frank Capra: Audience, Celebrity and American Film Studies, 1930-1960, joins Bob and Ben for the history of the people, the industry, and law that made Frank Capra's 1946 film It's A Wonderful Life into one of America's quintessential Christmas films. This episode originally aired as #292 on December 16, 2024. This rebroadcast was edited by Ben Sawyer.

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 almost 250 years later the story of Washington crossing the Delaware might surprise you too. In this episode, RTN favorite Bruce Carlson of My History Can Beat Up Your Politics joins Bob & Ben for a conversation about one of the US's most recognized, yet little-known battles and how it affected the course of the Revolutionary War. If you enjoy this episode, check out My History Can Beat Up Your Politics, available anywhere you get The Road to Now. You can also hear Bruce in RTN Episode 85: The History of US-Mexican Relations w/ Bruce Carlson, recorded live from Avetts at the Beach in 2018. This is a rebroadcast of RTN #151, which origianlly aired in December 2019. This reair was edited by Ben Sawyer.