Gerd Schroth: From Child of Nazi Germany to American Citizen
The Road to Now
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 learned about in history class, but for Gerd Schroth it is the story of his childhood. Born in Germany in 1938, Gerd came of age on the scorched earth left behind by the German war machine. Gerd’s father had joined the Nazi party because he thought Hitler could restore Germany’s greatness, but he bequeathed to his children a world in ruins. More than seven decades after the...
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#324 Martin Van Buren: America’s First Politician w/ James M Bradley
The Road to Now
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 , to learn how Van Buren helped reshape politics in the 19th 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 . This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.
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#323 In With The New (2025) w/ Ben & Bob
The Road to Now
Ben & Bob recap 2024, what they learned this year and what might be in store for 2025. Happy New Year! This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.
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The History of Santa Claus & Christmas Around the World w/ James Cooper
The Road to Now
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 This is a rebroadcast of RTN #82, which originally aired on December 18, 2017. This reair was edited by Ben...
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It's a Wonderful Life: The Story Behind America's Favorite Christmas Movie w/ Eric Smoodin
The Road to Now
Dr. , film historian at the University of California- Davis and author of , 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 is a rebroadcast of episode 292 which originally aired on December 11, 2023. This reair was edited by Ben Sawyer.
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#322 Mitch McConnell: The Price of Power w/ Michael Tackett
The Road to Now
Journalist joins Ben & Bob to discuss his new book (Simon & Schuster, 2024). Tackett, who wrote the biography with McConnell’s consent, was granted unprecedented access to McConnell’s vast personal archives, his staff, and even the Senator himself, who sat for about 50 hours of interviews. If you’ve ever wondered how Mitch McConnell rose to power, how he's stayed there despite challenges from both parties, or what makes the man tick, this conversation has the answers. Michael Tackett covers . His work has earned him multiple awards, including the Pulitzer Prize and the...
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#321 The Circus Continues w/ Mark McKinnon
The Road to Now
Mark McKinnon is former chief media advisor to George W. Bush & John McCain, cocreator of , and current writer at Vanity Fair. In this episode, he joins Ben & Bob to recap the 2024 election and what they think might come next. This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.
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Miss America's Secret Past w/ Amy Argetsinger
The Road to Now
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 Argetsinger whose new book There She Was: The Secret History of Miss America explains Miss America’s origins, how the pageant both shaped and was shaped by American society, and why it might be okay that the pageant’s significance in American culture has faded. Bonus: Bob calls Miss USA “the confederacy of beauty pageants.” Listen to find out why that...
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#320 James Armistead Lafayette w/ Stephen Seals
The Road to Now
James Armistead Lafayette lived a remarkable life. After being granted permission by his enslaver to enlist in the cause, James joined up with the Marquis de Lafayette and served as one of the most important spies in the Revolutionary war. After many years of petitioning for his freedom, James eventually gained his freedom and officially changed his last name to Lafayette after the Frenchman with which he served and who later petitioned Congress for James’ freedom. In this episode, we learn more about the fascinating life of James Armistead Lafayette from , the historical interpreter...
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#319 Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn w/ Christopher Cox
The Road to Now
Did you know that Woodrow Wilson didn’t have a regular job until he was 28 years old? Or that he didn’t complete all the requirements for a PhD? After retiring from politics in 2009, former Congressman and Securities & Exchange Commission Chair Christopher Cox decided to turn to history. The result is his new book, , which gives special attention to Wilson's views on race and women's rights, presenting the 28thPresident as “a man superbly unsuited to the moment when he ascended to the Presidency.” In this episode, Chris joins us to share the path that led him to Woodrow Wilson, the...
info_outlineThe 2024 Presidential election is in full swing and so is the parade of personal attacks, appeals to emotion and (most important for us) grandiose and unsubstantiated claims about history. And of the many statements that fall in that last category, one stands out as both exceptionally ridiculous and a perfect setup to connect today’s politics to the past: Donald Trump’s claim that Kamala Harris is “considered the worst Vice President in history.”
Much like Trump himself, who followed by saying “I don’t know who the hell did that, if they do polls…” we couldn’t find any valid ranking of all 49 Vice Presidents, let alone one that ranked Harris in last place. So we decided to take the issue on ourselves and ask you to help us elect the candidate that you think deserves the title of “America’s Worst Vice President.”
To help you make your choice, Vanderbilt historian and This Day in Esoteric Political History co-host Nicole Hemmer joins Ben to explain the power and responsibilities allocated to the Vice President under the Constitution, the history of the office itself, and the changes brought about by the 12th and 25th Amendments. Most importantly, however, Ben and Niki make their pitches for who they think is the worst Vice President and reach consensus on the VPs who should be in the Final Four. The rest is up to you- you just have to vote:
Click here to vote in the Final Four (Voting Closes Sunday, Sept 1st at 3pm edt)*
*We’re using the polling function on our Patreon page, but you do not need to be a patron to vote in this poll- it just makes it easier for us to centralize the votes in one place!
The Finals will open at 8pm on Monday, Sept 2nd and run until Sunday, Sept 8th. Click here to follow us on socials for links to vote when they become available.
This episode was recorded in the podcast studio at Vanderbilt University’s Curb Center. A special thanks to the Curb Center’s David Wilson and Gina Yu for their help in arranging this recording.
This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.