Cardinal News 250

Think you know Virginia’s Revolutionary War history? Think again.

In Part 2 of our Cardinal 250 trivia series, host Dutchie Jessee and founding editor Dwayne Yancey uncover more surprising stories from Virginia’s path to independence. Discover the county that first voted for independence, the free Black hero of the Battle of Great Bridge, the enslaved sailors who helped launch Virginia’s navy, and the legendary soldier known as the “Hercules of Independence.”

You'll also hear the remarkable ride of Jack Jouett, why Thomas Jefferson wanted Norfolk destroyed, and the unusual dinner that followed the British surrender at Yorktown.

Test your knowledge and explore the people, places, and events that helped shape America—but are often left out of the history books.

What happens when you put Cardinal News founding editor and columnist Dwayne Yancey on the spot with live Revolutionary War trivia?

In this special and very fun episode of “The Cardinal: News of Virginia,” host Dutchie Jessee puts Dwayne’s knowledge to the test with questions pulled straight from Cardinal News 250 trivia nights happening at breweries across Southwest and Southside Virginia. From overlooked Virginia heroes to surprising Revolutionary War stories you probably never learned in school, this episode dives into the people and moments that helped shape America’s founding.

Will Dwayne dominate the quiz… or get stumped? Play along and see how much you know about Virginia’s role in the Revolution while getting a taste of the lively trivia events bringing history to life across the region.

Grab a drink, test your knowledge and prepare for a few surprises along the way.

Montgomery County is turning 250, and its story stretches far beyond today’s borders. In this episode of the Cardinal News 250 Podcast, host Dutchie Jessee sits down with Montgomery Museum Executive Director Sherry Wyatt to explore how a vast frontier county formed in 1776 became the New River Valley community we know today.

From early settlers traveling the Great Wagon Road to Christiansburg’s role in westward expansion, they trace the people, industries, and turning points that shaped the region. They also discuss how the Montgomery Museum of Art and History is bringing that history to life through exhibits, events, and new investments in accessibility.

Host Dutchie Jessee sits down with Christina Vida, curator at the The Valentine in Richmond, to explore the museum’s powerful exhibit “Descent: Liberty and Loyalty in Early Richmond.”

Their conversation dives into the complicated stories of Virginians during the American Revolution, from Loyalists who remained faithful to the British Crown to enslaved people seeking their own freedom. Vida shares the stories behind figures like Samuel Gist, a tobacco merchant who freed more than 300 enslaved people in his will, and London, an enslaved youth who escaped with British forces and later served as a trumpeter in the British Army.

The episode also examines how the museum used artificial intelligence to create portraits of historical figures who were never photographed or painted, helping visitors connect with the people who shaped early Richmond between the 1770s and 1830s.

History lovers, Virginia buffs and myth-busters alike, this episode of Cardinal News 250 digs into one of central Virginia’s most persistent legends: the claim that 70 French soldiers are buried in Kingsville near Hampden-Sydney College after dying of smallpox during the American Revolution. Host Lisa Rowan sits down with historian and archaeologist Charles Pearson to trace the story back to a 1930 DAR marker, explore the role of Luzon’s Legion after the Siege of Yorktown and examine how fact, folklore and local memory became tangled over time.

With deep reporting on Revolutionary War history, colonial Virginia, archaeological investigations and historical records, this episode unpacks what really happened, what didn’t and why this story has endured for more than a century. From smallpox myths to French troops in Virginia to the power of historical markers to shape public memory, Cardinal News 250 delivers a fascinating look at how legends are born and how historians work to separate truth from tradition.

Dive into the Battle of Great Bridge and its significance in the American Revolutionary War. Host, Lisa Rowan, is joined by Richard Fisher, a volunteer with the Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways History Foundation.

 Take a front-row seat to one of the most consequential moments of the American Revolution. Host Lisa Rowan and journalist Andrew Lawler revisit Norfolk’s dramatic winter of 1775–76, when Black soldiers fought for Lord Dunmore, Patriots dug in at Great Bridge, and Virginia’s only city became the battleground that pushed the colonies toward independence. From skirmishes on the Elizabeth River to the days-long burning that erased Norfolk from the map, this episode unpacks the clash, the politics, and the propaganda that helped set the stage for America’s break from Britain. 

Host Lisa Rowan sits down with Virginia-born journalist Andrew Lawler to discuss Lord Dunmore's Emancipation Proclamation which offered freedom to some enslaved people... but there was a catch. Listen now to learn more. 

Host Lisa Rowan sits down with local historian Eric Monday to explore western Virginia’s surprising role in the American Revolution. From frontier skirmishes to the communities that shaped the fight for independence, discover how the region’s people and places helped forge a new nation. 

The role of women changed in early American history, but what was the biggest change at our nation’s founding? Renowned historian, author and professor Rosemary Zagarri talks to Cardinal 250 host Dutchie Jessee about the pivotal role women played in the “social media” of their time.