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 11thArchivist 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.

John Adams' single term as President has long been cast as a low point in his political career, but Lindsay Chervinsky sees it differently. "George Washington created the Presidency," she writes in her new book Making the Presidency, "but John Adams defined it."

In this episode, Lindsay joins us to share why she sees Adams as a crucial figure in transforming an office that had been established for, and created by, George Washington, into a position with the customs and practices that could be passed down through generations. Along the way, Lindsay explains why she thinks we've gotten Adams so wrong (hint: both Jefferson and Hamilton disliked his politics), the crucial role he played in establishing a peaceful transition of power, and how the January 6th insurrection might help us all have a greater appreciation for President John Adams.

Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky is the Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library and author of the new book Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic, which is out September 5th, 2024 from Oxford University Press. You can find out more about her work at her website: lindsaychervinsky.com

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to check out Lindsay Chervinsky's previous RTN appearances on The Road to Now:

· #184: The President's Cabinet

· #263: Mourning the Presidents

· #296: The Election of 1824 (Part 1 in our Third Party Elections Series)

This episode originally aired as RTN #313 on Sept. 2, 2024. This rebroadcast was edited by Ben Sawyer

What is Americana music? Is it a genre? A community? A refuge? Twenty four years after the founding of the Americana Music Association and thirteen years since the first Grammy was awarded for Best Americana Album, defining "Americana" remains tricky. In our experience, the most common answer has been "you know it when you hear it."

However you define it, however, there is one thing everyone agrees on: Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell are Americana legends.

In this episode, recorded in front of a live audience in Nashville, TN, Emmylou and Rodney discuss their musical careers, how they became associated with Americana music, and what Americana means to them. Bob too shares his musical journey both before and after joining the Avett Brothers and the ways that genre (Americana and otherwise) has been part of that story.

This episode originally aired as RTN #284 on Sept. 25, 2023. This episode was originally edited by Gary Fletcher. Live audio recording and mixing by Adam Botner. This reair was edited by Ben Sawyer.

A decade after Ken Burns decided it was time to take on the American Revolution, the film is finished and premieres on your local PBS station on Sunday, November 16! In this episode, we talk with Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, who directed the six-part series alongside Burns, to find out more about the stories and process that they used to construct this remarkable look at one of history's most fascinating and consequential events.

Click here to find out more about The American Revolution: A Film by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein & David Schmidt at PBS.com and make sure to tune in for the premiere on Sunday, November 16!

This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.

Wakara was a Ute leader whose power stretched across western North America long before the US claimed the land on which he lived. In this episode, Max Perry Mueller joins us to discuss his new book, Wakara's America: The Life & Legacy of a Native Founder of the American West, and how a story of the west that excludes Native peoples leaves us with an incomplete and often dishonest account of US history.

Dr. Max Perry Mueller is Associate Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. You can find out more about Max and his work at his website, MaxPerryMueller.com.

This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.