Rephonic
Artwork for The Road to Now

The Road to Now

RTN Productions
Civil War
American Revolution
It's a Wonderful Life
World War II
Frank Capra
Donald Trump
John Quincy Adams
Cold War
George Washington
Andrew Jackson
Woodrow Wilson
American History
Democratic Party
Soviet Union
Vietnam War
Native American History
Monroe Doctrine
Voting Rights
Women In Politics
Ukraine

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes477Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureHistory

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Road to Now

Latest Episodes

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.... more

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 epi... more

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 ... more

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, ... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

History That Doesn't Suck
History That Doesn't SuckProf. Greg Jackson
History Unplugged Podcast
History Unplugged PodcastHistory Unplugged
We the People
We the PeopleNational Constitution Center

Recent Guests

Ted Widmer
Author of The Living Declaration, A Biography of America's Founding Text
Library of America (editorial collaborator)
Episode: #370 The Declaration of Independence: A Biography of America's Founding Text w/ Ted Widmer
Robert O'Harrow Jr.
Investigative journalist and author of The Quartermaster, Montgomery C. Meigs, Lincoln's General, Master Builder of the Union Army
The Washington Post
Episode: Montgomery C. Meigs: Master Builder of the Union Army w/ Robert O'Harrow Jr.
Kristin Jorgensen
Master's in History student and historian focused on Civil War pensions
Past Words History
Episode: #368 Women & the Civil War Pension System w/ Kristin Jorgensen
Dean Kinzer
Coin specialist and founder of Kinzer Coins
Kinzer Coins
Episode: #367 Ancient Coins w/ Dean Kinzer
Eugene Rogan
Historian of the Middle East
University of Oxford / Strickland Scholar program
Episode: The Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East w/ Eugene Rogan
Tony Parker
Golf historian, World Golf Hall of Fame
World Golf Hall of Fame
Episode: The History of Golf w/ Tony Parker
Vanessa S. Williamson
Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution and Senior Fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
Brookings Institution
Episode: #365 Taxes: An American History w/ Vanessa S. Williamson
Erik Ewers
Director, Ken Burns Presents Henry David Thoreau
Florentine Films / Ken Burns Presents
Episode: #364 Henry David Thoreau w/ Erik Ewers & Christopher Loren Ewers
Christopher Loren Ewers
Director, Ken Burns Presents Henry David Thoreau
Florentine Films / Ken Burns Presents
Episode: #364 Henry David Thoreau w/ Erik Ewers & Christopher Loren Ewers

Hosts

Bob Crawford
Host of The Road to Now; musician and public historian with The Avett Brothers
Benjamin Sawyer
Co-host and historian; has academic and teaching background in history

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 844 ratings
  • Great Show

    This show is thoughtful, measured, informative and always interesting

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    royalhinesh
    United States4 months ago
  • Relevant, informational and timely

    Always well researched, informative guests.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    craig.winchell
    United States4 months ago
  • Intriguing Topics

    I love the intriguing topics and unique ideas I get from the conversations on this podcast. Keep up the good work.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Srl311rpm
    United States8 months ago
  • Great listen

    I’ve been listening ever since Ben was on the Nate land podcast. This pod is good easy listening full of great information. That is actually interesting.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    nighttrain007
    United States8 months ago
  • Not what I thought

    I have been looking for a good podcast on history that helps explain some of the famous stories a little better but this was not it. Instead it’s just them putting their political spin on everything and that’s not what I was looking for. I just want to hear about the story not why you think all republicans are awful. If you love hearing why being a liberal is right with a little history sprinkled in this is the podcast for you.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    SRusso04
    United States9 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Thoughtful, insightful, and relevant conversations that blend history with today's issues.
Top-tier guests and well-researched discussions make complex topics accessible.
Listeners appreciate the mix of scholarly depth and engaging storytelling, with occasional critiques about perceived bias.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#173
United States/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Montgomery C. Meigs: Master Builder of the Union Army w/ Robert O'Harrow Jr.
Q: How did Meigs's approach to logistics revolutionize the Union Army's capabilities?
By organizing cottage industries into a national supply web—boots, uniforms, weapons, and even sewing machines—Meigs created an industrial-scale logistics apparatus that dramatically boosted efficiency and the army's endurance.
Montgomery C. Meigs: Master Builder of the Union Army w/ Robert O'Harrow Jr.
Q: What drew you to Montgomery Meigs as a subject for your book?
A combination of personal discovery through a DC memorial and a fascination with pre-Civil War and Civil War engineering led me to explore Meigs as a central figure who linked technical innovation with public service.
A Forgotten History of Long Island w/ Tim Keogh
Q: Could you lay out the general Levittown narrative and how it fits into postwar prosperity?
Keogh explains the classic story of upward mobility through home ownership after WWII, but notes that it often omits the experiences of those excluded by racial covenants and discriminatory lending, arguing that a significant minority did not share in the suburban boom.
#369 Ten Years of RTN w/ Bob Crawford & Ben Sawyer
Q: If you had unlimited funding and could do a podcast about anything other than history, what topic would you choose?
Ben imagines a medical podcast focusing on health anxiety, patient care, and medical advances, potentially with doctors as co-hosts to explore medicine beyond history.
#369 Ten Years of RTN w/ Bob Crawford & Ben Sawyer
Q: Over the course of 10 years, what surprised you most, Bob?
Bob expresses surprise at how Trumpism persisted and how Republicans in Congress behaved, but also notes the ongoing resilience of democratic norms and the sustained support from listeners that helped the show grow.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Road to Now

What is The Road to Now about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A history- and culture-focused talk show that blends deep-dive conversations with historians, authors, journalists, and policy experts. Episodes frequently center on historical events and figures, civics education, and how the past informs present-day politics, media, and culture. Noteworthy traits include a conversational, narrative style that often weaves personal anecdotes and modern-day context into scholarly topics, and regular guests who are leading scholars or writers in history, politics, and the arts. The show appears to attract listeners who enjoy thoughtful historical analysis that connects to current events, media, and civic life, with a strong emphasis on storytelling and education for a broadly curious audience.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Road to Now?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Road to Now. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Road to Now and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Road to Now get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Road to Now, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Road to Now?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Road to Now, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Road to Now have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Road to Now has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Road to Now?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Road to Now:

1. History That Doesn't Suck
2. History Unplugged Podcast
3. My History Can Beat Up Your Politics
4. American History Hit
5. We the People

How many episodes of The Road to Now are there?

The Road to Now launched 10 years ago and published 477 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Road to Now?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Road to Now?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Road to Now from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Road to Now?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Road to Now. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Road to Now?

Recent guests on The Road to Now include:

1. Ted Widmer
2. Robert O'Harrow Jr.
3. Kristin Jorgensen
4. Dean Kinzer
5. Eugene Rogan
6. Tony Parker
7. Vanessa S. Williamson
8. Erik Ewers

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days