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Episode 4: The Great American Road Trip

Pulitzer Prize winner Beverly Gage on her new book This Land Is Your Land and how family travel can bring 250 years of American history to life

In this episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author Beverly Gage joins Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer, to discuss her recently published book, This Land Is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History, and the enduring tradition of the great American road trip. Together, they explore how family travel can bring 250 years of American history to life, connecting children and adults alike to the people, places, stories, and ideals that have shaped the nation. From George Washington's travels across the young nation to today's family road trips, Americans have long understood that one of the best ways to get to know the country is to experience it firsthand. Beverly and Julie discuss how museums, historic sites, national parks, local landmarks, and even unexpected roadside stops can spark curiosity, encourage meaningful conversations, and help families better understand America's past and present. The conversation concludes with Beverly, Julie, Lindsey Cormack, and Sarah Vacchiano sharing where they're road tripping with their own families this summer and reflecting on how travel can create lasting memories while inspiring a deeper appreciation for the ongoing American story. 

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This episode was produced and mixed by Bill Pollock. With production support from Charles Sahm. Research was provided by Anna Salvatore, Trey Sullivan, and Tristan Worsham. 

 

Participants 

Beverly Gageis the John Lewis Gaddis Professor of History at Yale University. She is the author of G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century and The Day Wall Street Exploded: A Story of America in its First Age of Terror. She also writes for numerous journals and magazines, including The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. 

Julie Silverbrook is chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center where she leads the strategy, development, and delivery of the Center’s content, public programs, and educational initiatives, advancing its mission of nonpartisan constitutional education and civil dialogue. 

Lindsey Cormack is an associate professor of political science at Stevens Institute of Technology. She has authored two books, How to Raise a Citizen (And Why It’s Up to You to Do It) and Congress and U.S. Veterans: From the GI Bill to the VA Crisis. She created and maintains a digital database of all official Congress-to-constituent e-newsletters at dcinbox.com. 

Sarah Vacchianois an entertainment lawyer, author, and founder of Civic EQ, a Substack publication that empowers parents to raise civically curious, engaged, and emotionally intelligent humans. She is the author of Soft Launch: A Coming-of-Adulthood Novel. 

 

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