Darley Newman Comes Home to George Washington University for Revolutionary Reads
The Emmy-Winning Travels with Darley Host Talks Revolutionary Road Trip at Her Alma Mater, and She's Heading Back for the Presidential Dialogue on October 17
Some of the American Revolution's best stories are hiding in plain sight: in small-town taverns, along backroads and in communities the textbooks skipped. Few places are better for talking about that history than Washington, D.C., and few audiences are better than the one at The George Washington University, where Darley Newman studied.
The Emmy-winning host of Travels with Darley returned to her alma mater in September for a book signing at the GW Campus Store centered on her new book, Revolutionary Road Trip: Hidden Stories from America's Founding Journey, and participated in a special livestream for “Revolutionary Reads.” The full conversation is now available to watch. And if you missed it, there's another chance coming soon: Darley will be back on campus on October 17 for GW's Presidential Dialogue during Alumni & Families Weekend.
Watch Darley Newman's Full Revolutionary Reads Talk at GW
For the Revolutionary Reads livestream event, hosted by George Washington University History Department Chair Denver Brunsman, Darley Newman went behind the scenes on the five-year journey that became Revolutionary Road Trip: Hidden Stories from America’s Founding Journey. Traveling through the original thirteen colonies, she looked beyond familiar battlefields and landmarks to uncover lesser-known stories of the people and places that shaped America’s founding. Published June 30, 2026, ahead of America’s 250th anniversary, the book brings together firsthand reporting, historical discoveries and practical travel advice.
The book is part of a larger storytelling ecosystem that invites audiences to experience this history in different ways. Alongside it, Darley has filmed 12 “Revolutionary Road Trip” themed episodes for her public television and streaming series, Travels with Darley. Her related television programming has generated over 2,200 primetime airings on PBS stations, with streaming on Tubi, Samsung, YouTube and other distribution channels providing additional opportunities to watch and explore.
The stories continue through 28 podcast episodes featuring Revolutionary Road Trip content, offering more time for conversations with historians, local guides and the people preserving these places. Screenings, panels and book events bring those conversations into communities, universities, historic sites and the Smithsonian. As of September 2026, Darley had more than 13 live events in cities like Charleston, Raleigh, Washington, DC, Morristown, York and beyond.
Digital storytelling extends the journey further. Between May 2023 and September 2026, tracked social content generated more than 30 million impressions for “Revolutionary Road Trip,” introducing audiences to historic destinations, surprising discoveries and ideas for their own trips. Filming itineraries have also been adapted into travel itineraries with information about local guides, accommodations and attractions, while television episodes have been used by teachers in classrooms. Together, these formats give audiences ways to watch, listen, read, learn—and visit the places themselves.
The coverage continues with a new “Revolutionary Road Trip” episode exploring West Point and New York’s Hudson Valley. Part of the 100th-episode season of Travels with Darley, it will launch on public television this winter, followed by streaming in spring 2027. By following the same stories across books, screens, conversations and travel experiences, audiences can discover America’s founding history and the communities keeping it alive today.
What Is Revolutionary Road Trip About?
Revolutionary Road Trip blends travel narrative with historical discovery. It's equal parts history book and travel guide, built for readers who want to stand where the story actually happened.
As The GW Hatchet noted in its feature on the book, Darley gives space to voices that traditional histories often leave out, including the Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians in South Carolina and civil rights leader Joanne Bland. These stories connect the founding era to the ongoing American story of who gets remembered and why.
Back on Campus at GWU as an alumni author!
Darley signs “Revolutionary Road Trip” at the GW Campus Store
As Featured in The GW Hatchet
Ahead of the event, GW's student newspaper, The GW Hatchet, profiled Darley and Revolutionary Road Trip in "GW alum hits the road in new book, Revolutionary Road Trip."
The feature traces Darley's path from student to Emmy-winning host and producer. At GW, she studied electronic media in the School of Media and Public Affairs, with a minor in international business. She was also active in GW radio and the student opera organization, and she interned at Talk Radio News Service covering Capitol Hill and the White House.
"GW was helpful because I was able to multitask and kind of try a lot of different things to see what I wanted to do," Darley told the Hatchet.
That habit of trying a lot of different things grew into a media career that now includes television, podcasting, audio walking tours and, this year, her second book.
Behind the Scenes: Darley's Return to Campus
Before the talk, Darley shared a quick look at her return to Foggy Bottom on Instagram. Follow along for more behind-the-scenes moments from the Revolutionary Road Trip book tour. Follow Darley on Instagram.
When Is Darley Newman Back at GW? The Presidential Dialogue, October 17
Darley returns to campus for one of the signature events of GW's Alumni & Families Weekend, the Presidential Dialogue.
GW President Ellen M. Granberg will open with a discussion of the innovations taking place at GW. She'll then sit down with two members of the GW community: Paul Wahlbeck, dean of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, and Darley Newman, CCAS '01. Together, they'll discuss Revolutionary Road Trip and how it blends history, culture and the spirit of exploration across America.
Event Details:
What: Presidential Dialogue with President Ellen M. Granberg, Dean Paul Wahlbeck and Darley Newman
When: Saturday, October 17, 2026, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Where: Jack Morton Auditorium, 805 21st Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Part of: GW Alumni & Families Weekend (October 16 to 18, 2026)
Know before you go: Doors open at 12:45 p.m., and seating is first come, first served. From 12:45 to 12:55 p.m., only pre-registered guests will be admitted. At 12:55 p.m., seating opens to waitlisted guests and walk-ins. Registration does not guarantee a seat, so plan to arrive early.
