Darley Newman Joins The E Pluribus Unum Show to Explore America’s Revolutionary Road Trip

Darley Newman recently joined Dr. Jennifer London on The E Pluribus Unum Show, a radio show and podcast on WMAL Newstalk 105.9 in Washington, D.C., for a conversation about Revolutionary Road Trip: Hidden Stories from America’s Founding Journey—and why exploring history in the places where it happened can change the way we understand the past.

Darley Newman joins Dr. Jennifer London on WMAL’s The E Pluribus Unum Show to discuss Revolutionary Road Trip, hidden history and America’s 250th.

The episode takes listeners beyond familiar names and dates to the battlefields, taverns, historic homes and local communities preserving stories from America’s founding. Drawing on years of filming Travels with Darley episodes across the original thirteen colonies, Darley shares how those journeys inspired her new book and introduced her to historians, guides, veterans, tribal leaders and preservationists who bring the Revolutionary era to life.

Listen to the Conversation

The full conversation — a 25-minute episode covering Darley's research process, favorite discoveries on the road, and why she thinks every state has a Revolutionary story worth telling — is available now on The E Pluribus Unum Show.

History Becomes Personal When You Stand Where It Happened

One of the conversation’s central themes is the power of place. Darley explains that visiting a historic location with someone who has devoted years to understanding it offers a depth of perspective that a sign or textbook alone cannot provide. At Camden Battlefield in South Carolina, military historian and veteran Rick Wise helped Darley see the landscape through the eyes of someone who understands battle firsthand. In Princeton, New Jersey, interpreters at the Thomas Clarke House told the story of a Quaker family that did not want to choose sides, yet found the Battle of Princeton at its doorstep and cared for wounded and dying soldiers inside the home. These accounts make history immediate and human, revealing how ordinary people were pulled into extraordinary events.

Lesser Known Voices Expand the American Story

Darley and Dr. London also discuss people and communities whose experiences have too often been left out of traditional narratives. In South Carolina, Chief Lisa Collins shared the oral history of the Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians, whose ancestors provided food to Francis Marion’s troops. Because the story was passed from generation to generation rather than recorded in conventional histories, listening to community voices is essential to preserving it. At the John Dickinson Plantation in Delaware, the discovery of an African burial ground has brought new information to light. At Saratoga, County Historian Lauren Roberts introduced Darley to the writings of Baroness Frederika von Riedesel, whose firsthand account documents the experiences of women and children caught in the fighting. Together, these stories offer a fuller view of the Revolution—one shaped not only by celebrated leaders, but also by families, Indigenous communities, women, soldiers and local residents.

A Revolutionary Road Trip Families Can Take

The episode is also full of inspiration for travelers. Darley recommends Saratoga as an especially rewarding destination for families, combining Saratoga National Historical Park, the surrender site, the Boot Monument connected to Benedict Arnold, historic inns and taverns, outdoor activities and fall scenery. She also highlights Gettysburg’s Dobbin House, a centuries-old tavern and inn that gives visitors a chance to dine in a setting that evokes the colonial era. Taverns were important gathering places where people exchanged news and ideas, making the experience another approachable way to step into the world of the Revolution. These visits do more than enrich a vacation. As Darley notes in the interview, showing up at historic sites, museums, parks and locally operated historic properties helps support the people and organizations working to keep them open for future generations.

The Mission Behind The E Pluribus Unum Show

The conversation is a natural fit for The E Pluribus Unum Show. Its name reflects the enduring American ideal “out of many, one.” Dr. Jennifer London’s radio show and podcast on WMAL Newstalk 105.9 is grounded in the belief that Americans can share a deep love of country even when their backgrounds, beliefs and political views differ.Guided by the principle “Seek first to understand before you judge,” the program creates space for thoughtful conversation, mutual respect and a stronger understanding of the ideals and experiences that have shaped the nation. Darley’s work similarly invites audiences to listen closely—to historians and experts, but also to the local voices carrying stories that might otherwise disappear.

National American History and Founders Month

Dr. London’s commitment to history and civic education extends well beyond the microphone. She is the president and founder of the National American History and Founders Month Organization, or NAHFMO, which is working to permanently designate November as National American History and Founders Month. The initiative encourages Americans to celebrate, study and remember the nation’s founders, founding principles and civic responsibilities. The organization is working with lawmakers to establish the observance permanently and to inspire schools, communities and other organizations to offer commemorative events and educational programs.Learn more about National American History and Founders Month, its mission and how to support the initiative. Visit AmericanHistoryAndFoundersMonth.com.

A Timely Journey Through America’s Founding

Darley began developing Revolutionary Road Trip after filming her first program on Charleston and South Carolina’s Liberty Trail several years ago. The project has since grown into multiple half-hour episodes and a book filled with stories and practical travel ideas that could not fit into the television series. Released as the United States marks its 250th anniversary, Revolutionary Road Trip encourages readers to engage with America’s founding story in all its complexity—and then visit the places where that history still lives. Whether the destination is a major battlefield or an easily overlooked historic home, the journey begins with curiosity and a willingness to listen.

Listen to the episode, explore Darley’s Revolutionary Road Trip series on YouTube, and find the book at local bookstores and major retailers.