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Cardinal News 250

Author: Dutchie M Jessee

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“Cardinal News 250” tells the little-known stories of Virginia’s role in our country’s march to independence.  As we head toward America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, we examine the events, people and places that shaped the Commonwealth and the nation—beyond what’s in the history books. Cardinal News publishes “Cardinal 250” features at least once a month; this podcast is made possible in part by funding from the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission (VA 250).

Cardinal News
https://cardinalnews.org/

Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission
https://va250.org/

21 Episodes
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Host Lisa Rowan sits down with Virginia-born journalist Andrew Lawler to discuss Lord Dunmore's Emancipation Proclamation which offered freedom to some enslaved people... but there was a catch. Listen now to learn more.
Host Lisa Rowan sits down with local historian Eric Monday to explore western Virginia’s surprising role in the American Revolution. From frontier skirmishes to the communities that shaped the fight for independence, discover how the region’s people and places helped forge a new nation.
The role of women changed in early American history, but what was the biggest change at our nation’s founding? Renowned historian, author and professor Rosemary Zagarri talks to Cardinal 250 host Dutchie Jessee about the pivotal role women played in the “social media” of their time.
Ep 18: Burned Counties

Ep 18: Burned Counties

2025-08-1123:06

If you’re a Virginian, there’s a good chance you live in a burned county. That’s the term used when a city or county suffers significant losses of official records, especially as a result of military targeting. Join host Dutchie Jessee as she talks with Isle of Wight Museum Director Jennifer England about saving those records, and why they’re so valuable.
We’re a year away from the country’s 250th birthday, or semiquincentennial. What are some key moments for the head of Virginia’s 250 Commission, and what’s coming up in the next twelve months to mark this important date? Host Dutchie Jessee talks with Commission Director Cheryl Wilson about Virginia’s ongoing events as it prepares for the nation’s big birthday.
Ep 16: Retro

Ep 16: Retro

2025-06-1024:26

Cardinal News is a few years into our 250 project – the aim of which is to shine a light on lesser known Virginians who played a part in our nation’s birth. We look back at the history we knew and what we've learned through the project in this episode with Cardinal 250 editor Dwayne Yancey.
Ep 15: The Magazine

Ep 15: The Magazine

2025-05-1323:38

It’s one of the most recognized sites within Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area, and figures prominently in a major turning point in our history. The Magazine has a unique structure and history, and is currently undergoing (another) restoration. Cardinal 250 host Dutchie Jessee talks with Matthew Webster of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation about the Magazine, its history and its future.
Ep 14: A Virginia spy

Ep 14: A Virginia spy

2025-04-1527:15

A fake name, perhaps a fake accent, and rum. All figure into an examination of John Wyatt. Host Dutchie Jessee talks about this fascinating character with Michael Hudson, Executive Director of the Smithfield-Preston Foundation in Blacksburg.
E13: Give Me Liberty

E13: Give Me Liberty

2025-03-1818:54

It’s considered one of the ten greatest speeches in American history. Patrick Henry’s “give me liberty or give me death” address has been a part of our national story for 250 years. Join host Dutchie Jessee and her guest Stephen Wilson, who helps keep that speech alive, on this episode of the Cardinal 250 podcast. www.cardinalnews.org
E12: Billy Flora

E12: Billy Flora

2025-02-1833:00

Billy Flora was a Black Revolutionary War hero from Virginia. His heroics in one particular battle were nothing short of extraordinary. Hear his story in this episode of the Cardinal News 250 podcast. Host Dutchie Jessee. Guest: Harvey Bakari, Black history curator at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. www.cardinalnews.org
When you picture our “founding fathers,” do you picture older white men? Most of us do, but it’s more accurate to picture them as young or middle-aged. In this Cardinal News 250 episode, Dutchie Jessee talks with James Madison University professor Rebecca Brannon about the age of our nation’s founders and why it matters. www.cardinalnews.org
Before downloads, before CD’s and records, music was played live only. So what kind of music was played in the years around the Revolutionary War, and who played it? Cardinal News 250 host Dutchie Jessee talks with journalist Randy Walker about his Cardinal 250 article on music during the revolution. www.cardinalnews.org
Did a 16-year old Virginia girl sneak out of her house in the middle of the night and save a Revolutionary War general from capture? Nobody knows for certain, but a lot of people think so. Cardinal News 250 host Dutchie Jessee talks with author Libby Mcnamee about the legend of Susanna Bolling.
Whether or not you've heard of Andrew Lewis probably depends on where you live. Cardinal News 250 host Dutchie Jessee talks with Garret Channel, Executive Director of the Salem Museum and Historical Society, who knows so much about this Revolutionary War figure that he's even portrayed him for community events. Learn more at cardinalnews.org.
If he hadn’t died so young, William Campbell might have well been one of Virginia’s most famous figures. The Virginian played a critical role as a general in the Revolutionary War. Learn about Campbell and the Overmountain Men from retiree turned history buff, Tom Vaughan, treasurer of the Overmountain Victory Trail Association in Bristol, TN. Learn more at cardinalnews.org.
July 1774 wasn’t so unlike July 2024 in Tappahannock, Virginia. It was hot. Politics were tense. And locals gathered to hear “The Essex Resolutions,” considered one of the best written responses to the King’s actions, and laying the groundwork for the rebellion that followed. What impact did the resolutions have, and how is it related to the more famous Boston Tea Party? Cardinal News 250 host Dutchie Jessee speaks with Essex County Museum Executive Director Tim Manley about the history...
Enslaved people in Virginia were promised freedom if they remained loyal to the British crown during the Revolutionary War. Where did they go, and what became of them? Cardinal News 250 host Dutchie Jessee talks with Andrea Davis and Kelley Bruce (both descendants of Black loyalists) from the Black Loyalist Heritage Center in Canada.
It’s not that our commonly-referred to “founding fathers” were unimportant. It’s just that many other people helped move the colonies toward independence. Women, Native Americans and enslaved people were critical to the effort. Author, professor and historian Woody Holton has written extensively on this and joins Cardinal News 250 host Dutchie Jessee to talk about our nation’s “forgotten founders.”
Retired journalist and journalism professor Jeff South talks about Clementina Rind, the first woman to publish a newspaper in Virginia.
There were no less than three "Virginia Gazettes" during the Revolutionary period. How did we end up with three, and what was the role of the press during this pivotal time? Cardinal News' Dutchie Jessee speaks with retired VCU journalism professor Jeff South, Associate Professor Emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University.
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