Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, he was separated from his mother, never knew his father, and was forced to compete with dogs for food—but through illicit education and sheer determination, Frederick Douglass broke the mental bonds of slavery before breaking free from his physical chains and forging a path that would change American history forever. Douglass interpreter and poet Nath...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the night game on June 4, 1974, between the Texas Rangers and the Cleveland Indians was one for the record books. To say there was a "buzz" in the crowd would be an understatement. Here to tell the story is the History Guy. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystud...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Brett Favre's father coached the legendary QB on many subjects—most of which shaped his training, practice, and play. The passing game? Not so much. But life itself? Absolutely. Here's Brett himself with the story. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio....

On this episode of Our American Stories, renowned historian David McCullough explains why the most extraordinary group of men at the most extraordinary time in world history were simply made of different stuff than we are today.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the English language. The book is  Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/don...

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Pony Express is synonymous with speed, endurance, and the American spirit of getting things done. While the name is recognized not just across the United States but around the world, it’s not widely known that the Pony Express was part of a larger corporation—or that it lasted only 18 months—or that it was never meant to last in the fi...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Bryan Dawson went from being a typical suburban high school football player to becoming such a notorious and dangerous fugitive that world-famous bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman refused to pursue him. Here's Bryan with his astonishing story of redemption. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ourameri...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Our American Stories listener Karen Thomson and her son, Joe Meilink, are the definition of determination. Here they are, along with Joe’s wife, Vicky, to share their story. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, simply stated, the Hope Diamond is the world’s most famous diamond, and it's got some lore behind it. The blue gem is widely believed to be cursed, with stories of misfortune and tragedy befalling those who owned or simply touched it. The Smithsonian's Richard Kurin, author of Hope Diamond: The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem ,  tells the remar...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 1980s, the Packers stadium had a kids-only section for kids between the 5th and 8th grades. During Jon Elfner’s 8th grade year, he not only saw every game...but also fell in love. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

On this episode of Our American Stories, authors Bob Drury and Tom Clavin give Chief Red Cloud the recognition he deserves, sharing the story from their New York Times bestseller, The Heart of Everything That Is. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Texas boys don’t write poetry, and certainly don’t cry. Roger Latham did, though, after discovering a poem written by his deceased mother. Here's Roger with the story...and the poem.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

On this episode of Our American Stories, i n its heyday, "All in the Family" was watched by nearly one-third of all Americans. Throughout its nine seasons and 212 episodes, the show delivered six of the top 50 highest-rated television programs of all time. Here’s our own Greg Hengler with the story. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www....

On this episode of Our American Stories, in honor of Apple's founding this week in history in 1976, Walter Isaacson, author of the  biography on Steve Jobs, tells the story of the man who created the 21st century and shares how the glass screen on the iPhone (along with other design quirks of his products) showed his intense and unwavering idealism in creating them. We want to thank the Libra...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Our American Stories listener Tim Hennessey talks about his viral Facebook post that exemplifies the everyday goodness in this country.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, the story of United States Olympic legend Jesse Owens' and Nazi long jumper Luz Long’s friendship demonstrates how sports can unite people even in the toughest circumstances. Here to tell the story is the Jack Miller Center’s editorial officer and historian, Elliott Drago. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support th...

On this episode of Our American Stories, China runs on just a single time zone—but in America, we have four: Pacific, Mountain, Central, and Eastern. But we used to have thousands! Here's our own Greg Hengler with the story of how our time zones came to be. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudi...

On this episode of Our American Stories, America was woefully unprepared for World War II. Our army was about the size of Portugal's, our navy was outdated, and our "air force" was roughly equivalent to what the German Luftwaffe flew on a near-daily basis across Europe. Not only that, but nobody in America wanted war—or expected it to come to us. FDR was under no such delusion. We needed wea...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Christina Dent shares how her life was forever changed after she became a foster mother. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Nicholas Biddle died broke, never received a pension, and was never officially recognized as a Union soldier because of his age and the color of his skin—but he was treated as a soldier by his company and was the first to shed blood in the Civil War, just days after the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericans...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mike Williams remembers his best friend and uncle (who was just one year older than him) as a "gun guy", and a Vietnam veteran who survived a harrowing night in the jungle after a helicopter crash. Here's Mike with the story of Dan Reeves.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.c...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the world was changing, and Aimee Semple McPherson certainly took note, becoming one of the first evangelizers to harness the power of national radio to spread the word of her mission. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mike Gideon was just a gearhead who loved working on cars and restoring classics (something he thought he could retire on). But God had other plans... Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in honor of Jim Thrope, who passed away this week in history in 1953, Sally Jenkins, author of  The Real All-Americans ,  and Steve Sheinkin, author of  Undefeated: Jim Thrope and the Carisle Indian School Football ,  tell the story of the man who changed the sporting world forever.  Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories...

On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story is told by Dennis C. Rasmussen, a professor of political science at Syracuse University and a Jack Miller Center Fellow. He’s also the author of The Constitution's Penman: Gouverneur Morris and the Creation of America's Basic Charter . Rasmussen tells the story of a Founding Father who wrote seven of the most famous words in American hi...