Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, from African musical craftsmanship to the American South - and to the sounds of every animal in Minecraft - the story of the Kazoo will amaze you. Sarah Barnwell from the Kazoobie Kazoo Factory shares the story behind the kazoo, one of the few American-made instruments. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https:/...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross tells the stories about the lessons in ethics that changed his life. 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, our series with music legend Pat Boone goes off the rails into his Heavy Metal classics. It appeared to many, at first, that the Christian and American music stalwart was no longer straight-laced - though there were still laces. Lots of laces. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com...

On this episode of Our American Stories, no one knew for sure just how great Michael Jordan would be in the NBA. One underdog sneaker company - yes, Nike was an underdog then - took a bet on him. But the turning point came when they zeroed in on a fledgling director - Spike Lee. The rest is history. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ourame...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Milton Nadler probably accumulated more stories by the time he was 30 than most people do in a lifetime. Here's Milt telling his extraordinary story of fighting against Hitler's army as a Jewish man in an American uniform.  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, Bill Bryk knows when to start a case on behalf of others... and has learned when to rest. 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 our 32nd episode of our Story of America Series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, tells the story of how Lincoln's assassination derailed the rebirth of a more free and radically different nation—and explains why his successor wasn't up to the massive job at hand. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: ht...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tim Leuliette began his career at Ford Motor Company under the leadership of Lee Iacocca and Henry Ford II. He got more than he bargained for... and was thankful for it. 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, Ric Mixter of Lake Fury tells the story of the historic 1913 storm on the Great Lakes 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, Burt Young is an immediately recognizable character actor whose half-muttered voice and flinty gaze made him the perfect fit for "Rocky" as Sylvester Stallone's ill-mannered brother-in-law, Paulie. Here’s Burt Young with his story. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the Civil War soldier, William Scott, fell asleep at his post, at the time a transgression punishable by execution. What happened next changed military history. 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, Larry Reed tells the story of the Flushing Remonstrance, an all-important document that helped inform the 1st Amendment. 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, where would our photos go if our house were to be hit by a tornado? The answer is everywhere. But for Thad Beeler's neighbors, that question wasn't a hypothetical...it was grounded in harsh reality after the deadly May 2011 Joplin Tornado...and Thad decided to do something about it. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate ) Support the...

On this episode of Our American Stories, we’ve all heard of gunslingers “Wild” Bill Hickok, Doc Holliday, and Billy The Kid. These quick-draw legends had nothing on Bob Munden. 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, Stephen Ambrose shares some stories from his #1 New York Times bestseller, Undaunted Courage. 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, Thanksgiving used to be one of many days—"If you planned your itinerary carefully, you could have a good Thanksgiving dinner every day between Election Day and Christmas Day." That all changed when a songwriter worked long and hard to crystallize American culture as distinct from that of Britain - including by a new official holiday in the midst of the Civi...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Donald Sturm tells his story of growing up during The Great Depression without knowing it because of the powerful influence of his parents...here's his remarkable story. 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, 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. https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/li...

On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story is about a Founding Father who wrote the most famous seven words in American history: “We the People of the United States.” Professor of political science at Syracuse, Dennis C. Rasmussen is also the author of The Constitution's Penman: Gouverneur Morris and the Creation of America's Basic Charter—he is also a Jack Miller Center Fellow. https...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mike Leven was President and Chief Operating Officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp. One of the great hoteliers of all time—a legend in his business. He is also what you would call a “wise man.” Here’s Mike with a story about how he learned to put his customers in charge. https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.co...

On this episode of Our American Stories, 400 million pounds of cranberries are consumed by Americans each year. Twenty percent of that is during the week of Thanksgiving. That's 80 million pounds! And 5,062,500 gallons of jellied cranberry sauce are consumed by Americans every holiday season. Here’s the History Guy to share the story of the Great Cranberry Scare of 1959. https://www.ouramericansto...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Jimmy Neary was an Irish immigrant who boarded a ship to America in the 1950s and went on to open a namesake restaurant in Manhattan that has for more than a half century been a famed canteen in the heart of New York City. Here to tell his story is Jimmy’s daughter, Una. https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstor...

On this episode of Our American Stories, all in all, it is estimated that around 800 Jews were saved by Corrie ten Boom and her family. Hear Corrie tell her 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, The History Guy remembers the Birkenhead Disaster and explains where the protocol "women and children first" was first used. 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, Thanksgiving is the only American holiday that has actually remained relatively innocent—it’s not something that we have been able to commercialize. But there’s something going on here more than feasting, family, and football. Robert Tracy McKenzie is a professor of history at Wheaton College and is the author of The First Thanksgiving. He’s here to tell us...