Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, why did America's founders and most important men keep turning to King David? From the Revolution to Abraham Lincoln's efforts to reunite the nation after the Civil War, the biblical king and his family helped generations of Americans understand courage, rebellion, leadership, and reconciliation. For our ongoing series, Rabbi Stuart Halpern, co-author of&nb...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the summer of 1833, Lexington, Kentucky, was brought to its knees by a cholera outbreak. Entire families were lost in a matter of days, and fear spread faster than the disease itself. When the dead outnumbered the living willing to bury them, one man stepped forward. His name was Solomon. Most people in town dismissed him as a drunk gravedigger. But in t...

On this episode of Our American Stories, George Valdes fled Cuba with his family in 1966 believing the American Dream would give his life meaning. By age 21, he was helping run one of the largest cocaine operations in North America, earning millions of dollars each month, yet he had never felt more empty. George Valdes, author of  Coming Clean: The True Story of a Cocaine Drug Lord and His Un...

On this episode of Our American Stories, addiction kept Ryan Stewart at a distance from nearly everyone around him. For years, he tried to manage it alone, convinced that asking for help meant losing control. But when things began to fall apart, the people around him stayed. Friends, counselors, and even strangers showed up in ways he never expected. Recovery came slowly, marked by setbacks and qu...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in February 1861, Assistant Surgeon Bernard John Dowling Irwin volunteered to lead just 11 soldiers on a dangerous mission to rescue troops surrounded by Apache warriors in what became known as the Bascom Affair. The History Guy shares how Irwin earned the first Medal of Honor by date of action and how one misunderstood confrontation helped spark the Apache...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2009, Scott Stewart found himself spiritually, emotionally, and financially broken. Sixteen years later, a 2.4-mile open-water swim off Cape May, New Jersey, became the moment everything came into focus. Scott shares how one extraordinary day in the ocean transformed years of quiet spiritual growth into a life-changing awakening. We'd like to thank our r...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Barry Meguiar, CEO of Meguiar's, set out to buy a 1901 automobile simply because it matched the founding year of his family's company. What he discovered after the auction surprised even one of the world's foremost car collectors. Barry shares the remarkable story of the rare Duryea brother's automobile he believes is the only car ever made to honor God, an...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Billy the Kid lived just 21 years, but he became one of the most enduring figures of the American West. Roger McGrath, author of  Gunfighters, Highwaymen, and Vigilantes: Violence on the Frontier , separates fact from fiction, tracing Henry McCarty's journey from orphan to outlaw, the Lincoln County War that made him famous, and the legend that outlive...

On this episode of Our American Stories, for Lawson Bader, one teacher changed everything. Erika, his German instructor, wasn’t content to simply drill vocabulary. She wanted her students to see history with their own eyes. That meant taking Lawson to Berlin when the Wall still loomed large, dividing families and a nation. Standing at the Cold War’s most visible fault line, he learned...

On this episode of Our American Stories, our regular contributor from South Carolina, Dennis Peterson, shares the story of Dicey Langston, an American Revolutionary War heroine who, at the age of 15, saved her family and fellow patriots from one of the most notorious gangs of Loyalist outlaws of the time: the so-called "Bloody Scouts." Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)...

On this episode of Our American Stories, from bifocals and the cotton gin to the automobile and the iPhone, America has a long history of inventions that changed the world. But not every invention was born from necessity—some were created simply for fun. In this episode, author Natascha Biebow joins us to share the colorful true story of Edwin Binney, the inventor of Crayola crayons, as told...

On this episode of Our American Stories, born in San Salvador, El Salvador, Carlos Aguilar arrived in Chicago, Illinois, as a refugee after his family fled the country's civil war. By his teenage years, he was caught in gang life and headed down a dangerous path. Then a Marine recruiter unexpectedly pulled into his driveway. Carlos shares how that chance encounter, his grandmother's unwavering fai...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Vincent "Rocco" Vargas never expected his family's immigration story to shape his own life so profoundly. After serving as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan, he became a U.S. Border Patrol agent, where he often saw reflections of his own grandmother in the people he encountered along the Rio Grande. Vargas, author of  Borderline: Defending the Home Front ,...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1975, Bill Daniels watched his Utah Stars basketball team collapse into bankruptcy, leaving creditors and season ticket holders unpaid. The law said he owed them nothing, but he never stopped thinking about the promises he had made. Bill Daniels, the pioneer of cable television whose values inspired the  Daniels Fund , and others share the astonishi...

On this episode of Our American Stories, at the turn of the twentieth century, summer heat disrupted factories, spoiled food, and shaped daily life across America. A young engineer named Willis Carrier set out to solve a printing problem in Brooklyn, New York, and ended up creating one of the most important inventions of the modern age. Salvatore Basile, author of  Cool: How Air Conditioning...

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Larry Crawford bought a new pickup truck, he was proud of it. The leather seats, the diesel engine, the bells and whistles. Like any Texan, he wanted to show it off to his friends. But one chance encounter with a homeless man he knew would change the way he thought about generosity forever. Weeks after giving the man a ride to the grocery store, Larry...

On this episode of Our American Stories, on May 2, 1968, Master Sgt. Roy Benavidez voluntarily boarded a helicopter and flew into one of the fiercest battles of the Vietnam War to rescue a trapped Special Forces team. He endured dozens of wounds, saved at least eight lives, and refused to quit. Hear President Ronald Reagan's Medal of Honor presentation alongside Roy's own remarkable account of the...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ray "Bubba" Sorensen set out to thank America's veterans with a single painted rock outside a quarry in rural Iowa. More than two decades later, the Freedom Rocks have spread to all 99 Iowa counties, becoming places of remembrance, reflection, and healing for veterans and their families. Ray shares the remarkable stories behind the project and why honoring...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Dennis Peterson's father built his own home, hated debt, and believed almost anything could be repaired, reused, or repurposed. Years of bricklaying alongside his dad taught Dennis that a "make do" attitude could save money, create lasting memories, and occasionally lead to spectacular close calls.  Our American Stories listener and regular contributor...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Steve Trice spent years chasing success, often leaving home before sunrise and returning long after his children were asleep. Then one conversation with his wife forced him to face a hard truth: if nothing changed, he was going to lose the people he loved most. The founder of Jasco Products shares how stepping away from work helped him build something far m...

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Great Depression, a simple sewing accident turned into a month-long ordeal for Joy Neal Kidney's grandmother. A broken needle lodged in her hand led to multiple trips to the doctor, surgery, and weeks of recovery at a time when money was scarce, transportation was limited, and even getting medical care was a challenge. Joy Neal Kidney shares the...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Winnie the Pooh became a Disney character, he was the creation of A.A. Milne, first brought to life in the  Evening News  on Christmas Eve, 1925. Inspired by his son, Christopher Robin, and a teddy bear named Edward, Milne wrote stories that blended the innocence of childhood with the timeless appeal of friendship. Illustrated by E.H. Shepa...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in our 25th episode of our ongoing  Story of Us—Story of America  series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of  Land of Hope , answers a simple question: When did the South become the South? The answer lies in the rise of King Cotton, the expansion of slavery, and the transformation of an entire region. As cotton made the South the wealthiest par...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Nike became one of the world's most recognizable brands, it was a small company founded by a track coach and one of his former runners. Steve Bence was there. As a teammate of Steve Prefontaine at the University of Oregon, he learned from legendary coach Bill Bowerman, met Phil Knight before Nike became a household name, and watched the company grow...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the weeks after Abraham Lincoln's assassination, authorities hunted not only John Wilkes Booth but also anyone suspected of aiding him. Among the accused was Mary Surratt, a widowed boardinghouse owner in Washington. Investigators claimed her home was the meeting place where the plot to kill the president took shape. The evidence was thin, the public moo...