Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, few figures shaped modern American Christianity like Billy Graham. His sermons reached across denominations and generations, and his ministry left a lasting mark on the country’s religious life. When Billy Graham passed away, tributes poured in from around the world. At his funeral, however, the most personal reflection came from his daughter, Ruth Gr...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1941,  Captain America Comics No. 1  hit newsstands with an unforgettable image: Captain America punching Adolf Hitler. The cover appeared nearly a year before Pearl Harbor, at a time when much of the country was still divided over entering World War II. Joe Parrott of Ohio State University explains how Captain America’s first appearance...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Our American Stories  regular contributor, Joy Neal Kidney, shares the forgotten stories of Union soldiers from Iowa whose sacrifices rippled far beyond the battlefield. Drawing from her family's letters, Joy tells the intertwined tales of Colonel James Redfield and Lieutenant Colin Marshall: farmers, fathers, brothers, and sons who left Iowa to fight...

On this episode of Our American Stories, on July 4, 1986, moments before the largest fireworks display in American history, President Ronald Reagan gave a rousing speech from the deck of the  USS John F. Kennedy  in New York Harbor. Standing beneath the Statue of Liberty, he reminded the country and the world what freedom really means. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.co...

On this episode of Our American Stories, no, Al Gore did not invent the internet. And neither did one single engineer working alone in a lab. The creation of the internet was a decades-long effort involving programmers, scientists, and visionaries who believed computers could talk to one another. From early network experiments to the first web browser and the first website, the internet story is o...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest president in American history when he took office in 1901. He is remembered for trust-busting, conservation, and the phrase “carry a big stick.” But before all of that, he was a young man in mourning. After the sudden death of his wife and mother on the same day in 1884, Roosevelt fled west to the Dakota Terri...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before the United States Constitution, there were the Articles of Confederation. Written during the American Revolution, the Articles created a national government built on a “firm league of friendship” among the states. The Articles of Confederation limited federal power but reflected deep fears of centralized authority, leaving the founders' f...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Clarksdale, Mississippi is known for blues music and Delta history. It is also home to one of the most beloved barbecue restaurants in the state. Abe’s BBQ has been serving smoked meat for generations, drawing locals and travelers who come looking for Mississippi barbecue done right.  Our American Stories  regular contributor, Jesse Edwards,...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 1990s, Pepsi ran a commercial that joked a teenager could earn a Harrier jump jet, the pride of the Marine Corps, through Pepsi Points. The ad listed the jet at seven million points. Most viewers laughed and moved on. One college student did not. John Leonard gathered investors, calculated the math, and tried to claim the jet. When Pepsi refused, the...

On this episode of Our American Stories, The First Amendment promised freedom of religion, but the reality in America was not always simple. In the nineteenth century, Catholics faced discrimination in politics, education, and public life. Archbishop John Hughes emerged as one of the most forceful defenders of American Catholics. Called “Dagger John” for the cross he signed before his...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the American flag carries deep meaning for millions of families, often shaped by service, sacrifice, and memory. For Our American Stories  listener Joy Neal Kidney of Des Moines, Iowa, that meaning is deeply personal. Joy is the niece of the Wilson Brothers—young men from Iowa who served during World War II and whose lives and sacrifices left a l...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Thomas Jefferson is remembered as a Founding Father, the author of the Declaration of Independence, and the nation’s third president. He is also one of the most important historical figures when it comes to religious freedom in America. In 1802, that commitment to religious liberty inspired one of the strangest thank-you gifts in presidential history....

On this episode of Our American Stories, when American troops left for war, they carried reminders of home that came in the simplest form: food. Spam and Hershey’s chocolate became symbols of comfort in a world that had lost its sense of safety. Spam filled mess kits and fueled long marches through mud and heat. Hershey’s chocolate brought a quick burst of sweetness that could steady a...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Holiday Inn began with one frustrated family road trip and grew into one of the largest hotel chains in the world. At the center of that growth was Kemmons Wilson, the founder of Holiday Inn and a salesman at heart. His son, Kemmons Wilson Jr., joins us with stories of his father's relationships with some of the greats: Muhammad Ali, Sam Walton, and Sam Phi...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the Vietnam War changed a generation of American men. For many of them, survival depended less on strategy and more on friendship. Camelo Venegaz was the kind of guy you could talk to about anything, and he became someone his fellow soldiers trusted with their fears and, at times, their final words. He joins us to tell his story. Support the show ( https://...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Josh and Lauren Manning did not expect to end up in Noel, Missouri. After years in retail management, Josh felt pulled toward ministry and accepted a role at a struggling rural church. What they walked into was something unexpected: a congregation that spanned multiple cultures and languages. Noel had become home to refugees and immigrant families drawn to...

On this episode of Our American Stories, it is hard to imagine now, but there was a time when writing meant sitting in front of a typewriter. Just a keyboard, a ribbon, and a blank sheet of paper. The QWERTY layout, first designed in the nineteenth century, shaped how we still type today. Our American Stories  listener Bert Rosica explains why that old typing machine still holds a certain pow...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Butch Hartman shares the story of how one of the most influential animation careers of the 2000s came to be. While millions recognize the shows he created;  The Fairly OddParents ,  Danny Phantom , and more, far fewer know the path that led him there. Hartman tells how his journey took him from the snowy shores of Michigan to the studios of Southe...

On this episode of Our American Stories, during World War I, carrier pigeons were woven into the U.S. Army’s communication system. When phone lines were cut and runners could not cross open ground, messenger pigeons carried handwritten notes over smoke and shellfire. At one point in the war, an American unit was pinned down by its own artillery. Cut off and taking heavy losses, the men turne...

On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when the automobile was hailed as an environmental savior. Cities at the turn of the century were suffocating under the burden of their own success. The horse had built them, but it was also destroying them. Streets were thick with waste, and the air carried the scent of disease. Into that chaos rolled th...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Seaside, Oregon, was a small Pacific Northwest town built on logging and salmon fishing. Karl Marlantes’ grandfather had already survived a logging accident that crushed both his legs before turning fully to commercial salmon fishing. As a gillnetter, he worked the tides with precision, and when Karl was thirteen, he brought him into the family busine...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in NASCAR, some names fade. But Dale Earnhardt does not. Dale Earnhardt Sr. built his reputation one race at a time, driving the black No. 3 and collecting championships like stamps. More than two decades later, Dale Earnhardt remains central to NASCAR’s story. Jay Busbee, author of  Earnhardt Nation , shares the tale of how a poor boy from Kanna...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Alcatraz: the inescapable prison. Inmates called it “the Rock,” and the distance from Alcatraz to the mainland was enough to make even the most hardened criminals shiver in fear. But in 1946, a group of prisoners attempted the impossible. They overpowered guards inside Alcatraz and tried to break out. The attempt spiraled into what became known...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert E. Lee is known for his role during the Civil War, but what about his life afterward? After the Confederate surrender, General Robert E. Lee returned to Virginia and accepted the presidency of a struggling college in Lexington. The aftermath of the Civil War left the South uncertain about its future, and Lee’s final years were spent guiding stu...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the top show of the 60's and 70's started with a simple question: "Scooby-Doo where are you?" The show introduced the Scooby-Doo gang, a group of teenagers and one nervous Great Dane riding around in the Mystery Machine, chasing ghosts that always turned out to be something far more human. Our own Greg Hengler shares the story of one of the most ironic cart...