Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, Francis Scott Key wasn't a musician, a soldier, or even a master wordsmith. But after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, he scribbled out a rough poem that captured a nation's defiance.Set to the tune of a British drinking song, his words became "The Star-Spangled Banner," the unexpected anthem of a young country. Mar...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1939, as Hitler tightened his grip on Europe, between 88 and 94 percent of Americans opposed entering the war. Martha and Waitstill Sharp were part of the small minority who believed they couldn't look away. Leaving behind their children and the safety of home, they traveled into Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to rescue people marked for persecution.In the...

On this episode of Our American Stories, when the Civil War began, students at Hillsdale College didn't wait to be called. Within hours of President Lincoln's request for volunteers, they formed a military company and offered their services to the Union. By war's end, more than 500 Hillsdale students and alumni had served, four had earned the Medal of Honor, and nearly half had been killed or woun...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in November 1863, Abraham Lincoln arrived in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, just months after one of the bloodiest battles in American history. What he saw there, the devastation, the loss, and the sacrifice, would shape the words he was about to deliver. At just 269 words, the Gettysburg Address would go on to become one of the most famous speeches in history....

On this episode of Our American Stories, George Washington didn't lead the American Revolution from a grand office or government building. He led it from a canvas tent that traveled with the Continental Army across the colonies. Inside its weathered walls, Washington planned campaigns, met with officers, and made decisions that would shape the future of a new nation.Our regular contributor, Ashley...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago needed a showstopper. France had unveiled the Eiffel Tower just four years earlier, and America wanted an attraction that would leave the world equally amazed. Most engineers proposed taller towers. George Ferris had a different idea: build a giant wheel that could lift more than 2,000 people into the sky.Our own Greg Hengle...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in Durham, North Carolina, an ordinary railroad bridge has become one of the internet's most unlikely celebrities. Nicknamed the "11-foot-8 Can Opener," it has shredded the roofs off hundreds of trucks despite flashing lights, warning signs, and every effort to stop drivers from hitting it.Our own Jesse Edwards shares the remarkable story of the bridge, the...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the founding of the United States didn't happen in a single moment. It unfolded across one of the most difficult years in American history. The late, great historian and author of 1776, David McCullough, shares the story of how a fragile army, led by an untested commander, struggled to hold the cause together against overwhelming odds. Between Boston a...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Satchel Paige didn’t just pitch; he dazzled. Known for fastballs with names like the Midnight Creeper and the Bat Dodger, he played for five decades without a relief pitcher in sight. Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, shares the life and legend of one of the greatest to ever take the mound. Support the show (https://ww...

On this episode of Our American Stories, for our ongoing Story of Us—Story of America series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, expands upon the story of Theodore Roosevelt, the energetic and fiercely ambitious president who believed America needed a stronger executive and a more active federal government. Even after leaving the White House, Roosevelt was convinced his work...

On this episode of Our American Stories, listener Paul Kotz has a habit that's becoming increasingly rare: he talks to strangers. Whether it's a lost set of keys, a chance encounter in an elevator, or a conversation with a family at a hotel pool, Paul has discovered that some of life's most memorable moments begin with a simple hello. In this warmhearted story, he reflects on the unexpected friend...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Audie Murphy became the most decorated American soldier of World War II, he was a poor Texas farm boy who spent his childhood picking cotton, hunting rabbits to feed his family, and struggling to survive during the Great Depression. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Murphy was determined to serve his country, even though he was underage, under...

On this episode of Our American Stories, on January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs stepped onto the stage at Macworld and unveiled a device that would forever change the way we communicate. To the audience, it looked like a flawless presentation. Behind the scenes, however, Apple engineers were bracing for disaster. The iPhone prototype was so fragile that Jobs had to follow a carefully rehearsed sequence of...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1980, contractor Steve Bell was left holding the bag after two of his biggest clients were arrested on drug charges, costing him more than $100,000, roughly $318,000 today. His attorney urged him to declare bankruptcy, but Steve refused.In this installment of our "Do the Right Thing" series with the Daniels Fund, Steve shares the true story of how h...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before engines and asphalt, movement meant muscle, yours or the horse’s. But riding bareback could only take humans so far. The saddle changed that. With structure, control, and later, the stirrup transformed the horse into a game-changing force in human history. From mounted armies to long-distance trade, this one invention shaped how empires rose, h...

On this episode of Our American Stories, you may see them everywhere today, but the UPC barcode didn’t become commonplace until well into the 1970s. What had started as a simple idea to speed up checkout lines took decades to develop, requiring advances in computing, scanning tech, and cooperation across different industries.When the first barcode was scanned in 1974, it marked the beginning...

On this episode of Our American Stories, on May 22, 2011, an EF-5 tornado tore through Joplin, Missouri, killing 162 people and becoming the deadliest and costliest tornado in modern American history. As the storm approached, local meteorologist Jerimiah Cook realized the tornado was heading directly toward his hometown, his friends, and even his own pregnant wife.Jerimiah Cook and reporter Gretch...

On this episode of Our American Stories, as a military police officer in Germany, Richard Muniez expected another quiet night on patrol. Instead, he responded to a call involving a distraught soldier armed with a knife who was destroying a truck and begging officers to shoot him.After a tense standoff, Richard tackled the soldier moments before he attempted to take his own life. The immediate dang...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before he won five national championships and became one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history, Mike Krzyzewski was on the brink of being fired. In his first three seasons at Duke, Coach K struggled to win games, angered boosters, and faced mounting criticism from fans and alumni. After a humiliating loss in the 1983 ACC Tournament, many bel...

On this episode of Our American Stories, prohibition is often remembered through the lens of gangsters, speakeasies, and organized crime. But long before bootleggers captured the public imagination, millions of Americans believed alcohol was destroying families, fueling violence, and corrupting politics.Carrie Nation has largely been remembered as a hatchet-wielding fanatic who smashed saloons acr...

On this episode of Our American Stories, when David LaBelle was a teenager, his mother was the one person who believed in him. She helped him stay in school, encouraged his interest in photography, and stood by him through difficult years. Then, during a devastating flood in Southern California, she was swept away while David and his family struggled to survive atop their collapsing home.For decad...

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Civil War, falling asleep on guard duty was a crime punishable by death. That was the fate awaiting William Scott, a young Union soldier who drifted off at his post one night. His case captured the attention of President Abraham Lincoln, who, astonishingly, chose mercy over execution.What followed became one of the most remarkable Civil War stori...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before the corporate sponsors, television deals, and packed speedways, NASCAR began on the dirt roads of the American South. During Prohibition and the decades that followed, moonshine runners modified ordinary cars to outrun federal agents, creating faster engines, better suspensions, and a culture built on speed.Neal Thompson, author of Driving with...

On this episode of Our American Stories, at the height of the Korean War, Fox Company was cut off in the mountains and outnumbered almost fifty to one. Their orders were simple and brutal: hold a critical mountain pass or see thousands of fellow Marines trapped. For nearly a week, Captain William Barber’s men fought through cold, hunger, and relentless attacks, turning what could have been a...

On this episode of Our American Stories, growing up in Kansas, Bob Hamner never imagined he would become a sailor. But during a vacation in the Bahamas in the 1970s, he climbed into a small sailboat with no instruction, no experience, and little idea what he was doing. By the end of the day, he was hooked.One boat led to another. The sports car gave way to a van, the van to a bigger boat, and even...