Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories , Tom McManus and his dad had a sit-down talk during Tom's Jacksonville Jaguars training camp. The gridiron grind seemed much more of a privilege after learning that his father - at the same age of 24 - was shot down in his B-24 over Europe. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/dona...

On this episode of Our American Stories , the Civil War was over, the city of Washington was in celebration and President Lincoln's life was about to take a happy and hopeful turn. His short, happy life was thwarted by John Wilkes Booth. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Canada is an independent nation—and not part of the United States—most likely, because of smallpox. Here to tell the story is the president of Ameriseach, William Federer. 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 Greatest Man in the World." That's what King George said George Washington would be if he resigned his military commission. Dr. Larry Arnn, President of Hillsdale College, and author Nathaniel Philbrick share this remarkable story of America's indispensable man. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www...

On this episode of Our American Stories , the new Constitution was an experiment—a unplayed sheet of music— and we wouldn't know what it would look like in actuality until people picked up their instruments. Here to tell the story of the first real test is Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstor...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Vince Benedetto, founder of Bold Gold Media Group, tells the story of the Cooper Union address-the greatest speech of Lincoln's that Americans have never heard, and the speech that made him President. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Ruger is the biggest gun manufacturer in the U.S., and it’s not by accident. Here to tell this story is Logan Metesh. Logan is a firearms historian and museum professional who runs High Caliber History LLC. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Tom Zoellner purchased a diamond engagement ring and proposed. His girlfriend said, "yes" and then suddenly walked out of his life, making Tom the owner of a used engagement ring. Instead of hitting the self-help shelves of his local bookstore, he hit the road to discover the true worth of this shining gem. Then he wrote  The Heartless Stone. Support the s...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Professor Christopher Oldstone-Moore makes the case that today’s bearded renaissance is part of a centuries-long cycle in which facial hairstyles have varied in response to changing ideals of masculinity. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for...

On this episode of Our American Stories , when one thinks of basketball, one might think of Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, and when one thinks of football one might think of Tom Brady or Jerry Rice...when one thinks of NASCAR though, only one name stands above the rest. Dale Earnhardt. Here's Jay Busbee, author of Earnhardt Nation, with the story of "The Intimidator" Support the show (https://www.ou...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Paul, our regular contributor from Minnesota, is here to tell us his weight-loss resolution 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 , much of what’s known about legendary NFL quarterback Brett Favre has been kept between the goal posts. So Greg Hengler sat down with Brett in his Hattiesburg, Mississippi, home for this part 5 of our 5-part series. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/lis...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Dr. Jerry Bergman tells the story of a teenage boy who became interested in snow. On January 15, 1885, at 20 years of age, he became the first person in the world to photograph a snowflake. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

On this episode of Our American Stories , if you want to know about the history of America, it is imperative that you know the role that the Bible played in shaping our country. Our Founding Fathers—both Christian and non-Christian—were heavily influenced by the Bible. Here to share another story is Robert Morgan, author of 100 Bible Verses That Made America. Support the show (https://www.ourameri...

On this episode of Our American Stories , we are about to hear the untold story of Hollywood legend Steve McQueen told by a McQueen expert, Marshall Terrill. 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 , Denisha Allen was born to a teenage mother into poverty in Jacksonville, Florida. Here's her story on how she overcame and succeeded. 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 , Ritz-Carlton founder Horst Schulze reshaped how service and hospitality are defined in business. He tells a short story about how great service wins - excellence wins - and bad service kills businesses. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

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/donate See...

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. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.o...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Titanic Thompson led a wild life, always chasing the next big score, including cheating the infamous mobster Al Capone. Here’s “The History Guy” with the story of Titanic Thompson, the greatest cheat of all time. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/liste...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Tim Hennessy's life was changed by what he chose to do with his deteriorating health issues. 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 , legend has it that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads to learn how to play the guitar. According to Steve Johnson, Robert's grandson, that's the furthest thing from the truth. Here he is with the true story of the king of the Delta Blues. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.our...

On this episode of Our American Stories , straight out of a Horatio Alger novel, the Silver Kings (John Mackay, James Fair, William O'Brien, and James Flood) epitomized the rags-to-riches American dream story. Roger McGrath tells the story of the richest mineral discovery in American history - the Comstock Lode. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https:/...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Valentine’s Day began as a feast to celebrate the decapitation of a third-century Christian martyr. So, how did we get from beheading to betrothing? 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 , despite being a member of President Roosevelt's New Deal team, Hatton Sumners—a name most people don't know today—put his political career on the line to prevent FDR from packing the Supreme Court. Here's Josiah Daniel with the remarkable story of why there are still 9 Supreme Court justices today. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donat...