Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories , in college, Steve Stoliar’s dad wanted him to get a job, but Steve didn’t want to work at Taco Bell… so he called up Groucho Marx. 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 , Joy Neal Kidney shares the story of two unforgettable Thanksgivings with Bosnian refugees. 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 , Peter Braxton brings an eye-opening perspective on service to America in war-torn skies. 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 , 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 , "I never said most of the things I said." ... Well, even if that's so, Yogi Berra's quotes are just the entrée to the man's contribution to American sports and culture. George Will is here to bring us the main course! Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Lindsey Gallant tells her story of when she was challenged to an eating contest by a boy at her church. 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 , according to the National Turkey Federation, each year Americans gobble down on 46 million turkeys for Thanksgiving...but out of that number, how many have gone "missing"? "Master Chef" Steve Reed tells his story on the turkey that got away...at least for a little while. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https:/...

On this episode of Our American Stories , "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. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Su...

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. Support the show (https:/...

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 u...

On this episode of Our American Stories , George Washington led America's army to independence. He needed help to avoid leading it into our first civil war. 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 , Vietnam Veteran and best-selling author Karl Marlantes shares his story of war, memory, and loss. 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 , doing maintenance in mansions, you could meet anyone, talk about anything - even find your career as an agent! 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 , James, a retired fire captain, shares his story of firefighting and the emotions that come along with 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 , William Faulkner grew up in Oxford, Mississippi (where we broadcast), and did what few authors dared to do -- he wrote about his own hometown while living there. 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 , Richard Muniz tells the story of his boss who participated in atomic bomb testing in Nevada in the 1950's. 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 , here to tell the story is Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist, Scott Shane. Shane is the author of "Flee North: A Forgotten Hero and the Fight for Freedom in Slavery’s Borderland." 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 , the Bohlender family have 10 children, 6 of which are adopted. Here's the story of their journey and how they came to found the adoption agency Zoe’s House. 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 , born on land of the former plantation where her parents were enslaved, Madam C.J. Walker married young, had a child young, became a widow young, and got a divorce young. She also created, out of necessity, a revolutionary hair care product that changed the world—and her life—forever. Here's her great great great granddaughter with the story. Support the sh...

On this episode of Our American Stories , Dr. Larry Arnn, President of Hillsdale College, tells the story of how George Washington turned the tides of war at Trenton and Princeton in the most important year in our country's history—1776. 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 , Nellie Bly was a writer, industrialist, inventor, and a charity worker who was widely known for her record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days in 1890. 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 , listener and regular contributor Brent Timmons tells the story of spending time with his Uncle Bud in the final days of 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 , as odd it may seem, the History Guy tells the story of how Pepsi came to own a fleet of Soviet naval ships. 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 this dramatic reading, American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow immortalized Old North Church and Paul Revere in American folklore and cemented their place in American 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 , Jill Duggar and her husband Derick are here to share their story—the unedited truth—behind TLC’s hit television show that captivated the nation, "19 Kids and Counting." Their story has become a NYT instant bestseller: A memoir called "Counting the Cost." Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericans...