Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, when John O’Leary was nine years old, a house fire left him with burns over 100 percent of his body. Doctors said he wouldn’t survive. He did. They said he’d never walk again. He did. When he returned home, his mother insisted he do one more thing no one thought possible: learn to play the piano. John had no fingers, but she believed he ha...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Charles Urschel had money, influence, and a target on his back. When Machine Gun Kelly broke into his home and took him hostage, it seemed like just another high-profile crime in a lawless era. But Urschel didn’t panic. Instead, he took mental notes, tracking every moment, every voice, every clue. His memory became the FBI’s secret weapon and he...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Jesse Owens arrived in Berlin for the 1936 Olympics as one of the fastest men in the world. The long jump competition placed him beside Luz Long, a German athlete competing under the watchful eyes of the Nazi regime and in a stadium built to showcase its ideals. During the event, Long noticed Owens struggling with his approach and quietly offered advice tha...

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, this time diving into how the phrases “high and dry” and “let the cat out of the bag” came to be. His book,  Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert Borelli once believed the Mafia offered the clearest path to power. As a teenager growing up in Brooklyn, he set out to become a gangster, drawn to the respect, money, and status he saw around him. Instead, that path led him in and out of prison, and eventually to rock bottom. But inside a jail cell, at his lowest point, Borelli cried out to God for...

On this episode of Our American Stories, have you ever heard of a Puritan pastor who learned a new language so he could preach the Bible to Native Americans in their own words? In the 1600s, John Eliot did exactly that. He became known as the “Apostle to the Indians” for translating Scripture into Algonquian and sharing it across New England, leaving behind the first Bible printed in N...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the nineteenth century, a woman’s future could collapse overnight. If a husband died, disappeared, or fell into debt, she often had no legal claim to the house she lived in. The homestead law changed that. As Professor Jean Stuntz explains, the law created a small but powerful shield that prevented families from losing the one thing they could not...

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Diablo’s Southwest Grill in Georgia was broken into, owner Carl Wallace could have responded the way most business owners would. Instead, he posted a public message offering the burglar something unexpected, a job. Here’s Carl sharing his story. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.oura...

On this episode of Our American Stories, by the summer of 1864, Union prisoners at Andersonville were dying by the thousands. The Confederate prison camp in southwest Georgia had become one of the most infamous places in the Civil War, marked by starvation, disease, and a desperate lack of clean water. Then came an event many survivors would never forget. After a violent storm and a prayer meeting...

On this episode of Our American Stories, few figures in twentieth-century American politics stood farther apart than Shirley Chisholm and George Wallace. Chisholm broke barriers as a Black congresswoman and presidential candidate. Wallace became a national symbol of segregation and resistance to civil rights. A tragic event brought them together, forging an unlikely connection. Special thanks to t...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before digital photography took over, Kodachrome was one of the most famous color films in the world. Its rich tones and sharp detail made it a favorite among professionals, travelers, and families for generations. But when Kodak stopped making it, there was only one lab left on Earth that could still process it. That lab was Dwayne’s Photo in Parsons...

On this episode of Our American Stories, after serving as the Union general who helped win the Civil War and later as the 18th president of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant entered the final chapter of his life facing two crushing blows. He had lost his money in a financial swindle, and he was dying of throat cancer. With little time left, Grant set out to write his memoirs so his wife would no...

On this episode of Our American Stories, she was just a teenager, carrying her infant son, when she joined the most daring expedition in American history—and without her, Lewis and Clark might never have made it. Dr. Dedra Birzer of Hillsdale College brings us the incredible story of Sacagawea, the young woman who made America's most daring road trip possible. Support the show ( https://www....

On this episode of Our American Stories, as an icon of the Protestant elite, Theodore Roosevelt was an unlikely ally of the waves of impoverished Jewish newcomers who crowded the docks at Ellis Island. Here to tell the story is Arizona State History Professor Andrew Porwancher. Andrew is the author of American Maccabee: Theodore Roosevelt and the Jews. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericansto...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in December 1944, American forces were fighting to hold ground in the Italian village of Sommocolonia when German troops overran the area. First Lt. John Robert Fox remained behind to direct artillery fire from an exposed position. As enemy forces closed in, Fox made a decision that would define his legacy. He ordered artillery to be fired directly on his o...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice from his guide to unraveling the baffling mini-mysteries of the English language. His book,  Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases , explores where our favorite sayings come from and what they mean. This time, Andrew shares the story of how the phrase "r...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1776, the relationship between Britain and the American colonies reached a breaking point. What began as political disagreement had grown into open conflict, and the possibility of independence was closer than ever. The late, great historian David McCullough looks at this turning point in American history and explains how 1776 became the year the Revolut...

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, they needed a way to get from ship to shore quickly, directly, and under fire. That job fell to a simple but revolutionary landing craft known as the Higgins boat, a vessel that could run up on the beach and drop its front ramp in seconds. Eisenhower himself called it a key reason victory was even...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Kenny Monfort built significant wealth, but he didn’t live like someone trying to prove it. Hank Brown shares what it was like working for a man who valued humility over appearance, and character over status. Whether showing grace to those who criticized him or refusing to measure success by what he owned, Monfort lived out his beliefs in quiet, every...

On this episode of Our American Stories, when a stadium full of excited sports fans pressed downhill against inadequate crowd control, tragedy struck in an instant. Michael Brin, a player on the field that day and now an emergency physician, shares his harrowing story of the infamous University of Wisconsin stampede and its aftermath. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) S...

On this episode of Our American Stories, by the 1820s, many of the heroes of the American Revolution were gone, and the country they helped create was already beginning to divide. When General Lafayette returned, his visit quickly turned into a nationwide event. His grand tour across the country drew massive crowds and reminded Americans of the leaders and ideals that shaped the nation. Towns, cou...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Maureen Elwyn shares the heartfelt story of a moment with her elderly grandfather and his beautiful singing as she played the organ. We’d like to thank Leslie Leyland Fields for introducing us to this story. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/list...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Diego Moreno was a police officer in Washington, a trainer, and a father whose life left a lasting mark on those closest to him. His wife and patrol partner share the story of the energy, devotion, and sense of duty he brought to his work in law enforcement. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ourameri...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in our 20th episode of our ongoing  Story of Us, The Story of America  series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of  Land of Hope , shares the story of a rapidly changing America in the early 19th century. As the nation expanded westward and experienced unprecedented economic growth, a deeper conflict loomed beneath the surface. At the center of it all...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Estel Myers joined the military after an argument with his father and soon found himself in the Philippines as the war in the Pacific turned against American forces. After the fall of Bataan, he was captured by the Japanese and forced into one of the darkest chapters of World War II, the Bataan Death March. He survived imprisonment, brutal treatment, and th...