Our American Stories
Episodes
Bankrupt and Dying from Cancer, Ulysses S. Grant Waged His Greatest Battle
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, aided by Mark Twain, the former president and Civil War hero raced to complete a literary masterpiece that sa...
The Story of the Real Saint Patrick
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, buried beneath the St. Patrick’s Day symbols of shamrocks, leprechauns, and green beer, lies the story ...
The True Story of the Puritans
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, today, the word "Puritan" is often used as an insult—but who were the Puritans? Our own Greg Hengler (a...
The White Union Commander of the All-Black Civil War Regiment—Made Famous by the Movie Glory
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw's life was permanently altered when he read Uncle Tom's Cabin. He would s...
The Disowned British Noble Who Founded the Smithsonian—After His Death
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, James Smithson was never accepted by his father, the Duke of Northumberland. He never married, had no childre...
Was Eisenhower Really Responsible for Our Interstate Highways?
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, although President Eisenhower’s name is forever etched upon our interstate highway system, Charles Zug ...
The Story of James Best (AKA Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane) of "The Dukes of Hazzard"
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, before he was a television star, James Best was orphaned at the age of three. During WWII he served with the ...
Ronald Reagan's D-Day Speech
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Young Army Rangers scaled Normandy cliffs under rifle fire and grenade blasts. Why did they do it? Hear Presi...
From Home Depot to Lead Singer of “Boston”: Tommy DeCarlo’s Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the rock band Boston has sold over 75 million albums with classic hits like "More Than a Feeling,” &ldq...
John Eliot, The Apostle to the Indians
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, if you want to understand the history of America, it is essential to recognize the Bible's role in shaping ou...
The Epic Story of Mountain Man Kit Carson: Agent of “Manifest Destiny
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Kit Carson is one of the most complex characters in American history. The good and the bad that come with the...
The Confederate Secret Service's Secret Plot to Overthrow Lincoln—and Start a Revolution
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Wild Bill Donovan penned a letter to President Roosevelt expressing the need for the United States to ha...
Oliver Hazard Perry: The Hero of Lake Erie
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Oliver Hazard Perry sailed into battle on Lake Erie in September of 1813, the words "don't give up the s...
The Hidden Truth About Monopoly
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the story of how Monopoly came to be often goes like this: Charles Darrow, an out-of-work salesman, sat down ...
[This Week in History: Clement Studebaker Born] The Auto Outsider vs. Detroit: The Studebaker Story
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, miles outside of the motor city in South Bend, Indiana, one of America’s most iconic classic car compan...
[This Week in History: Jack Kerouac Born] A Listener's Touching Story On His Father—and Jack Kerouac
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Our American Stories listener and regular contributor Paul Kotz gives a touching tribute to his father for ou...
Why You Wouldn't Have Wanted the Flu in 1918
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Today, getting the flu (for most people) means a few days on the couch—or in the worst case—a vis...
One of the Most Decorated Veterans of All Time: The Col. David Hackworth Story
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, most know the famous line from the film Apocalypse Now, which showed Robert Duvall standing in a bombed-out f...
[This Week in History: Scalia Born] The Story of Justice Scalia: From His Immigrant Roots to the Highest Court in the Land
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in honor of the late justice's birth, Author James Rosen tells the story of Antonin Scalia's unlikely but ine...
Elizabeth Smith Friedman: The Woman Who Put Cryptography on the Map
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Elizabeth Smith Friedman's accomplishments were as many as they were vital to national security—so cruc...
Dad With Cancer Tells His Kids: “You Are My Best Investments”
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, storyteller Shiloh Carozza remembers her father in a moving portrait of his love, steadfastness, and faith. S...
David McCullough: Why The Men Who Created the Constitution Were Not Soundbite Men with Soundbite Minds
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, they were serious people undertaking the very serious task of saving the new nation in a stuffy little room i...
The Man Who Played Boss Hogg Was a Genius and an American Hero?
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Boss Hogg, played by long-time actor Sorrell Booke, had a much wider range of skills and talents than the bum...
Why My Mom Ate Turnips—Even Though She Hated Them
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, our regular contributor Lorna Jean shares the story of her first Christmas dinner without her dad—and t...
The Letter Washington Wrote to a Hebrew Congregation That Changed America
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Vince Benedetto of Bold Gold Media Group shares the remarkable story of George Washington's letter to a Hebre...
The Story of The Horse Racing Buffalo: Harvey Wallbanger
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, have you ever seen a buffalo race horses and win? Harvey Wallbanger did—and on real racetracks against ...
I Admit it, I Sew Quilts
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story comes to us from a listener, Paul Bauer—a regular contributor out of the Great White Nor...
"My Mother Worked Miracles During the Holocaust"
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the late Judah Samet tells the harrowing story of how he and his family managed to survive the Holocaust. Sup...
When "Neutral" America Occupied "Neutral" Iceland During WWII
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Iceland's strategic location made it difficult to remain neutral during World War II. Here’s the Histor...
Why Does Fighting Exist in Hockey: The Story of Hockey's "Enforcers"
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, as mysterious as it is sacred, the Code is an unwritten set of rules—the Bible of hockey sportsmanship,...
Truth Wins: The Story of Lance Armstrong’s Former Teammate, Tyler Hamilton
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, former Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton rocked the world of professional cycling—and exposed the do...
“In a Nutshell & In the Doghouse” and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the En...
She Thought Her Father Was Dead—Until a Shocking Discovery Just Blocks Away from Home
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, it wasn't until Karen Olson's school held a father-daughter dance that the question entered her mind: "Wait, ...
Titanic Thompson: The Greatest Cheat of All Time
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Titanic Thompson led a wild life, always chasing the next big score, including cheating the infamous mobster ...
The Most Famous Prayer of The American Revolution
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, fear, and determination, filled the room as delegates to the first Continental Congress besought God for a sp...
Asbestos: The Story of the Mineral That Used to Be in Everything
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, today we know asbestos to be a health hazard. But the natural mineral was not simply an artifact of the indus...
"Cat Got Your Tongue?" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the English...
The Founding Fathers Said, No Bible—No America: 100 Bible Verses That Made America
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, if you want to know about the history of America, you must understand the role that the Bible played in shapi...
A Story of Excellence: Horst Schulze and The Founding of The Ritz-Carlton
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, a legend in the hotel world, Horst Schulze reshaped how service and hospitality are defined in business&mdash...
Founding Father Benjamin Rush: Father of Psychiatry, the Army Medical Corps, and Veterinary Care
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Dr. Benjamin Rush is America’s Forgotten Founding Father; perhaps because many historians don’t k...
From Tragedy to a Classic Christmas Carol: The Story of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “I Heard The Bells”
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the song has been recorded by Harry Belafonte, Johnny Cash, Andy Williams, Johnny Marks, and Frank Sinatra, t...
1776: Our Colony and Britain (w/ David McCullough)
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, King George III was not "the mad king who lost the colonies," says renowned historian David McCullough. "He w...
Eli Whitney and His Fake Interchangeable Gun Parts Demo
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Apple founder Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone to the public in 2007, he used multiple iPhones. If o...
My Father Was Friends with Castro...Until He Wasn't
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Mike Gonzalez tells this story of his family escaping the clutches of Castro's communist dictatorship. Suppor...
The Antiwar Presidential Candidate—Who Was a Combat Pilot and Hero in WWII
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the late-great historian Stephen Ambrose tells us the unlikely World War II story of George McGovern, the ant...
The Ghost Ship of Brooklyn: More Americans Died in the Revolutionary War on this British Prison Ship Than in Combat
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert P. Watson, author of The Ghost Ship of Brooklyn, tells this previously untold story of the Americ...
Vietnam Vets Wouldn’t Sell Their Story to Hollywood, But They Sold “We Were Soldiers” to the Writer of “Braveheart”
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, We Were Soldiers is a motion picture about the Vietnam War from writer/director Randall Wallace and star...
The Roy Rogers Story: Family Man, American Legend
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Roy “Dusty” Rogers was one of 9 children raised by Roy Rogers (“King of the Cowboys”)...
A Daughter Discovers Her Long-Passed Father Through His War Letters
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Loretto M. Thompson recounts her significant yet distant memories of her father - and how she grew to know hi...
Buc-ee's: The Path to World Domination
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, if you’ve never been to a Buc-ee’s, it’s a good bet that you will soon enough. Beaver Aplin...
My Life After Firefighting
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, James, a retired fire captain, shares his story of firefighting and the emotions that came along with his hig...
The Guardian of The Golden Gate
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Kevin Briggs' job is talking people off a ledge....or, more specifically, the Golden Gate Bridge's ledge. Her...
The Story of How a Dog Walked a Couple Through Their Infertility Struggle
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, our regular contributor Stephen Rusiniak shares the story about his four-legged family member who helped him ...
The Titanic’s Last Hero
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Lowell Lytle is one of the privileged few who have seen Titanic first-hand. Lowell has played the part of Cap...
Butch Cassidy: The Man Who Brought Organization to Unorganized Crime in the West
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when people think of Butch Cassidy they often imagine Paul Newman’s characterization from the famous mo...
The Story of the First Man to Die in An Airplane Crash
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, becoming masters of the skies has come at a cost. Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge stepped up for service against enem...
"I Stole Prescriptions—To Cope with the Loss of My Daughter"—A Doctor's Story of Disgrace and Redemption
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Dr. David Berry lost his newborn daughter, he turned to alcohol—then to coconut-flavored cough syr...
How I Was Changed by My Short-Term Mission Trip
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, regular contributor and OAS listener Stephen Rusiniak has a special story written by his daughter. She shares...
Jack London's "To Build a Fire"
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jack London’s most famous works include The Call of the Wild and White Fang, both set in...
The Story of How George Strait's "Love Without End, Amen" Came to Be
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, songwriter Aaron Barker tells the story of a life-altering event in his life as a father that birthed one of ...
Thomas Paine: The "First Man" of The Revolution
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Thomas Paine’s powerful words inspired revolution across the world—rallying George Washington&rsq...
My Daughter, Out There... On The Beam
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Stephen Rusiniak became a father of a daughter he had worries, and when she became a high school gymnast...
Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Johnny Cash is an American original, and this story is an insider’s look at the man whose music sprang ...
How a UCLA Student in the 70s Saved the Marx Brothers
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Be...
“Long Shot & Loose Cannon” and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Pt. 13)
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the English...
A Wife’s Heartfelt Letter to Her Husband After Pregnancy Loss
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Megan Bayer shares her touching letter of gratitude and healing to her constant companion through a struggle ...
How Piggly Wiggly Created the Modern Supermarket
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, grabbing a basket while grocery shopping may seem second nature today, but the idea was once groundbreaking. ...
Reconnecting with My Long-Lost Father: A Journey of Discovery and Forgiveness After I Presumed Him Dead
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, meet Ron Brown, a man who grew up in a rough area of Chicago, was practically abandoned by his father, and wo...
The Medal of Honor Recipient Who Crashed His Plane on Purpose to Get To His Downed Wingman
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the Navy commissioned a destroyer on April 1, 2017, and named it after a man who deliberately crash-landed a ...
Buffalo Bill Cody: A Legend in His Time and Ours
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, was "Buffalo Bill" Cody a real-life hero, or was he a fake? Tune in to find out! Support the show (https://ww...
This Day in History: The Unknown Story of the Greatest Sports Moment of the 20th Century—The 1980 Miracle On Ice
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s known as the greatest sports moment of the 20th Century. But no matter how familiar you are with t...
Dick Bong, Ace of Aces: The Greatest Fighter Pilot in American History
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard “Dick” Bong was a hero in an era of heroes. Here’s the History Guy with the story. ...
Mr. 60s: A Baby-Boomer’s Story of Trials, Triumphs... and Redemption
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story comes to us from a listener in West Virginia. Here’s Joe Quinn with his story Support th...
Two American Heroes—Martin Luther King, Jr. and Booker T. Washington—Who Overcame Injustice With a Zero-Victim Attitude
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, James Ward, author of Zero Victim: Overcoming Injustice With A New Attitude, tells the story of two othe...
The Billy Graham Story
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Billy Graham took the role of evangelist to a new level, lifting it from the sawdust floors of canvas tents i...
Doc Holliday: Outlaw Gentlemen, Shady Ladies, and Tombstone
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, much of what America and the world know about Doc Holliday comes from movies and television. But historians a...
"I Was Wayne Gretzky’s Hungover Linemate"
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Sean Pronger always dreamed of being and playing with Wayne Gretzky. Here's his story of what happened when h...
"Dark Horse & Dead Ringer" and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions (Pt. 7)
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the English...
The Story of Apollo 8's Message from the Moon...Heard by 1 Billion People
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, if you want to know about the history of America, it is imperative that you know the Bible's role in shaping ...
The Most Famous Partnership in Showbiz History—The Real Story of Colonel Parker and Elvis Presley
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, ingrained lore has it that Parker took advantage of "poor country boy" Elvis to sign the singer who became "T...
The Vincent van Gogh of Acting? HINT: He Played "Fredo"
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s a well-known bit of movie trivia that all 5 films in which actor John Cazale appeared were nominat...
A Surprise Gift from a Late-Wife to Her Widowed Husband
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom and Lillian Lyons married in 1946. They lived a long and loving life raising a family on the south s...
[President's Day] The Story of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 30th Episode of our Story of America Series with Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, Bill reads a...
[President's Day Special] The Rise of Lincoln
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 27th episode of our Story of America Series with Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, Dr. McC...
[President's Day Special] The Sleeping Sentinel Who Received the Death Penalty, But Was Saved By President Lincoln
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the Civil War soldier, William Scott, fell asleep at his post, at the time a transgression punishable by exec...
[President's Day Special] How George Washington's Bible Survived 9/11
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, George Washington’s Bible was on loan to a famous Revolutionary War tavern mere blocks from the World T...
[President's Day Special] George Washington: America's First True Superhero
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, veteran Vince Benedetto delivers the awe-inspiring story of our first president. Support the show (https://ww...
The Inventor of the Machine Gun Became Deaf—So His Son Invented the Silencer
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1902, the first successful, commercially available gun silencer was invented by Hiram Percy Maxim. He also...
The Shocking Story Behind the Diamond Engagement Ring
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Zoellner purchased a diamond engagement ring and proposed. His girlfriend said "yes," and then suddenly w...
What I Learned from A Dying Patient
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Dr. E. Wesley Ely of Vanderbilt University Medical Center shares intensely meaningful experiences, spiritual ...
How Samuel Clemens Headed West and Became Mark Twain
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Old West historian Roger McGrath is here to tell the story of a time before the world knew Samuel Clemons by ...
The Confederate Mystery Ship?
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Confederates didn't have the industrial might to build their own ships. As a result, cash crops proved ki...
The True Story of Valentine's Day
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
G-Man: The Life and Times of J. Edgar Hoover
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Beverly Gage, author of the definitive biography of J. Edgar Hoover, G-Man, J. Edgar Hoover, and The Mak...
In His Father's Village, Nobody Could Read...So He Moved to America and Became an Engineer
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Kevin Samy, the son of Indian-American immigrants who appeared on Forbes' 30 under 30 for law & policy in...
“Hey Kid, catch!”: How Coca-Cola and “Mean” Joe Greene Launched a Legend
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s been multiple decades since a 9-year-old kid shared his Coca-Cola with Pittsburgh Steelers star &l...
From Fired High School Dropout...To Owning D.C.'s Best Taco Chain!
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Osiris Hoil lost his construction job in 2008, he thought his American dream was over—but through ...
MIT's Basketball Coach: "Those Nerds Can Only Handle One Play"
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Bill Koch tells the stories of leadership lessons he took with him for the rest of his life. Support the show...
The Story of a Gang Leader Turned Death Row Chaplin
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Earl Smith shares his story, warts and all. Earl survived a violent youth and eventually served as a Chaplain...
"All She Needs Is A Prescription For A Good Friend"
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Lorna Jean, the woman who needed that prescription, tells the story of how the wife of the doctor helping her...