Our American Stories
Episodes
Phillis Wheatley: From Africa to America’s First Published Black Poet
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Phillis Wheatley was brought from Africa to Boston as a child and enslaved. Within a few years, she was readi...
From a Displaced Persons Camp to Funding Brain Research
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when the Soviets took control of Lithuania at the end of World War II, Audrey Gruss’s parents fled. Aft...
Eli Whitney and the Origins of American Mass Production
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, before interchangeable parts became standard in factories, they were an idea in need of proof. And Eli Whitne...
The Couple the Catholic Church Wouldn’t Marry
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, despite the church's refusal to annul a previous marriage, this couple spent days together for decades, all t...
Paul Bauer: The 6'6" Quilter from Minneapolis
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, at six-foot-six and 250 pounds, Paul Bauer does not fit most people’s picture of a quilter. A few years...
Curt Flood and the Lawsuit That Changed Baseball
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Curt Flood was one of the best center fielders in Major League Baseball. As a three-time All-Star and two-tim...
Remembering The USS Indianapolis: The Worst Naval Disaster in American History
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The USS Indianapolis left Guam in July 1945 after delivering critical cargo connected to the Manhat...
Falling in Love at The Kids Section at Lambeau Field
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Lambeau Field has hosted decades of Green Bay Packers history. In the 1980s, it also hosted something quieter...
Becoming Dr. Seuss: The Making of an American Imagination
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, from Green Eggs and Ham to How the Grinch Stole Christmas, we’re all familiar with the work o...
Three Months Into Retirement He Started Over
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Bob Huff built a career in the nursing home and home healthcare industry. After 3 months of retirement, Bob d...
John F. Kennedy’s Forgotten Independence Day Address
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, during some of the tensest moments of the Cold War, President Kennedy on July 4th, 1962 visited Independence ...
Thomas Bennett and the Growth of the Winchester Rifle Brand
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the Winchester name carries weight in American history, especially when it comes to rifles and repeating fire...
VHS vs Betamax and the Battle for the Living Room
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, there was a moment when the future of home entertainment was uncertain. VHS and Betamax were locked in a form...
B.B. King, Lucille, and the Rise of a Blues Legend
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, before he became known worldwide as B.B. King, he was Riley B. King, a young musician working the radio circu...
Couple Adopts 7 Siblings Separated Across Four Foster Homes!
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Sophia and Deshaun Olds were married in 2004 but didn’t immediately think about starting a family. They...
Why Chick-fil-A Says “My Pleasure”
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, if you have ever ordered at Chick-fil-A, you know the reply almost by heart: “My pleasure.” But t...
Walt Disney’s Long Fight to Make Mary Poppins
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, more than half a century after Mary Poppins premiered in 1964, it still sits near the top of the list of...
The Eating Contest That Earned Her a Reputation
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, some competitions end when the plates are cleared. This one kept going in the form of a nickname. Lindsey Gal...
Christopher Columbus: The Last Crusader
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Age of Discovery launched European exploration across the Atlantic, but Columbus’s motivations were...
Remembering Father and Son Whose Story Inspired the Hit Country Song "I Drive Your Truck"
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Paul Monti was able to keep and drive a meaningful memorial of his son, Jared, who was killed in action while...
How One Man Saved the USS Midway—and Brought It to San Diego
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Malin Burnham, a San Diego business leader, shares his story of community development and philanthropy, inclu...
When Neutral Iceland Became a Strategic Prize in WWII
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, by the time the United States sent troops to Iceland, the war in Europe was already reshaping the Atlantic. I...
Why Ole Miss Fans Learn Humility Early
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, loving a team that loses year after year certainly has a way of shaping character, and in Oxford, Mississippi...
Why Moby-Dick Nearly Ruined Herman Melville
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, today, Herman Melville sits firmly within the canon of American literature. His novel Moby-Dick is assig...
Losing Both Arms at Ten and Learning to Live Again
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Mississippi native Madysen Acey was ten years old, an electrical accident led to the loss of both her ar...
Spam: How a Canned Meat Became an American Icon
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, ask ten people what Spam is, and you will hear ten different answers. Some think of canned meat on a grocery ...
The Dog Food CEO Who Ate Kibble for 30 Days
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in an age of viral marketing campaigns and carefully crafted advertising strategies, one Texas business owner...
he Story of America: Cuba, the Philippines, and the Making of an American Empire [Ep. 38]
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1898, the mysterious explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor lit a fuse that had already bee...
Driving Into the Alaskan Wilderness—and the Storm That Changed Me
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Kent Nerburn, author of Letters to My Son, set out on a road trip through Alaska as a young man&mda...
Elvis Presley and Colonel Tom Parker: Stories From the Early Years
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Elvis Presley’s rise to become the King of Rock and Roll did not happen in isolation. Behind the scenes...
Who Invented Snowboarding? The Story of Jake Burton Carpenter
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, snowboarding grew from a niche winter activity into a global sport within a single generation. At the center ...
Why Cincinnati Is Named After George Washington—and a Roman Farmer
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, King George III once said that if George Washington truly resigned his commission and returned to his farm, h...
The Story of America: The Framers and the Summer of 1787 [Ep. 9]
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when the Constitutional Convention opened in 1787, the United States was less than a decade old and already s...
Ruth Graham’s Farewell to Her Father Billy Graham
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, few figures shaped modern American Christianity like Billy Graham. His sermons reached across denominations a...
Captain America and the Hitler Punch That Shocked the World
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1941, Captain America Comics No. 1 hit newsstands with an unforgettable image: Captain America p...
Iowa’s Union Soldiers and the Lasting Effects of the Civil War
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Our American Stories regular contributor, Joy Neal Kidney, shares the forgotten stories of Union soldier...
President Reagan's Greatest Speech You've Never Heard: His July 4 Speech in NY Harbor
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, on July 4, 1986, moments before the largest fireworks display in American history, President Ronald Reagan ga...
Who Invented the Internet?
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, no, Al Gore did not invent the internet. And neither did one single engineer working alone in a lab.The creat...
Theodore Roosevelt: That Damn Cowboy
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest president in American history when he took office in 1901. He is remember...
The Story of America: What Came Before The Constitution? [Ep. 8]
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, before the United States Constitution, there were the Articles of Confederation. Written during the American ...
Why Abe’s BBQ Is a Mississippi Delta Landmark
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Clarksdale, Mississippi is known for blues music and Delta history. It is also home to one of the most belove...
The Pepsi Harrier Jet Ad That Sparked a Lawsuit
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 1990s, Pepsi ran a commercial that joked a teenager could earn a Harrier jump jet, the pride of the Ma...
John Hughes: The Irish Bishop Who Fought for Catholics in America
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The First Amendment promised freedom of religion, but the reality in America was not always simple. In the ni...
Why the American Flag Means So Much to My Family
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the American flag carries deep meaning for millions of families, often shaped by service, sacrifice, and memo...
When a Baptist Preacher Gave Thomas Jefferson a 1,200-Pound Gift
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Thomas Jefferson is remembered as a Founding Father, the author of the Declaration of Independence, and the n...
How Spam and Chocolate Became America’s Secret Weapons in WWII
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when American troops left for war, they carried reminders of home that came in the simplest form: food. Spam ...
Kemmons Wilson: The Man Who Built Holiday Inn
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Holiday Inn began with one frustrated family road trip and grew into one of the largest hotel chains in the w...
When Friendship in Vietnam Meant Saying Goodbye
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the Vietnam War changed a generation of American men. For many of them, survival depended less on strategy an...
The Rural Missouri Church That Preaches In Five Languages
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Josh and Lauren Manning did not expect to end up in Noel, Missouri. After years in retail management, Josh fe...
99 Reasons a Typewriter Beats a Computer
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, it is hard to imagine now, but there was a time when writing meant sitting in front of a typewriter. Just a k...
From Fairly OddParents to Danny Phantom: The Animator Behind the Shows
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Butch Hartman shares the story of how one of the most influential animation careers of the 2000s came to be. ...
When a Messenger Pigeon Stopped Friendly Fire in World War I
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, during World War I, carrier pigeons were woven into the U.S. Army’s communication system. When phone li...
How the Automobile Solved a Problem No One Could Ignore
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, it’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when the automobile was hailed as an environmental savio...
What Salmon Fishing Taught Me About Courage
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Seaside, Oregon, was a small Pacific Northwest town built on logging and salmon fishing. Karl Marlantes&rsquo...
The Intimidator: Dale Earnhardt's Life In The Fast Lane
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in NASCAR, some names fade. But Dale Earnhardt does not. Dale Earnhardt Sr. built his reputation one race at ...
When an Escape Attempt Turned Alcatraz Into a War Zone
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Alcatraz: the inescapable prison. Inmates called it “the Rock,” and the distance from Alcatraz to...
Robert E. Lee’s Quiet Years in the Aftermath of the Civil War
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert E. Lee is known for his role during the Civil War, but what about his life afterward? After the Confed...
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? The Story Behind the Original 1969 Series
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the top show of the 60's and 70's started with a simple question: "Scooby-Doo where are you?" The show introd...
Benjamin Franklin: America’s First Known Chess Player
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Ben Franklin had more “firsts” than most Americans could dream of. But before he was a statesman,...
The Story of America: The Indispensable George Washington and America’s Road to Victory [Ep. 7]
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, after the Declaration of Independence was signed, the real test began. Could a fragile rebellion defeat the m...
Rosa Parks, In Her Own Words: The Woman Who Challenged Segregation and Changed the World
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the story of Rosa Parks is often reduced to a single moment on a Montgomery bus. But here, in her own voice, ...
The True Story of Valentine’s Day: From Martyrdom to Modern Romance
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Valentine’s Day began as a feast honoring a third-century Christian martyr. So how did we get from behe...
The Text Message That Became a Eulogy: Remembering Officer Richard Houston
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, when 18-year-old Shelby Houston prepared to preach for the first time, her father sent her a reassuring text....
The Unlikely Alliance that Secured Religious Freedom
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, John Ragosta of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello shares the story of how religious persecution in colonial...
Sunday Mornings with Big Mitch: Ep. 13
15 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, every Sunday, Our American Stories host Lee Habeeb speaks with Mitchel “Big Mitch” Rutledge,...
The Rise of Adolf Hitler: Why a Nation Chose Tyranny
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, the Third Reich lasted just twelve years, but the destruction it unleashed reshaped the world forever. In thi...
One of America’s Greatest Business Leaders Started as a Paperboy
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, long before leading ten publicly traded companies, Jerre Stead was waking up at 3 a.m. to deliver newspapers ...
Weapons of World War II: Barbed Wire, Mines, Guns, and Artillery
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, historian Stephen Ambrose explains how World War II was actually fought, not just with tanks and planes, but ...
Atlanta’s “Romulus and Remus”: The Texas, the General, and a City Built by Rail
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Texas is one of the last surviving locomotives of the Western & Atlantic Railroad, the line that help...
The “Baby Box Lady”: Monica Kelsey and the Mission Saving Newborn Lives
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, founder and CEO Monica Kelsey tells the remarkable true story behind Safe Haven Baby Boxes—secure drop ...
How Dogs Gave One Man Purpose
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Ryan Stewart never imagined that walking dogs would become his calling. But after years of drifting, dogs bec...
Ulysses S. Grant’s Final Battle: How His Memoirs (and Mark Twain) Saved His Family
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Ulysses S. Grant returned from a triumphal world tour as one of the most admired men on earth—then, alm...
Before Yellowstone: The Real Story of Richard King and the King Ranch
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, long before modern Western dramas, there was Richard King, the real cattle king of the American West. Histori...
The Enslaved-Made Towel That Reveals a Hidden Civil War Story
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, a plain white cloth, roughly woven, unremarkable at first glance, turns out to be a powerful witness to slave...
J. Edgar Hoover: The G-Man Who Built the FBI
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Pulitzer Prize winning author of G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover, Beverly Gage, shares the story of J. Edgar ...
Growing Up With a Heroin-Addicted Father
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, writer Lilly Dancyger reflects on growing up with a father addicted to heroin, and the quiet ways addiction s...
After a Heart Attack, an Ozark Farmer Began Making Guitars for God
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, while plowing his field in the Ozarks, Ed Stilley suffered a heart attack and experienced a vision that would...
From Farmhouses to Harvard Yard: Two Boys, One Friendship, Two Fates
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, James Bradley Thayer and Chauncey Wright grew up in rural Massachusetts with little to suggest they would one...
Elizabeth Smith Friedman: The Woman Who Built American Cryptography
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Elizabeth Smith Friedman helped build modern American cryptography, though much of her work remained classifi...
She Ran Banks in Colombia, Then Cleaned Floors in America
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Gladys Gonzalez once held a senior banking position in Bogotá, earning a dollar salary and managing ma...
From Child Abuse to Saving Grace: Becky Shaffer’s Fight for Foster Girls
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Becky Shaffer grew up in severe neglect and abuse, cycling through hunger, violence, and instability before e...
Fat Bear Week: How Alaska’s Brown Bears Compete for Survival
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, each fall at Brooks Camp in Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, brown bears race to gain as much wei...
Duke Ellington: An American Original
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, many music critics consider Duke Ellington one of the most important composers of the 20th century, in or out...
Rattlesnakes and Vinegar: A Boyhood Journey to the General Store
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Cecil Wax grew up in rural Iowa in the 1920s, when a simple errand could turn into an adventure. When his fam...
How One Man and His Hotel Put Portland on the Map
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, long before Portland became a destination, one businessman helped shape its future through hospitality, civic...
When Horses Got Boring, Pea Ridge Started Jumping Mules
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, in Pea Ridge, Arkansas, horse jumping was nothing new. So locals decided to see whether a mule could do bette...
Mitch Hedberg: The Comic Once Called “The Next Jerry Seinfeld”
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, stand-up comedian Mitch Hedberg was once called “the next Jerry Seinfeld,” but his comedy was unm...
James K. Polk and the One Term That Redrew America’s Map
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, America’s eleventh president, James K. Polk, served just one term and reshaped the nation more than mos...
Sunday Mornings with Big Mitch: Ep. 12
08 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, every Sunday, Our American Stories host Lee Habeeb speaks with Mitchel “Big Mitch” Rutledge,...
How the Super Bowl Was Born: From Rival Leagues to a National Holiday
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Super Bowl wasn’t always America’s biggest event. Emmy Award–winning producer and autho...
Weapons of World War II with Stephen Ambrose: Barbed Wire, Mines, Guns, and Artillery
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, historian Stephen Ambrose explains how World War II was actually fought, through the weapons that shaped the ...
The Family That Kept “I’ll Fly Away” Alive
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, sisters Betsy and Elaine Brumley tell the story of their father, Bob, and the family legacy he carried forwar...
America’s First Great Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase of Lincoln's Killer
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, the United States launched a massive twelve-day manhunt for his kille...
General Daniel Sickles and the Birth of the Insanity Defense
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Civil War general and politician Daniel Sickles was one of the most notorious figures of the 19th century. Hi...
The Man Who Collected WWII Warplanes in His Backyard
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Wally Soplata shares the story of his father, Walter, a union carpenter who quietly saved rare World War II a...
How a Small Washington Town Helped Win World War II
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, teacher and World War II history buff Anne Claire shares the story of how Bremerton became a vital center of ...
Meeting the Mother of My Foster Child Changed My Life
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Christina Dent shares how becoming a foster mother in Jackson, Mississippi challenged everything she believed...
Life Lessons From a Dairy Farm: A Cow Patty Story
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, listener and longtime Our American Stories contributor Katrina Hine shares a personal story from one of ...
The Story of America: Declaring Independence: America’s Irrevocable Choice [Ep. 6]
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, war had already broken out in the American colonies, but declaring independence meant crossing a line from wh...
The Obituary of a Man Who Escaped Stalin and Hitler
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Our American Stories, Alex Berezow remembers his grandfather Dimitri the only way a life like this can be remembered, by telling th...