Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, John Adams carried the weight of a nation that was still fragile and untested. He was the second president of the United States, a man caught between loyalty to his principles and the demands of politics. The late historian David McCullough shares Adams’ story not as a list of accomplishments—but as the life of a husband, father, and revolutionary who believed deeply in the republic he helped create.We’d like to thank the John Adams Institute for allowing us to share this story with our listeners. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, at 19 years old, Donna Martin had a plan. She was going to leave Forest, Mississippi, spend the summer working as a lifeguard in Yosemite, and use her days off to drive over to Hollywood and become a movie star. It sounded simple enough. Then she got to California and discovered that Yosemite wasn't exactly next door to Hollywood, her summer job involved more than sitting beside a swimming pool, and life away from home wasn't quite what she had imagined.Donna shares the funny and deeply personal story of the summer that sent her searching for something bigger and the long road that eventually brought her right back home to Mississippi. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, on the night of March 21, 1984, the USS Kitty Hawk was cutting through the Sea of Japan when a Soviet submarine suddenly surfaced directly in its path. For days, the nuclear-powered K-314 had been stalking the American carrier group. Then, somehow, they lost track of the Kitty Hawk. By the time she surfaced and spotted the 80,000-ton aircraft carrier bearing down on it, there was no time to get out of the way. With American and Soviet forces suddenly facing each other across a damaged submarine, both sides now had another challenge: making sure an accident at sea didn't become something far more dangerous.The History Guy shares the remarkable story of the Cold War collision between two warships carrying nuclear weapons. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Mike and Deborah Bailey lost their daughter Ashlynn to a fentanyl overdose, their world stopped. For months, they wrestled with heartbreak and rage, knowing the man who sold her the drugs was still alive. Then their son came to them with a quiet conviction: he wanted to forgive the dealer. What began as an act of faith became a family’s path to healing.The Baileys wrote a letter offering forgiveness—not to excuse the pain, but to release its hold on their hearts. They believed that letting go was the only way to honor their daughter’s spirit. Their story is a powerful testament to grace in the face of loss and to the strength it takes to choose love when everything else falls apart. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the mid-20th century, families desperate for answers turned to a radical procedure known as the lobotomy. It was sold as a cure for everything from depression to schizophrenia, but its brutal methods left thousands of patients permanently damaged. At the center was Dr. Walter Freeman, a man whose name became synonymous with transorbital lobotomy and the dark side of psychosurgery. Yet from these failures came progress. The shortcomings of lobotomy forced doctors and scientists to pursue safer, more effective ways to treat mental illness, ultimately laying the groundwork for modern brain surgery.Dr. Theodore Schwartz, neurosurgeon, professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, and author of Grey Matters, shares the story of how a medical misstep opened the door to innovation and helped transform the future of neurosurgery. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, growing up across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, Richard Herzog found refuge from a troubled home on the playing field. Sports gave him confidence and a place to belong. Then a trusted teacher abused that trust, leaving Herzog with wounds he would spend decades trying to understand.Herzog, author of Paydirt, shares how football eventually brought him to Ole Miss and later to a championship-winning career as a coach. But no victory could erase his past. Through therapy, recovery, faith, and forgiveness, Herzog finally confronted what had happened to him and found a new purpose: helping other male survivors of sexual abuse understand that what happened to them does not have to define the rest of their lives. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Christopher Columbus sailed west in 1492, convinced he could reach Asia across the Atlantic. He was wrong about where he was going, wrong about the size of the world, and yet skilled and determined enough to complete a voyage that would change it forever. Over four expeditions, Columbus explored the Caribbean, encountered peoples unknown to Europeans, pursued gold and converts, and struggled disastrously to govern the colonies he helped establish.Laurence Bergreen, author of Columbus: The Four Voyages, shares the complicated story of the ambitious mariner behind the legend. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, for years, Lowell Lytle put on a captain's uniform and portrayed Edward J. Smith at Titanic exhibits around the country. The ship became an obsession, but Lytle never imagined it would take him to the place where its story ended. Then, at 68 years old, he climbed inside a Russian submersible and descended two and a half miles into the Atlantic. Waiting for him in the darkness was the wreck of the Titanic.Lytle shares what it was like to come face-to-face with the ship he had spent years studying and the realization about life and death that struck him on the ocean floor. He also tells the story of Reverend John Harper, a Baptist minister who survived the sinking only to spend his final moments in the freezing Atlantic trying to save the souls of those around him. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, David Klein loved candy so much that he studied candy bars as a kid, sold popcorn out of the back of his car, and eventually walked away from a career in law to make sweets his life. Then, in 1976, with just $800 to his name, Klein had an idea: reinvent the ordinary jelly bean. He dreamed up unusual flavors, found a manufacturer willing to make them, and gave his creation a name that would soon be known around the world: Jelly Belly.David Klein himself shares how he turned a crazy idea into a national sensation, only to lose control of the candy he created. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Edie Hand grew up on 40 acres of rolling hills in Burnout, Alabama, where some of her happiest memories were made inside an old family barn. There were horses to ride, mud pies to make, sweet potatoes waiting after school, and brothers to run around with. Her beloved grandmother Alice was never far away. To Edie, the barn was more than a building. It was the place where she felt safe, free, and certain that a little girl could grow up to become anything she wanted.Years later, Edie found herself longing for that place and for something she had wanted since childhood: a closer relationship with her mother. Everyone thought of Edie as "the strong one," but being strong could be a lonely thing. With the old barn gone and many of the people who filled it now gone too, Edie shares a deeply personal story about mothers and daughters, the burden of always being strong, and what it means to spend a lifetime searching for home. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Lori Coan was on her second date with a boy she wasn’t sure about when something happened that would change her mind and her life. A group of troublemakers tripped a girl with polio, sending her sprawling in front of everyone. Most of the students laughed or looked away. Lori’s date didn’t. He jumped up, helped the girl to her feet, and gave her dignity back in a moment when she had been robbed of it.To Lori, that simple act of courage said more than words ever could. That boy would later become her husband, and together they would build a marriage lasting over fifty years. What began as a small act of kindness in a high school cafeteria became a lifelong partnership built on respect, compassion, and strength. We'd like to thank our regular contributor, Leslie Leyland Fields, for giving us the lead on this story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Abraham Lincoln entered the Civil War with no military experience and no blueprint for putting down a rebellion of eleven states. The Union had more men, more factories, more railroads, and a powerful navy. But none of those advantages guaranteed victory. After the disaster at Bull Run, Lincoln had to build an army almost from scratch, find generals willing to use it, and convince a divided Northern public to endure a war that was already proving longer and bloodier than almost anyone had imagined.In Episode 29 of our ongoing Story of Us—Story of America series, Hillsdale College professor Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, shares the story of how the most dire struggle America had yet faced unfolded during the first two years of the Civil War. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when George Washington took the oath of office in 1789, his hand rested on a Bible that would become one of America’s most treasured artifacts. That same Bible was on loan to Fraunces Tavern, a Revolutionary War landmark near the World Trade Center, on September 11, 2001. After the towers fell, the search for survivors gave way to the search for the dead and eventually to a search for the missing Bible.Robert J. Morgan, author of 100 Bible Verses That Made America, shares the remarkable story of how Washington’s inaugural Bible was recovered after 9/11. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, William M. "Bill" Feehan spent his life fighting fires in New York City. He rose through every uniformed rank in the FDNY, survived the department's brutal "War Years" of the 1970s, and became one of its most respected leaders. Firefighting was also a family tradition. For four generations, the Feehans had answered the same call, building a legacy of service that stretched back to the sons of Irish immigrants.Brian McDonald, author of Five Floors Up: The Heroic Family Story of Four Generations in the FDNY, shares the story of the Feehans and nearly a century of firefighting in New York. That history reached its most tragic chapter on September 11, 2001, when 71-year-old Bill Feehan responded to the World Trade Center. He was still there, serving alongside another generation of New York firefighters, when the North Tower came down. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, on September 11, 2001, hundreds of thousands of people reached the southern tip of Manhattan and found themselves trapped between a city under attack and New York Harbor. Then a call went out over the radio: "All available boats." Ferries, tugboats, fireboats, and private vessels converged on the waterfront and began taking people aboard. By day's end, an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people had escaped Manhattan by water in the largest waterborne evacuation in American history.Dr. Mike McGee, author of All Available Boats, shares the story of the fireboats that answered the call, including the John D. McKean and the retired John J. Harvey. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when the planes struck the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Cantor Fitzgerald was left devastated. The investment firm’s offices spanned the upper floors of the North Tower, leaving no chance of escape. In less than an hour, 658 employees were gone—more lives than any other company lost that day. Among them was the brother of CEO Howard Lutnick. For Lutnick, the grief was immediate and deeply personal, but so was the responsibility. He had to lead a company hollowed out by tragedy while caring for the families who had lost everything. What followed was a story not only of survival, but of loyalty, rebuilding, and the weight of memory.Howard Lutnick reflects on Cantor Fitzgerald’s darkest day and the colleagues and friends who never came home. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tony Dolan was inside the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 struck on September 11, 2001. In the years that followed, he met young servicemen returning from Iraq and Afghanistan without arms or legs, some of them determined to recover so they could rejoin their units. He watched generals address wounded enlisted men as "sir" and met families carrying losses so profound that even a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer struggled to find the right words.The late Dolan reflects on the wounded warriors, fallen servicemen, and military families he encountered after 9/11. Originally published in The Wall Street Journal, his tribute honors those who sacrificed years, limbs, and sometimes their lives so that millions of Americans could receive what Dolan called "the gift of the future, the gift of tomorrow." Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Jocelyn Green didn’t lose anyone on September 11, but she still felt the weight of that day in ways she couldn’t have predicted. Living just a few miles from the Pentagon, she saw how quickly fear moved through a neighborhood. What surprised her was what came next: people showing up for each other in quiet, steady ways.Over time, she found herself thinking more about how faith fits into grief and how friendships sometimes grow strongest in the shadow of crisis. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Noah Webster believed winning the Revolution was only the beginning. If Americans were going to become a truly independent people, he thought they needed to stop speaking, spelling, and learning like the British. So the stubborn and obsessive Connecticut writer set out to give the new nation a language of its own. His schoolbooks taught generations of American children, his spelling reforms changed the words they wrote, and his dictionary consumed decades of his life.Joshua Kendall, author of The Forgotten Founding Father: Noah Webster's Obsession and the Creation of an American Culture, shares the story of the man whose name became synonymous with the dictionary. Webster also fought for copyright protections, carried an early plan for a stronger federal government to George Washington, and spent much of his long life trying to shape the country the Revolution had created. Audio courtesy of the U.S. Library of Congress Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, John Humphrey had been told his heart could stop without warning. Doctors had discovered a dangerous arrhythmia, and surgery was coming. But before the procedure, John wanted one more chance to take the mound with his teammates. His parents watched from the bleachers. An AED sat nearby in case his heart failed. Then John went out and pitched the game of his life, striking out 14 batters and leading his team to victory.Ryan Buck brings us The Hope Story of John Humphrey, told by John and his parents, Jennifer and Mark. They share the fear surrounding his diagnosis, the prayers that carried their family through it, and how John's journey ultimately changed the way he understood faith, prayer, and the gift of simply being alive. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the height of the Cold War, the United States worked tirelessly to stay ahead of the Soviet Union in the global arms race. Safeguards were put in place to prevent the accidental or unauthorized use of nuclear weapons, including special systems known as Permissive Action Links, or PAL codes.But for almost two decades, the launch code for America’s nuclear arsenal was just eight zeroes: 00000000. Simon Whistler, host of Today I Found Out and The Brain Food Show, explains why the most important code of the Cold War was so simple to crack. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ed Sullivan couldn't sing, dance, act, or tell a joke. He wasn't even particularly comfortable in front of a camera. Yet for more than two decades, millions of Americans tuned in every Sunday night to watch him introduce the biggest names in entertainment. It was an unlikely destination for a poor kid from Harlem who spent years chasing success as a sportswriter, gossip columnist, and radio personality.James Maguire, author of Impresario: The Life and Times of Ed Sullivan, joins our own Lee Habeeb to share how Sullivan built one of the most influential shows in television history. He introduced America to Elvis Presley and the Beatles, championed Black performers on national television, and made everyone from comedians to opera singers feel at home on the same stage. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, by 1864, the Confederacy was losing the Civil War on the battlefield. But hundreds of miles behind Union lines, Confederate agents were fighting a very different kind of war. Working out of secret bases in places like Montreal, they gathered intelligence, plotted acts of sabotage, worked with Northern antiwar activists, and searched for ways to disrupt the presidential election and ignite an uprising in the North. Some even considered an extraordinary target: Abraham Lincoln himself.Patrick K. O'Donnell, author of The Unvanquished, shares the hidden history of the Confederate Secret Service and makes the case that its covert war ultimately became entangled with John Wilkes Booth's conspiracy against Lincoln. He also explains how the scouts, spies, raiders, and saboteurs of the Civil War later influenced Wild Bill Donovan as he helped build America's modern intelligence and special operations capabilities during World War II. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1942, Elizabeth and Robert Dexter took charge of the Unitarian Service Committee's relief office in Lisbon, Portugal, as Jews and other desperate refugees fled Nazi-occupied Europe. Many arrived without valid papers, having crossed borders illegally and hidden in freight trains, vegetable carts, and anywhere else they could find safety. With Portuguese authorities watching their operation, the American couple helped these refugees find shelter and quietly disappear into the shadows.For our ongoing series The Six Percent, Deborah Dwork, author of Saints and Liars, shares the story of the Dexters and the risks they took to help those fleeing the Nazis. Their relief work also concealed another mission: at age 56, Elizabeth and Robert were agents for the Office of Strategic Services, using their unique access as humanitarian workers to gather intelligence for the United States. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1847, Samuel Colt's firearms business was all but dead. Then Texas Ranger Captain Samuel Hamilton Walker came to him with an idea for a massive new revolver built for mounted combat. Walker had carried Colt's earlier guns in battle and knew exactly what he wanted improved. Together, the two developed a six-shot revolver unlike anything American soldiers had carried before. The Colt Walker was enormous, powerful, and helped resurrect Samuel Colt's career.Logan Metesh, founder of High Caliber History LLC, shares the story behind the legendary revolver and the Texas Ranger whose name it still carries. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, from the American Revolution to the Civil Rights Movement, the biblical prophet Daniel has served as an enduring American symbol of courage in the face of unjust authority. His refusal to abandon his faith, even when threatened with the lions' den, offered Americans a powerful example of standing firm when human laws conflicted with a higher moral law.Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern, co-author of The Jewish Roots of American Liberty, shares how Daniel's story inspired a Revolutionary-era preacher challenging British rule, enslaved Americans longing for freedom, and the abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth. Generations later, Martin Luther King Jr. drew on the story of Daniel's fellow exiles to defend civil disobedience during the Civil Rights Movement. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Dave Cobb grew up in Savannah, Georgia, listening to everything from church hymns to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. He didn't discover country music until moving to California and working with Shooter Jennings, which introduced him to the music of Waylon Jennings and eventually led him to Nashville. There, Cobb became one of the most acclaimed producers in country music.In this conversation recorded in 2018, Cobb sits down with our host, Lee Habeeb, to share the stories behind Chris Stapleton's breakthrough album Traveller, Jason Isbell's Southeastern, and some of the other records that defined his career. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1940, 26-year-old Roswell and Marjorie McClelland put aside the academic and professional lives they had planned and sailed for Europe with the Quakers' American Friends Service Committee. War had already engulfed the continent, and the young American couple soon found themselves helping Jewish and political refugees fleeing the Nazis.For our ongoing series The Six Percent, Deborah Dwork, author of Saints and Liars, shares the story of the McClellands and the agonizing decisions that came with trying to save lives during the Holocaust. Marjorie was eventually given an especially difficult task: choosing which refugee children would be evacuated to the United States. Every name she selected meant a chance at safety for one child, while countless others would remain behind. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, on May 12, 1864, a large oak tree stood in the middle of some of the fiercest fighting of the Civil War. For nearly 20 hours, Union and Confederate soldiers battled at close range at the Bloody Angle during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. Thousands of bullets ripped through the air, and so many struck the oak that they eventually cut through its trunk and brought the tree crashing down. What remained was a shattered, bullet-riddled stump.In this installment of our American Objects series, Ashley Hlebinsky shares the story of the Spotsylvania Stump. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before PEZ dispensers came topped with Mickey Mouse, Santa Claus, and superheroes, PEZ was a benign Austrian peppermint marketed to adults as an alternative to smoking. Then PEZ came to America and flopped. Instead of giving up, the company decided to change course, and a candy once meant for adults found an entirely new audience in American children.Shawn Peterson, author of PEZ: From Austrian Invention to American Icon, shares the surprising story of how a failed product launch transformed PEZ into one of the world's most recognizable candies and an icon of American pop culture. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, at 11 years old, Victoria Arlen's body began shutting down. Eventually, she lost the ability to move or communicate and spent nearly four years in a vegetative state while doctors told her family she would never recover. What they didn't know was that Victoria was still there. She could hear them, understand them, and remember everything. Then one day, she blinked twice for her mother and proved she had been there all along.Victoria would go on to win Paralympic gold, become a world record holder and broadcaster, learn to walk after a decade in a wheelchair, and compete on Dancing with the Stars. But behind those extraordinary accomplishments, she was still carrying years of unaddressed trauma. Victoria, author of The View Is Worth It, shares how a devastating breaking point forced her to confront her past, rediscover her faith, find forgiveness, and turn her pain into a purpose of helping others. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, a century ago, Tampa, Florida, was "Cigar City." Some 150 factories filled the city, where workers rolled more than 500 million cigars by hand each year. One by one, those factories disappeared as the industry changed and production moved overseas. Today, only one remains. The J.C. Newman Cigar Company still makes cigars in Tampa using many of the same methods that helped make the city famous.Drew Newman, the great-grandson of company founder Julius Caesar Newman, takes us inside the last cigar factory in Tampa and into a craft that begins years before a cigar is ever rolled. Tobacco must be grown, harvested, naturally fermented, aged, blended, and finally rolled by hand. A single cigar can take three years and pass through some 300 pairs of hands before it is finished. Drew shares the history behind an American industry and how his family is working to keep its traditions alive for another generation. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in February 2021, a historic winter storm brought much of Texas to a standstill. Tim Hennessey and his wife, Debbie, braved the icy roads to pick up groceries for themselves and some friends. Then, while they were shopping at their local H-E-B, the power went out. The checkout lines quickly filled, but instead of asking customers to wait, employees began waving them toward the doors. Take your groceries. Get home safely. Don't worry about paying.Tim couldn't stop thinking about what he had witnessed. When he got home, he wrote about it on Facebook in a post he and Debbie called "The Heart of America." Within days, tens of thousands of people had shared it. Tim Hennessey shares how a grocery store, a winter storm, and a simple act of generosity reminded him of the kindness happening every day across America. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1852, Constantino Brumidi arrived in New York as a refugee from Rome. He was already an accomplished artist, but in America, he found the work that would consume the rest of his life. For the next twenty-five years, Brumidi climbed scaffolds, painted ceilings, and covered the halls of the U.S. Capitol with scenes drawn from American history and the ideals of his adopted country.His greatest work waited 180 feet above the Rotunda floor. There, inside the Capitol dome, Brumidi painted George Washington, known to many as "America's Indispensable Man," rising into the heavens surrounded by Liberty, Victory, Fame, and figures representing the original thirteen states. Our own Lee Habeeb shares how an Italian immigrant came to paint The Apotheosis of Washington, earning a remarkable nickname of his own in the process: “America’s Michelangelo.” Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Horst Schulze, co-founder of Ritz-Carlton and author of Excellence Wins, built his career around a simple idea: every employee has the power to define an entire organization in the eyes of a customer. Years ago, before speaking to hundreds of managers at a Chicago bank, Schulze decided to experience the bank's heavily advertised customer service for himself. One encounter with a teller gave him a lesson he would repeat for the next fifteen years.Schulze shares his simple formula for service excellence, explains the difference between merely completing a transaction and earning a customer's loyalty, and shows why leaders can't afford to let even one employee define their organization through poor service. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1890, Nellie Bly completed a journey that seemed almost impossible, circling the globe in just 72 days. Inspired by Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days, Bly traveled by ship, train, horse, rickshaw, and more, even stopping in France to meet Verne himself. But her famous race around the world was only one chapter in the remarkable life of one of America's most fearless journalists.Born Elizabeth Jane Cochran in Pennsylvania, Bly challenged expectations about what women could do, reported on the lives of factory workers, confronted political repression in Mexico, and famously went undercover inside a New York City mental asylum to expose the horrific treatment of its patients. Our own Lee Habeeb shares the story of the pioneering reporter, adventurer, inventor, and businesswoman who refused to accept the limits placed on women in her time. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Elizabeth Jennings was on her way to church when a New York City streetcar conductor ordered her off. She refused. The conductor and driver forcibly dragged her from the car, leaving her bloodied and bruised. Jennings got back up and climbed aboard again. The year was 1854, nearly 100 years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama.What followed was a court battle that would turn the city on its head, and Jennings would turn to a young lawyer taking on one of his first cases: future President Chester A. Arthur. Jerry Mikorenda, author of America's First Freedom Rider, shares the remarkable and forgotten story of Elizabeth Jennings, the family that taught her to fight for her rights, and the landmark legal victory that helped challenge segregation on New York City's public transportation decades before the Civil Rights Movement. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, after winning its independence from Mexico in 1836, Texas faced a new challenge: surviving as its own country. The young republic struggled with debt, threats from Mexico, conflicts on the frontier, and political divisions over whether its future lay as an independent nation or as part of the United States. Meanwhile, the question of annexing Texas became tangled in the national debate over slavery and America's growing belief in Manifest Destiny.Texas State Historian Monte Monroe tells the story of the Republic of Texas, from the presidencies of Sam Houston and Mirabeau B. Lamar to the political battle that finally brought Texas into the Union in 1845. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Green Bay, Wisconsin, has a population of just over 100,000 people. It is smaller than many cities with minor-league baseball teams, yet somehow it is home to one of the most famous and valuable franchises in professional sports. Almost every other small industrial town that helped build the early NFL eventually lost its team. So how did the Green Bay Packers survive and turn the city into "Titletown, USA"?This is the remarkable story of how community ownership, championship football, a new stadium, the rise of Vince Lombardi, and a strategic battle over nearby Milwaukee helped keep the Packers in the NFL's smallest market. We'd like to thank Maapify for helping us share this story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Carl Albert stood just 5 feet 4 inches tall, but during one of America’s biggest political scandals, he carried more than his share of the weight. As the Watergate scandal unraveled the Nixon presidency, the Speaker of the House, known as the "Little Giant from Little Dixie," became an anchor of stability. He put country over party and helped steer Congress through one of the most chaotic chapters in modern political history.Jeff Bloodworth, professor of American history at Gannon University and a Jack Miller Center Fellow, shares the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Simon Estes grew up poor in the coal-mining town of Centerville, Iowa, in a tiny house without running water or electricity. His father, the son of former slaves, couldn't read, and segregation shaped Simon's childhood. But inside his family's church, there was music, faith in God, and a remarkable voice that would take him far beyond anything he could have possibly imagined.Simon Estes himself shares the story of how encountering opera for the first time changed the course of his life and took him from small-town Iowa to Juilliard, then across the Atlantic behind the Iron Curtain, and finally onto some of America's greatest stages. Simon's phenomenal documentary is called Simon Estes: A Heart & A Voice. Be sure to check it out! Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Sergeant Alvin York, the reluctant World War I infantryman who became one of America’s most decorated soldiers, has stood as a symbol of courage and sacrifice for over a century. Born in the mountains of Tennessee, Sgt. York’s early life was shaped by deep religious convictions that initially made him a conscientious objector. But on the battlefield, Alvin C. York single-handedly captured 132 German soldiers, killed 28 others, and earned the Medal of Honor along with nearly 50 additional decorations. His story inspired the classic Sergeant York movie and countless books.Is Sergeant York a true story? What did Alvin York do after the war? Here to share the real history of Alvin York is JD Phillips, host of the popular YouTube channel The Appalachian Storyteller. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Leslie Leyland Fields flew from her home in Alaska to Indiana to spend two weeks beside her best friend, Linda, who was dying of stage IV ovarian cancer. When it was finally time to leave, Leslie believed they still had months together. A week later, she learned that Linda was nearing the end.Then, while Leslie was trying to make her way home, a mechanical problem grounded her flight. The delay gave the two friends something neither expected: three final phone calls. Leslie, a regular contributor to Our American Stories and the author of Write Your Story: Change Your Life, shares a deeply personal story about friendship, loss, writing, and learning to pay attention to the wonder of the life we're given. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Walter Gretzky passed away at 82, people didn’t just remember him as the father of Wayne Gretzky. They remembered the man who stood quietly behind the scenes for decades, offering time, stability, and a kind of presence that never asked to be noticed. The backyard rink he built in Brantford became the foundation of Wayne’s earliest training, but the influence ran deeper than the ice.In this remembrance, Wayne reflects on what he shared at his father’s funeral and how that quiet support shaped his life, both on the ice and far beyond it. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when the Joplin EF5 tornado struck on May 22, 2011, entire neighborhoods disappeared in seconds. But the storm took more than lives and homes. It also swept away the irreplaceable pieces of the lives lived inside them. Wedding portraits, baby pictures, and snapshots of loved ones were ripped from homes and scattered across the surrounding countryside for miles. Thad Beeler's parents survived the storm, and when he returned to their damaged home, he noticed something that changed the course of his life: their family photographs were still hanging on the walls, while their neighbors no longer had a house.Soon, a stranger brought a photograph he had found to Beeler's church and asked a simple question: What should he do with it? That question helped inspire the National Disaster Photo Rescue, which has reunited more than 18,000 photographs with over 1,000 families from the Joplin tornado alone. Beeler shares how returning seemingly ordinary pieces of paper became a mission to give people something irreplaceable back: their memories. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Jim McCloskey grew up in church, but by adulthood he wanted nothing to do with the faith of his childhood. He pursued the life he thought he wanted, serving in the Navy, working in Japan, and building a successful career in international business. Yet by his thirties, Jim felt that something was missing. He returned to church and eventually walked away from the corporate world for Princeton Theological Seminary.Then a seminary assignment took him inside Trenton State Prison, where a man serving a life sentence for murder insisted he was innocent. Jim wasn't supposed to get involved. But the more he listened, the more he began to believe him, forcing Jim to confront a question that would change the course of his life: If his faith demanded that he seek justice, could he simply walk away? Jim McCloskey, author of When the Truth Is All You Have, shares his story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, on August 24, 1919, Cleveland Indians pitcher Ray Caldwell made his debut at League Park before a crowd of 20,000. In the ninth inning, with victory in sight, lightning suddenly struck the field and Caldwell himself. Fans thought he had been killed. Instead, moments later, he stood up, shook it off, and finished the game. It remains one of the most astonishing moments in Major League Baseball history.Nick Ragone, host of This Date in History, shares the story of how Ray Caldwell survived a lightning strike and kept pitching. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, he left behind more than a legacy. He also left a mountain of debt. His family eventually sold Monticello, and within years, Jefferson's famous home had fallen into disrepair. Then an unlikely preservationist stepped in.Marc Leepson, author of Saving Monticello: The Levy Family's Epic Quest to Rescue the House That Jefferson Built, shares the remarkable story of Uriah Phillips Levy, the first Jewish commodore in the U.S. Navy, and his nephew Jefferson Monroe Levy. Across two generations, the Levy family spent decades and a fortune preserving and restoring Monticello, even fighting a national campaign to take the historic home from them. Without their efforts, one of America's most recognizable landmarks might not look the way it does today. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, on the morning of September 11, 2001, Peter Braxton became the first military pilot in the air over the burning Twin Towers on what was his very first day on the job. Not long after, he flew multiple combat tours in the Middle East before eventually retiring from the Air Force.In this story, Peter shares what happened when he received a phone call shortly after retirement that began with an unexpected question: “Do you still have your uniform?” Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in December 1862, Walt Whitman set out for Virginia searching for his brother, who had been wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg. He found him alive with only a minor wound. But outside a field hospital, Whitman encountered something he would never forget: a heap of amputated arms, legs, and other human remains. For the poet who had once written that the human body was sacred, the Civil War suddenly became horrifyingly real.Whitman soon began spending his days in Washington's military hospitals, bringing food and small gifts, writing letters, listening, and comforting wounded men far from home. Although he supported the Union, he cared for Northerners and Southerners alike. Hillsdale College professor Kelly Scott Franklin shares how those years of service became what Whitman called “the most profound lesson” of his life and helped shape some of his greatest writing about the Civil War. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.