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PODCAST

Our American Stories

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

17:58

The Unlikely Alliance that Secured Religious Freedom

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/16

On this episode of Our American Stories, John Ragosta of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello shares the story of how religious persecution in colonial Virginia gave rise to one of America’s defining principles. As Baptist ministers were jailed and dissenters taxed to support the established church, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison joined forces with evangelical Christians to defeat state-supported religion. Their victory, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, helped shape the

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10:49

Sunday Mornings with Big Mitch: Ep. 13

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/15

On this episode of Our American Stories, every Sunday, Our American Storieshost Lee Habeeb speaks with Mitchel “Big Mitch” Rutledge, who has spent more than forty years serving a life sentence in Alabama for killing a man. Mitch has never denied his crime or offered excuses for it. Instead, their conversations focus on what responsibility, faith, and accountability look like when lived out behind prison walls.In this episode, Mitch begins with a story about how a simple act of kindness

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38:16

The Rise of Adolf Hitler: Why a Nation Chose Tyranny

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/13

On this episode of Our American Stories, the Third Reich lasted just twelve years, but the destruction it unleashed reshaped the world forever. In this episode, we examine the rise of Adolf Hitler—not as a sudden coup, but as a political ascent made possible through elections, institutions, and public support. How did a nation renowned for its Christian tradition, artistic achievement, scientific excellence, and technological leadership descend into moral catastrophe? This is the story of how

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10:49

One of America’s Greatest Business Leaders Started as...

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/13

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 in rural Iowa. In this story, Stead explains how running a paper route at age nine—through snowstorms, strict deadlines, difficult customers, and personal loss—taught him the fundamentals of leadership, ethics, and responsibility. Those early mornings shaped how he later led companies, treated people, and built cultures rooted in trust and

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9:29

Weapons of World War II: Barbed Wire, Mines, Guns,...

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/13

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 with weapons that were often refinements of much older designs. From barbed wire and land mines to machine guns and artillery, Ambrose shares the story of how defensive positions were built, how infantry advanced, and why many of the war’s most effective tools had their roots in World War I or even earlier conflicts. Courtesy of the Stephen

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17:58

Atlanta’s “Romulus and Remus”: The Texas, the...

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/13

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Texas is one of the last surviving locomotives of the Western & Atlantic Railroad, the line that helped create Atlanta, and played a starring role as the pursuit engine in the Great Locomotive Chase during the Civil War. Jackson McQuigg of the Atlanta History Museum explains how the Texas chased the stolen General at extreme speed, how it later served in wartime logistics, and how it narrowly avoided being scrapped again and again. Support the show

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20:18

The “Baby Box Lady”: Monica Kelsey and the Mission...

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/12

On this episode of Our American Stories, founder and CEO Monica Kelsey tells the remarkable true story behind Safe Haven Baby Boxes—secure drop boxes installed at fire stations that allow mothers to surrender newborns safely and anonymously. Conceived in rape and abandoned at birth, Monica later served in the military and became a firefighter/medic before discovering the circumstances of her own beginning. After seeing a “baby safe” box in Cape Town, she returned home, helped pass

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17:58

How Dogs Gave One Man Purpose

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/12

On this episode of Our American Stories, Ryan Stewart never imagined that walking dogs would become his calling. But after years of drifting, dogs became the constant that helped him grow up, slow down, and finally like who he was. In this deeply personal story, Ryan shares how working with dogs changed his life, and how he now uses that bond to reach people who’ve lost their way. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show:

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10:49

Ulysses S. Grant’s Final Battle: How His Memoirs (and...

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/12

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, almost overnight, he was ruined. After a catastrophic investment collapse left him bankrupt and in debt, Grant was diagnosed with inoperable throat and tongue cancer. With death approaching, he took on one last fight: writing his memoirs to ensure his wife Julia and their children would not be left destitute. Louis Picone, author ofGrant’s Tomb: The

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19:28

Before Yellowstone: The Real Story of Richard King...

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/12

On this episode of Our American Stories, long before modern Western dramas, there was Richard King, the real cattle king of the American West. Historian Roger McGrath and William Yancey of Texas A&M University–Kingsville share the story of how a New York orphan became one of the most powerful ranchers in American history, building the legendary King Ranch in South Texas, and helping transform America into a nation of beef eaters. Support the show

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7:59

The Enslaved-Made Towel That Reveals a Hidden Civil...

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/12

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 slavery, war, and freedom. Chris Graham of the American Civil War Museum shares the story of a towel woven by an enslaved person on a South Carolina plantation during the Civil War. Long interpreted as evidence of Confederate hardship, the cloth reveals a deeper truth about forced migration, self-emancipation, and the lives of enslaved people moved inland

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30:17

J. Edgar Hoover: The G-Man Who Built the FBI

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/11

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Pulitzer Prize winning author ofG-Man: J. Edgar Hoover, Beverly Gage, shares the story of J. Edgar Hoover’s forty-eight years at the center of American law enforcement. From his early obsession with files and bureaucracy, to his role under eight presidents, Hoover shaped the FBI—and the federal government itself—across the Depression, World War II, and the Cold War.Gage examines Hoover’s rise, his management of power, landmark

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7:59

Growing Up With a Heroin-Addicted Father

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/11

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 shaped her childhood. From early conversations about drugs to the confusing aftermath of her father’s death, she traces how love, denial, anger, and grief intertwined over time.Originally written forPsychology Today, Lilly's tale is a deeply personal story on addiction, loss, and what it means to reckon honestly with the people we love. Support

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20:18

After a Heart Attack, an Ozark Farmer Began Making...

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/11

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 change his life. He believed God asked him to build musical instruments and give them to children, with a promise that his family would be cared for in return. The problem was simple: Ed had never made an instrument before.Musicians Kelly and Donna Mulhollan, founders of the Ozark Instrument Museum, tell the story of a poor farmer who taught himself

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9:59

From Farmhouses to Harvard Yard: Two Boys, One...

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/11

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 day enter Harvard’s elite world. Yet both rose into Harvard Yard, where their paths sharply diverged. Thayer became a towering figure at Harvard Law, shaping generations of Supreme Court justices, while Wright’s brilliance was undone by personal struggle.Historian Andrew Porwancher, a professor at Arizona State University and aJack Miller

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7:59

Elizabeth Smith Friedman: The Woman Who Built...

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/11

On this episode of Our American Stories, Elizabeth Smith Friedman helped build modern American cryptography, though much of her work remained classified for decades. From World War I through World War II, she broke enemy codes, trained military intelligence officers, dismantled Prohibition-era smuggling networks, and exposed Nazi spy rings operating in South America.Lindsay Larkin, who attended Friedman's alma mater, shares the story of a pioneering codebreaker whose quiet work shaped U.S

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10:49

She Ran Banks in Colombia, Then Cleaned Floors in...

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/10

On this episode of Our American Stories, Gladys Gonzalez once held a senior banking position in Bogotá, earning a dollar salary and managing major financial institutions. When Colombia’s drug war forced her employer to shut down operations, she was suddenly starting over in the United States.Her credentials didn’t transfer. The executive experience that once defined her career meant little in America, and she took whatever work she could find—cleaning offices, caring for

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19:28

From Child Abuse to Saving Grace: Becky Shaffer’s...

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/10

On this episode of Our American Stories, Becky Shaffer grew up in severe neglect and abuse, cycling through hunger, violence, and instability before entering foster care as a teenager. After aging out of the system herself, she built a life marked by faith, family, and hard-earned resilience.Years later, while fostering young women, Becky recognized a familiar pattern as girls left care without support and faced the same dangers she once had. That recognition led to the creation of Saving Grace, a

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7:59

Fat Bear Week: How Alaska’s Brown Bears Compete for...

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/10

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 weight as possible before winter. Ranger Lian Law shares the story of how Fat Bear Week began as a small educational project and grew into a worldwide event, showcasing how fat equals survival for bears that must live off their reserves through months of hibernation. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show:

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38:16

Duke Ellington: An American Original

Our American Stories ·

2026/02/10

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 of jazz. The late Wall Street Journal culture critic Terry Teachout, author of Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington, shares the sweeping story of Ellington’s rise from segregated Washington, D.C. to the Cotton Club and national radio, examining his creative methods, collaborative tensions, and the music that carried him from Harlem stages to Newport

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2,183 results

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