Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Devon Westhill became the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, he learned the meaning of perseverance from the woman who raised him. His mother faced poverty, long hours, and the weight of raising a family on her own in rural Florida. Yet through every setback, she refused to let her children see defeat.

Her story is one of grit and grace,...

On this episode of Our American Stories, the week of April 1865 brought both the end of the Civil War and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. At Ford’s Theatre on Good Friday, a senior Washington police superintendent, largely forgotten to history, named A.C. Richards witnessed John Wilkes Booth enter the presidential box and fire the shot that would kill the nation’s leader.

Ford’s Theatre reenactor Mike...

On this episode of Our American Stories, after RMS Titanic struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912, two young men spent the next 160 minutes sending frantic distress calls across the North Atlantic to anyone who could hear them. Their names were Jack Phillips and Harold Bride. They kept working as the ship took on water, using one of the most advanced communication systems of its time to reach nearby vessels and call for help befo...

On this episode of Our American Stories, while sitting in grad school, Hank Brown decided he’d had enough and signed up for the Navy. Within days, he was on his way to Vietnam, flying missions as a forward air controller during the early years of the war.

Former Colorado Senator Hank Brown shares his journey to the front lines of the Vietnam War and what he learned from it all.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Vietnam War, then 20-year-old Jon Hovde was nearly killed when his vehicle struck an anti-tank mine. Doctors didn’t expect him to survive, but that day Jon made three promises to God.

What happened next would shape the rest of his life and inspire the people back home who knew him best. Linda, from Jon’s hometown of Fertile, Minnesota, shares his story.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, most people know how Abraham Lincoln died. The assassination in 1865, carried out by John Wilkes Booth, is one of the most well-known moments in American history. What people don’t usually hear is what happened after he died. A group of counterfeiters in Chicago came up with a plan to steal Abraham Lincoln’s body from his tomb and hold it for ransom. Their goal was to trade Linco...

On this episode of Our American Stories, when people hear the name Butch Cassidy, they usually think of Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the classic 1969 film that turned two outlaws into near folk heroes. But long before the movie, a different reputation was taking shape in the American West.

Wild West historian and Our American Stories regular contributor Roger McGrath traces Cassidy’s evolution fro...

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. Here’s Kevin to share how he has saved more than two hundred people from taking their own lives by asking a simple question: “How are you doing?”

Kevin shares the story of why he does what he does.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in July 1864, the Battle of Monocacy became one of the most important Civil War battles that many Americans have never heard of. Fought near Monocacy Junction in Maryland, it ended in a Union loss. Even so, the stand there delayed Confederate General Jubal Early long enough to help save Washington, D.C., from a far more dangerous attack.

Mark Leepson, author of Desperate Engageme...

On this episode of Our American Stories, while in prison for preaching without a license, John Bunyan wrote what would become one of the most influential works in English literature: The Pilgrim’s Progress, a book telling the story of a man fleeing the City of Destruction and searching for salvation as he travels toward the Celestial City.

As copies made their way to the New World, it became a staple in American homes....

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the early 1800s, as the American frontier pushed west, a small group of trappers and traders began moving through the Rocky Mountains, learning the land long before most Americans ever saw it. Thomas Fitzpatrick was one of the most important among them.

After losing his parents at a young age, Fitzpatrick headed west and built a life in the fur trade, earning a reputation among fel...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in April 1865, just days after the Civil War ended, Abraham Lincoln experienced what many described as one of the happiest periods of his life. The war was coming to a close, and Lincoln’s schedule reflected a shift toward rebuilding the nation.

However, during what was supposed to be a relaxing night at the theater, John Wilkes Booth carried out the assassination that would cha...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before he was known as a country music artist, Jelly Roll had a record that included multiple arrests and time behind bars. Years later, after turning his life around and using his music to help others facing the same struggles, his story entered Tennessee’s pardon process.

That process brought his case before Governor Bill Lee. But when Lee spoke about the decision, he didn&rsq...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Colin Bettles, an Our American Stories listener from Australia, had never heard of buffalo wings until a trip to upstate New York in the early 1990s. One plate was enough. The tender chicken, the heat of the sauce, and the cool bite of blue cheese made it love at first bite, and sparked a lifelong pursuit.

From discovering the dish’s roots at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo,...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Nala Ray was an early success story on OnlyFans, building a large following and earning significant income as the platform was still evolving. Over time, she began to feel a growing disconnect between her life online and who she wanted to be.

Despite her lucrative career, she stepped away and turned her focus toward redefining her relationship with God. Nala joins us to share her rema...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Doug and Mary Ketchum moved to Tennessee to open a liquor store, only to run into a state residency law that blocked them from getting a license. What followed was a long legal battle that reached the Supreme Court, raising questions about constitutional law and whether states can limit who is allowed to run a business within their borders.

For our Rule of Law series, Doug a...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Brian Wilson didn’t record “Good Vibrations” the way most songs were made at the time. He built it section by section, using different studios and techniques to create a new kind of sound. The result pushed the boundaries of pop music and influenced the evolution of rock.

For our Story of a Song series, our own Greg Hengler shares the story of how the Beach...

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the American Civil War, inventor Richard Gatling set out to solve a problem he believed defined modern warfare: too many soldiers were dying not only in battle, but from disease in overcrowded armies. His solution was the Gatling gun, a hand-cranked, rapid-fire weapon capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute. It would reshape how wars would be fought in the decades to come.
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On this episode of Our American Stories, in the early years of the United States, Washington Irving became one of the first writers to achieve both national and international fame. His stories, including Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, helped define early American literature and introduced elements of Gothic fiction and Romanticism to a wider audience. He also helped reshape Christmas; a holiday once ...