Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, few filmmakers embody the American dream as vividly as Frank Capra. Born in Sicily in 1897, he carried the memory of arriving at New York Harbor—and his father pointing to the Statue of Liberty—through World War I and into Hollywood’s golden age. In films like It’s a Wonderful Life, Capra celebrated resilience, community, and the strength of ordinary people. Our ...

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Bonnie Brown Rowcliffe prepared to sell her childhood home, she dreaded the moment she would walk through its doors for the last time. Every wall carried the weight of memory, and every room felt like a reminder of her late parents. On her final day in the house, she opened one last cupboard and found something unexpected: her father’s “double spoon,” a small, ordinary...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, created some of the most famous children’s books of the 20th century. Two of his best-known works, The Lorax and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, show just how intentional he could be. The Lorax stood among the Truffula trees and spoke for the environment, long before environmentalism was a mainstream cause. The Grinch, meanwhile...

On this episode of Our American Stories, as Lower Manhattan filled with smoke and chaos on September 11, 2001, escape routes vanished. Bridges and tunnels were shut down, subways halted, and thousands of people were trapped at the edge of the island with no way out. In that moment, the harbor became their only hope. The call went out: “All available boats.” Fireboats, tugboats, ferries, and even private pleasure craft r...

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 wa...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before the Stars and Stripes became the national banner, another symbol of liberty flew over American ships. Known as the Pine Tree Flag, or the “Appeal to Heaven” flag, it was one of the earliest wartime flags of the Revolution. In 1775, George Washington ordered it raised on six schooners that made up the first naval force of the colonies. Its white field and green pine tree ca...

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. Promoted as a cure for everything from depression to schizophrenia, its brutal methods left thousands of patients permanently damaged. At the center was Dr. Walter Freeman, whose name became synonymous with the transorbital lobotomy and the dark side of psychosurgery. Yet from these f...

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 changed 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 wh...

On this episode of Our American Stories, on the frigid night of February 3, 1943, the troop ship USS Dorchester was struck by a German torpedo. Within twenty minutes, the ship slipped beneath the waves. As it did, a Methodist minister, a Jewish rabbi, a Catholic priest, and a Dutch Reformed pastor moved calmly through the panicked crowd—guiding soldiers to lifeboats, offering prayers, and handing out lifejackets until no...

On this episode of Our American Stories, when John Humphrey was born with a rare heart condition, his family’s world changed overnight. In West Des Moines, Iowa, they found strength in the compassion of their neighbors and the faith community at the Lutheran Church of Hope. Told by Ryan Buck, The Hope Story of John Humphrey shares not only the struggles of one child’s medical battle, but also the small acts of kind...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1864, Charleston Harbor became the site of a world first. The Confederate submarine CSS Hunley approached the Union warship USS Housatonic under the cover of night. A spar torpedo struck, sending the Housatonic to the bottom of the harbor and proving that submarines could change the course of war. The Hunley never returned, but the attack marked the...

On this episode of Our American Stories, James Madison rarely chased the spotlight, and he knew his character flaws. He was short, balding, awkward, and didn’t always play well in group settings. Yet despite his stature, his big ideas built and shaped America. He drafted the Bill of Rights, argued for ratification in The Federalist Papers, and turned quiet conviction into lasting policy through partnerships with Washington, J...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Winnie the Pooh became a Disney character, he was the creation of A.A. Milne, first brought to life in the Evening News on Christmas Eve, 1925. Inspired by his son, Christopher Robin, and a teddy bear named Edward, Milne wrote stories that blended the innocence of childhood with the timeless appeal of friendship. Illustrated by E.H. Shepard, Winnie-the-Pooh and The...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1819, as the Missouri Crisis stirred national debate over slavery and westward expansion, a private conversation between John Quincy Adams and John C. Calhoun became something much larger. Calhoun defended slavery as a necessary institution. Adams left the conversation deeply shaken and newly committed to abolition. This moment would fuel his work after the presidency, where he became a l...

On this episode of Our American Stories, before it became one of America’s most recognizable beer brands, Coors was the dream of Adolph Coors, a German immigrant who started brewing in the mining towns of Colorado. With a commitment to quality and a passion for craft, Coors created what would become Coors Banquet—a beer with staying power. Pete Coors shares how his ancestors’ hard work, vision, and old-world techn...

On this episode of Our American Stories, on a March day in 1876, residents of Bath County, Kentucky, looked up to find chunks of raw meat falling from the sky. Some said it was mutton. Others claimed beef or venison. A few even tasted it. Known now as the Kentucky Meat Shower, the event remains one of the strangest and least explained weather phenomena in American history. Was it vultures? A freak storm? Something else entirely? Ou...

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Doris was diagnosed with cancer, her world changed, and so did her family’s. In the middle of uncertainty, they adopted Benny, a rescue dog with soft eyes and a calm, steady presence. As the days grew more difficult, Benny remained close, offering comfort without words and a sense of peace that medicine couldn’t provide. Our regular contributor, Stephen Rusiniak, shares how ...

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1803, the United States made a deal with France that would double the size of the young nation. Known as the Louisiana Purchase, the $15 million agreement opened the door to westward expansion, changing our country forever. Hillsdale College's Brad and Dedra Birzer share the story of how one land deal reshaped the course of American history.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstorie...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Hiram Percy Maxim grew up in the shadow of firepower. His father invented the machine gun, a weapon that changed modern warfare. But when that same weapon left his father deaf, Hiram took a different path. In 1902, he invented the first commercial gun silencer and later applied the same technology to early automobile engines. His work shaped not only the future of firearms but also the way e...