American Origin Stories with Matthew Cooke

American Origin Stories with Matthew Cooke

Our true origins connect us back to reality, each other, and a whole new American cinematic universe. Written and narrated by Oscar nominated filmmaker, Matthew Cooke.

Episodes

This Marks the End of Season 1.

May 16, 2023 • 57 secs
Thank you for being with me on this journey! See you soon... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played

The Origin of the Climate Crisis

May 9, 2023 • 46 mins
Beginning with a reorientation to our habitat on earth, a short history of fossil fuels, their rise, impact and how to start doing something. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played

The First American Bank Robbery

May 2, 2023 • 31 mins
This episode features cinematic sound. The incredible true story of working class hero Patrick Lyon vs greedy bankers, dirty politicians, a pandemic, and a corrupt criminal justice system. No, this isn't about 2023. It was 1798. Pat Lyon's story retells the first decades of life in America from a completely different vantage point. One that makes sense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played

The Real Symbol of America

April 25, 2023 • 16 mins
The incredible story of what makes the Statue of Liberty so truly representative of America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played

Why America Has Such Terrible Leaders

April 18, 2023 • 18 mins
This challenging episode covers the roots of our identity crisis in “whiteness,” the flag, the anthem, the statue and the dream. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played

America's David vs Goliath

April 11, 2023 • 24 mins
This episode features cinematic sound. Ben Lay was under 4 feet tall with a hunched back. He was an outcast from the quaker community. A hardened and experienced sailor, sailing the toughest waters, in the most challenging era of modern history. He was also the most moral and visionary leader in colonial, pre-revolutionary America. He relentlessly lashed the church and colonial leaders for committing the greatest sins "the devil ev...
Mark as Played

The Ghost Who Wrote The Constitution - Part 2

April 4, 2023 • 31 mins
The almost universally unknown "ghost" who wrote the final draft of the U.S. constitution had some revelatory opinions about the failures of the new republican government to maintain liberty and honor. His critiques are as applicable now, as then. He also reveals in his diaries the real perspectives of Alexander Hamilton which will surprise most. The real thoughts of the "founding father" who wrote our revered text turns common per...
Mark as Played

The Origin of Junk Food - and the Impact

March 28, 2023 • 27 mins
The 300K year history of eating healthy, the shift into treating food as junk, and the result. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played

Founding Fathers of Freedom

March 21, 2023 • 21 mins
Readings from Founding Fathers of Freedom: Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, and James Baldwin on the corruption of the church, the post-racial myth, and the loss of Malcolm and Martin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played

Mastering the Media Matrix

March 14, 2023 • 31 mins
A few billionaire-owned monopolies use unregulated secret algorithms to govern our entire experience of the digital world. It's reminiscent of how big tobacco genetically engineered their crops to have twice the nicotine levels. But this time they've even tricked us into creating the lure, beckoning us into their matrix. We're well-advised to become as media literate as possible. In this episode we get black belt training from a tr...
Mark as Played

Slaver Nation

March 7, 2023 • 38 mins
The battle between slavers, anti-slavers and opportunists drove the geographic borders of the nation, its economy and its culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played

Should Society Own Its Social Media

February 28, 2023 • 28 mins
We'd consider it tyranny to let one person decide who we see and what we do in in Boston Common. Why is it ok in our digital common? What if social media platforms were standardized to enable inter-network communication? Like our cell phones? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played

MLK's America: Reparations & Glory

February 21, 2023 • 27 mins
MLK was a founding father of American freedom. Prior to the late 1960s, not all citizens could vote. His voting rights act was to be just the beginning... King described the social acceptance of poverty "as cruel and blind as the practice of cannibalism" and called for America to "civilize itself" by redistributing economic and political power more equitably. King made clear that a moral society should abolish poverty, and make rep...
Mark as Played

The Most Interesting Man in the World

February 14, 2023 • 33 mins
Victor Ochoa was a gunslinger, an inventor of airplanes, a wind turbine, and the pocket protector. He was a revolutionary, a friend of President Teddy Roosevelt, and wanted by the Mexican government, dead or alive. Ochoa's ancestors came from Texas when it was Mexican territory, overrun by illegal Anglo immigrants. Victor lived through the Civil War, World War 1, and the industrial revolution. The path of his extraordinary life tea...
Mark as Played

The Ghost Who Wrote the U.S. Constitution

February 7, 2023 • 39 mins
To the vast majority of America, the identity of the 35 year old man who wrote the U.S. constitution is a secret, hidden in plain sight. Knowing the identity of "The Ghost" changes the entire way we understand the nation and its character, both past and present. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Two Guys, Five Rings: Matt, Bowen & The Olympics

    Two Guys, Five Rings: Matt, Bowen & The Olympics

    Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.

    iHeartOlympics: The Latest

    iHeartOlympics: The Latest

    Listen to the latest news from the 2026 Winter Olympics.

    Milan Cortina Winter Olympics

    Milan Cortina Winter Olympics

    The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina are here and have everyone talking. iHeartPodcasts is buzzing with content in honor of the XXV Winter Olympics We’re bringing you episodes from a variety of iHeartPodcast shows to help you keep up with the action. Follow Milan Cortina Winter Olympics so you don’t miss any coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and if you like what you hear, be sure to follow each Podcast in the feed for more great content from iHeartPodcasts.

    NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal

    NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal

    Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.

    Stuff You Should Know

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

Explore

iHeart

Live Radio

Podcasts

Artist Radio

Exclusives

News

Features

Events

Contests

Photos

Information

About

Advertise

Blog

Brand Guidelines

Contest Guidelines

Subscription Offers

Jobs

Get the App

Automotive

Home

Wearables

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.