Our American Stories

Episodes

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  America's First Animal Celebrities: Railroad Dogs 13.08.2026 10m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, in the late 1800s, stray dogs began hopping aboard America's trains and riding wherever the rails took them. Their adventures soon made the newspapers, and some became celebrities known across the country.Paul Koudounaris, author of Go West, Young Dog, shares the story of America's railroad dogs and the legendary Railroad Jack. To a generation of Americans who dreamed of escaping the grind of industrial life, these wandering dogs came to represent something bigger: the freedom to just climb aboard and go. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  How a Farm Boy Invented Television 13.08.2026 19m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, as a teenager growing up on a farm in rural Idaho, Philo Farnsworth had an idea that seemed almost impossible: transmit moving pictures through the air. Before long, he had built the first fully electronic television system and found himself in a battle with RCA, one of the most powerful companies in America.The History Guy and Evan Schwartz, author of The Last Lone Inventor, share the remarkable story of Farnsworth and the many other inventors who helped turn television from a dream into a technology that fundamentally transformed American life. Evan's audio originally appeared in the Naked Science video The Invention That Changed The World. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  The Native American Chief Who Stood with George Washington 13.08.2026 7m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, more than 13,000 Native Americans took part in the Revolutionary War, most fighting alongside the British. Daniel Nimham chose a different path. The last sachem of the Wappinger people of New York's Hudson Valley, Nimham joined the American cause, received a commission as a captain in the Continental Army, and served alongside George Washington at Valley Forge.Craig Du Mez, president of the Grateful Nation Project, shares the remarkable story of Daniel and his son Abraham Nimham, who fought from Saratoga to New York City before making their final stand against an overwhelming British force at the Battle of Kingsbridge in 1778. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Are Pro Wrestlers Really Athletes? 13.08.2026 10m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, from the days of Hulk Hogan to modern WWE, wrestlers travel constantly, train relentlessly, and perform feats that demand strength, timing, and endurance. The spectacle may be designed for drama, but the toll on the body is no joke.Sportswriter Riley Evans of Grandstand Central shares the real story and physical cost of professional wrestling. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  How America's First Female Detective Saved Abraham Lincoln 13.08.2026 27m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, in February 1861, Abraham Lincoln was making a 13-day journey from Springfield, Illinois, to Washington, D.C., when warnings emerged of a plot to assassinate the president-elect as he passed through Baltimore, Maryland. With the country already coming apart and Lincoln’s inauguration only days away, detective Allan Pinkerton raced to uncover the threat and find a way to get Lincoln safely through the city.Daniel Stashower, author of The Hour of Peril, shares the remarkable story of the Baltimore Plot and Kate Warne, a pioneering detective who posed as Lincoln’s sister and helped smuggle the future president through the city under cover of night. We’d like to thank the Library of Congress for making this audio available to the public. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  John Brown: The Radical Abolitionist Who Launched a Holy War Against Slavery 12.08.2026 38m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, to Southerners, John Brown was a dangerous villain. To many Northerners, he was a fanatic. But Brown believed he was an instrument of God, called to wage war against the evil of slavery.David S. Reynolds, author of John Brown, Abolitionist, shares the story of how a deeply religious boy from Connecticut became one of the most feared and controversial men in America. Brown’s crusade against slavery would take him west to the blood-soaked plains of Kansas and eventually to Harpers Ferry, Virginia, where he hoped to ignite a rebellion that would free the enslaved. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  James Madison: The Lawgiver Who Gave Us the Constitution 12.08.2026 10m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, James Madison may not have been America's greatest president, but his understanding of the Constitution helped shape the nation long before he entered the White House. A Virginia legislator, author of the Federalist Papers, architect of the Constitution, political partner of Thomas Jefferson, and eventual fourth president of the United States, Madison devoted much of his life to understanding how a free government could control power while remaining accountable to the people.Hillsdale College President Dr. Larry P. Arnn shares the story of Madison, the "lawgiver." Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  How Catholics Gave Us the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish 12.08.2026 9m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1960, McDonald's franchise owner Lou Groen had a problem. His Cincinnati, Ohio, restaurant sat in a neighborhood that was 87 percent Catholic, and on Fridays, when many Catholics abstained from eating meat, his hamburger sales collapsed. With his struggling restaurant and his family's livelihood on the line, Groen came up with an idea: sell fish.Simon Whistler of Today I Found Out and the Brain Food Show shares how Groen's creation helped turn a struggling Ohio franchisee into the owner of 43 McDonald's restaurants. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Elijah and the Jewish Roots of American Liberty 12.08.2026 9m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, from the American Revolution to the Civil War, the biblical prophet Elijah has played an important role in the American story, inspiring generations in their fights for liberty and justice.Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern, co-author of The Jewish Roots of American Liberty, shares how Elijah’s rebuke of the tyrannical King Ahab inspired Americans during the Revolution. His “still small voice” would later echo in the words of Frederick Douglass, while the story of his ascent to heaven found new life in the spiritual “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  How One Man Made a Million Dollars Selling Pet Rocks 12.08.2026 7m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1975, advertising copywriter Gary Dahl was sitting in a California bar listening to friends complain about the hassle of caring for their pets when he joked that a rock would make the perfect companion. It would never need to be fed, walked, groomed, or taken to the vet.Our frequent contributor Jesse Edwards shares the tale of the Pet Rock and how clever packaging and a 32-page instruction manual turned an ordinary stone into a cultural phenomenon in 1970s America. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  How a Recovering Addict Created the World's Hottest Pepper 11.08.2026 38m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, before "Smokin' Ed" Currie created the Carolina Reaper and Pepper X, two of the hottest peppers the world has ever known, his life was being consumed by drugs and alcohol. After hitting rock bottom, an experience during a Michigan blizzard led him to a rehabilitation hospital and began a journey through recovery, faith, family, and an obsession with peppers that stretched back to his childhood.Ed Currie, founder of South Carolina's PuckerButt Pepper Company, shares the remarkable story of how a recovering addict turned his fascination with capsaicin into a business that continues to spice up our lives today. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  America's 150-Year Quest to Get Greenland 11.08.2026 10m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, when President Donald Trump floated the idea of buying Greenland in 2019, many Americans thought the proposal came out of nowhere. In reality, the United States had been eyeing the Arctic island for more than 150 years. We especially wanted it after Denmark fell into Nazi hands.Mark Kawar, author of America, but Bigger: Near-Annexations from Greenland to the Galápagos, shares the remarkable history of America's long fascination with Greenland and why its location, resources, and strategic importance have repeatedly drawn the attention of American leaders...and changed world history. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  She Criticized Her Local Government. Then They Came After Her Farm 11.08.2026 19m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, when Erica Brewer of Eagle, Wisconsin, spoke out in defense of a neighbor she believed was being treated unfairly by local officials, she never expected the town's attention to turn toward her own family. Soon, inspectors were showing up at their property, citing everything from tall grass and flower boxes to their small roadside farm stand, while fines and fees threatened to climb beyond $20,000.For our Rule of Law series, Erica and Institute for Justice attorney Kirby West share the story of her fight against the Town of Eagle, and the First Amendment battle over whether local government can punish a citizen for speaking out. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  The Incredible Story of Harvey Wallbanger, the Racing Buffalo 11.08.2026 7m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, have you ever imagined a buffalo running on a racetrack against thoroughbred horses? In the 1960s, Harvey Wallbanger did exactly that. This larger-than-life buffalo stunned crowds as he thundered past racehorses, turning a novelty act into an unforgettable chapter of racing history.Francie M. Berg of Buffalo Grande shares the unlikely but true story of how one buffalo captured America's attention and proved just how wild the frontier spirit could still be. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Texas Wanted Him to Spend 750 Hours Learning the Wrong Job 10.08.2026 20m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, when Ash Patel opened his eyebrow threading business in Texas, he followed the law as it existed. Then state regulators decided eyebrow threading counted as cosmetology and demanded that his experienced employees spend up to 750 hours in beauty school learning techniques they would never use, at a cost of thousands of dollars, before they could return to the jobs they had already mastered.For our Rule of Law series, Institute for Justice attorney Wesley Hottot tells the remarkable story behind Patel v. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the six-year legal battle that reached the Texas Supreme Court and became a landmark victory for economic liberty and the constitutional right to earn a living. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  My Dad Died Saving a Stranger, but He Never Stopped Saving Lives 10.08.2026 17m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, ten days after Caleb Bailey was born, his father, Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Joseph Dupee, was killed in the line of duty while trying to rescue one of his own firefighters during a warehouse fire in California. His death left behind a young widow and two small sons, and seemed to mark the beginning of a lifetime of heartbreak.Instead, it became the beginning of an extraordinary story of redemption. Caleb shares how his father's sacrifice transformed his uncle's life, how another firefighter stepped in to become the father he never had, and why, more than two decades later, his family remembers that tragedy not for what was lost, but for everything God built from it Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Calvin Coolidge: The Farm Boy Who Became America's 30th President 10.08.2026 30m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, born on the Fourth of July in the tiny village of Plymouth Notch, Vermont, Calvin Coolidge grew up surrounded by hardworking neighbors who prized honesty, humility, thrift, and service above wealth or status. Those lessons stayed with him from the family store to the governor's office, and ultimately to the White House.Matthew Denhart of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation, along with acclaimed Coolidge interpreter Tracy Messer, reading from Coolidge's autobiography, share the remarkable story of America's 30th president, from his rural upbringing and dramatic midnight swearing-in by his father to the principles that shaped one of the most distinctive presidencies in American history. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  The Hidden Work Behind Every Horse 10.08.2026 7m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, Bill Bryk has spent years in the saddle, but in this story, he takes us to a place most riders overlook: the quiet, deliberate work of caring for a horse. Before a hoof hits the trail or a rider lifts the reins, there are coats to brush, manes to comb, and hooves to clean.Even a horse's teeth require attention, a reminder that its strength begins with small acts of care. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  How One Small-Town Woman Lived Nine Lives 07.08.2026 20m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, born in rural Missouri in 1934, Rebecca "Cubby" Hall grew up without electricity, joined the Women's Army Corps, learned to ride a Harley-Davidson, taught in a one-room schoolhouse, served as mayor of Neosho, owned a liquor store, worked as a garbage collector, and never stopped finding ways to serve her community.In her own words, Cubby looks back on a life that spanned extraordinary changes in America, sharing stories of hard work, small-town life, unforgettable mentors, and the adventurous spirit that led her to try just about everything. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Was Dropping the Atomic Bomb on Japan Necessary to End World War II? 07.08.2026 17m

  On this episode of Our American Stories, few decisions in American history remain as controversial as the choice to drop atomic bombs on Japan in the final days of World War II. Supporters argue the attacks hastened the war’s end and saved lives. Critics say they crossed a moral line that reshaped warfare forever.Ken LaCorte, host of the YouTube channel Elephants in Rooms, examines the historical context, military calculations, and ethical questions surrounding Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and why the debate over whether the bomb was necessary continues decades later. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.