Our American Stories

Frederick Douglass: The Faith and Fight of an American Abolitionist

On this episode of Our American Stories, Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland, where even learning to read was considered an act of defiance. As a young b

The One Word That Made FDR’s “Day of Infamy” Speech Historic

On this episode of Our American Stories, on Sunday, December 7, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was working in the White House when news arrived that Japanese plane

Thomas Dorsey and the Tragedy Behind “Precious Lord, Take My Hand”

On this episode of Our American Stories, Thomas A. Dorsey grew up in a religious home in Georgia but made his name playing blues and jazz in Chicago, working with perform

The Note a Dad Wrote for His Daughter Who Sees the World Her Own Way

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Jeff Katz wrote a birthday note to his daughter Julia, he was marking a moment she would not recognize. Julia lives with glo

From the Battle of Fallujah to the Battle for My Soul

On this episode of Our American Stories, Fernando Arroyo knew exactly what he wanted to do after watching the September 11 attacks unfold from his high school classroom.

A Vietnam Veteran, an Eyepatch, and the Quiet Power of Carrying On

On this episode of Our American Stories, in Abilene, Texas, Jay Moore has made a name telling the kind of stories that stay with you. None has stayed longer than the stor

Why Henry Gunther Was the Final Casualty of WWI

On this episode of Our American Stories, The First World War ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. But not before one last man fell. His name was Henr

Remembering The USS Indianapolis: The Worst Naval Disaster in American History

On this episode of Our American Stories, the USS Indianapolis left Guam in July 1945 after delivering critical cargo connected to the Manhattan Project. But before she co

The Origins of the Veterans Day Symbols That Still Unite Us

On this episode of Our American Stories, the story of Veterans Day began with silence. When the guns of World War I finally stopped, the world gathered to mark peace on t

How the Hamburger Became an American Staple

On this episode of Our American Stories, before it became a greasy icon or a late-night craving, the hamburger was an immigrant invention trying to make itself useful. Ge

The Green Beret Who Led a Rescue Into Vietnam’s “Valley of the Tigers”

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1968, 22-year-old Green Beret Tom Ross was serving as an intelligence and operations officer in South Vietnam when three Monta

Alvin York: The Pacifist Marksman Who Became an American War Hero

On this episode of Our American Stories, Alvin York grew up poor in the hills of Tennessee, with little formal education but extraordinary skill with a rifle. After years

Colin Powell: The Man Behind the General, the Diplomat, and the Leader

On this episode of Our American Stories, Colin Powell was a four-star general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State. But behind the titles was a

The German WWI Veteran Who Helped Build America’s Arsenal of Democracy

On this episode of Our American Stories, as a young German soldier in World War I, Wilhelm Bistner cared for the horses that pulled artillery into battle against Russia.

The Supreme Court Lawyer Who Left Law to Open a Mustard Museum

On this episode of Our American Stories, Barry Levinson was once the head of Wisconsin’s Criminal Appeals Division, arguing cases before the United States Supreme Court.

The Speech That Gave the Cold War Its “Iron Curtain”

On this episode of Our American Stories, eight months after British voters turned Winston Churchill out of office, the former prime minister received an unlikely invitati

We're Holding Our Own: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

On this episode of Our American Stories, the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in November 1975 shocked the nation and inspired one of the most haunting songs of the decad

The Woman the Nazis Called the Most Dangerous Spy in the World

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the darkest years of World War II, a woman from Baltimore slipped behind enemy lines with a fake passport, a limp, and a m

Paralyzed and Broke, John Clay Wolfe Reinvented the Used Car Business

On this episode of Our American Stories, John Clay Wolfe had already built a successful career in the car business when his life began to come apart. His marriage collaps

What Happened When a City Girl Moved to a Mississippi Farm

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Jake Keiser left city life behind and moved to a farm outside Oxford, Mississippi, she was not quite prepared for what came