Our American Stories
Our American Stories
Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can ref…Follow the podcast:
President Reagan's Greatest Speech You've Never Heard: His July 4 Speech in NY Harbor
On this episode of Our American Stories, on July 4, 1986, moments before the largest fireworks display in American history, President Ronald Reagan gave a rousing speech from the deck of the USS John F. Kennedy in New York Harbor. Standing beneath the Statue of Liberty, he reminded the country and …
10:48
Why the Declaration of Independence We Display Isn’t the Original
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Declaration of Independence is one of the most famous documents ever written. Its words helped launch a revolution and have inspired independence movements around the world ever since. But the parchment signed in 1776 faded badly over time. By the early…
09:29
George Washington’s Letter That Defined Religious Freedom in America
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1790, George Washington answered a letter from the Hebrew congregation of Newport, Rhode Island. His reply carried words that still echo today: America would give "to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance." It was a radical promise for its tim…
09:59
How the Bald Eagle Became America's National Symbol
On this episode of Our American Stories, the bald eagle has appeared on America's Great Seal, coins, flags, and official emblems for more than two centuries. But the bird's journey to becoming the nation's symbol was anything but straightforward. The Founding Fathers couldn't agree on a design for …
07:59
What Calvin Coolidge Said About the True Meaning of Independence
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1926, on the 150th anniversary of American independence, Calvin Coolidge delivered a Fourth of July address that went far beyond celebration. Speaking in Philadelphia, he argued that America's prosperity did not create its founding ideals, but that its fo…
10:49
The Founding Choice That Defined America: Washington’s Refusal to Be King
On this episode of Our American Stories, after leading the colonies to victory in the American Revolution, George Washington shocked the world by refusing to become king. Instead, he laid the foundation for the American presidency and helped define the future of our republic. Dr. Larry Arnn of Hill…
19:28
The Day Rick Monday Made One of Baseball’s Most Patriotic Plays
On this episode of Our American Stories, Rick Monday's career spanned more than a decade in Major League Baseball, but one defining moment had nothing to do with a bat or a glove. In the spring of 1976, at Dodger Stadium, he intervened when protesters tried to set fire to the American flag in the m…
07:59
David McCullough on Why the Founding Fathers Were Not Like Us
On this episode of Our American Stories, the late historian David McCullough explains why America's Founding Fathers cannot be understood as ordinary people living modern lives. Drawing on his deep study of figures like John and Abigail Adams, McCullough describes a world shaped by slow communicati…
10:49
The 17-Year-Old Who Built Jersey Mike's
On this episode of Our American Stories, at 14, Peter Cancro took a summer job making sandwiches at a tiny sub shop on the Jersey Shore. Three years later, when the business went up for sale, his mother asked a simple question: "Why don't you buy it?" At just 17 years old, Cancro borrowed the money…
27:27
How a Tone-Deaf Lawyer Wrote America’s National Anthem
On this episode of Our American Stories, Francis Scott Key wasn't a musician, a soldier, or even a master wordsmith. But after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, he scribbled out a rough poem that captured a nation's defiance. Set to the tune of a British dr…
20:18