On this episode of Our American Stories, it is called the first “American” Christmas because the Declaration of Independence was created the previous summer, essentially “divorcing” America from England and declaring our country an independent nation. Here’s Brian Benjamin sharing the story from his book, Christmas, 1776.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, it is called the first “American” Christmas because the Declaration of Independence was created the previous summer, essentially “divorcing” America from England and declaring our country an independent nation. Here’s Brian Benjamin sharing the story from his book, Christmas, 1776.
<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate">Support the show</a> (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

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 refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our 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 refresh their spirit and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories tells stories that aren&rsquo;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&rsquo;ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit and be inspired by our stories.

Christmas, 1776

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d252f78a-e7d7-4737-bf67-b0d8018417e5/transcript

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On this episode of Our American Stories, prohibition is often remembered through the lens of gangsters, speakeasies, and organized crime. But long before bootleggers captured the public imagination, millions of Americans believed alcohol was destroying families, fueling violence, and corrupting politics.

Carrie Nation has largely been remembered as a hatchet-wielding fanatic who smashed saloons across the Midwest. Yet to many Americans of her day, she was something very different: a woman fighting against domestic abuse, poverty, and the social costs of alcoholism that she herself had suffered through. Travis Spangenberg of the American Prohibition Museum in Savannah, Georgia, shares the true story of Nation, the temperance movement she fought for, and the complicated legacy of America's 18th Amendment.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, prohibition is often remembered through the lens of gangsters, speakeasies, and organized crime. But long before bootleggers captured the public imagination, millions of Americans believed alcohol was destroying families, fueling violence, and corrupting politics. Carrie Nation has largely been remembered as a hatchet-wielding fanatic who smashed saloons across the Midwest. Yet to many Americans of her day, she was something very different: a woman fighting against domestic abuse, poverty, and the social costs of alcoholism that she herself had suffered through. Travis Spangenberg of the American Prohibition Museum in Savannah, Georgia, shares the true story of Nation, the temperance movement she fought for, and the complicated legacy of America's 18th Amendment.
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The Real Story of Prohibition: Carrie Nation and the Fight to Save Families

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/23274018-02c1-480c-a133-b47401733eeb/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, when David LaBelle was a teenager, his mother was the one person who believed in him. She helped him stay in school, encouraged his interest in photography, and stood by him through difficult years. Then, during a devastating flood in Southern California, she was swept away while David and his family struggled to survive atop their collapsing home.

For decades, David carried the memory of losing his mother and the unanswered questions surrounding her death. Through photography, teaching, and eventually writing fiction, he discovered that while we cannot change the past, we can change the stories we tell ourselves about it. David shares a moving story about grief, memory, and how art can help us find peace after loss. Be sure to read David's book about the tragedy, Bridges and Angels.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, when David LaBelle was a teenager, his mother was the one person who believed in him. She helped him stay in school, encouraged his interest in photography, and stood by him through difficult years. Then, during a devastating flood in Southern California, she was swept away while David and his family struggled to survive atop their collapsing home. For decades, David carried the memory of losing his mother and the unanswered questions surrounding her death. Through photography, teaching, and eventually writing fiction, he discovered that while we cannot change the past, we can change the stories we tell ourselves about it. David shares a moving story about grief, memory, and how art can help us find peace after loss. Be sure to read David's book about the tragedy,&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.davidlabelle.com%2Forder%2Fbridges-and-angels-the-story-of-ruth&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7Cd73052bc004a4916c24f08ded146c0a3%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639178299044098928%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=fhfztrIOIgxGm1XqrnTe2W6QZ6gRYTBMClf8%2FEjwK88%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="5" data-ogsc="">Bridges and Angels</a>.
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The Flood That Took My Mother

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7c90a6be-23c4-4501-9d4c-b47401733ef1/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Civil War, falling asleep on guard duty was a crime punishable by death. That was the fate awaiting William Scott, a young Union soldier who drifted off at his post one night. His case captured the attention of President Abraham Lincoln, who, astonishingly, chose mercy over execution.

What followed became one of the most remarkable Civil War stories, in which compassion and discipline collided in the heat of war. Jonathan White, a professor of history, Jack Miller Center fellow, and author of Midnight in America, shares the story.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, during the Civil War, falling asleep on guard duty was a crime punishable by death. That was the fate awaiting William Scott, a young Union soldier who drifted off at his post one night. His case captured the attention of President Abraham Lincoln, who, astonishingly, chose mercy over execution. What followed became one of the most remarkable Civil War stories, in which compassion and discipline collided in the heat of war. Jonathan White, a professor of history,&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jackmillercenter.org%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7Cd73052bc004a4916c24f08ded146c0a3%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639178299044054895%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=rgaOiYDjNHTLXcNE3inoFPY9td1g1oSKycnF25IT9bU%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3" data-ogsc="">Jack Miller Center</a>&nbsp;fellow, and author of&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FMidnight-America-Darkness-Dreams-during-ebook%2Fdp%2FB01N5XO31U%2Fref%3Dbooks_amazonstores_desktop_mfs_author_smart_catalog_9%3F_encoding%3DUTF8%26pd_rd_w%3D6AQkF%26content-id%3Damzn1.sym.aec507cb-142c-4f68-9ae5-803b8e7b33f1%26pf_rd_p%3Daec507cb-142c-4f68-9ae5-803b8e7b33f1%26pf_rd_r%3D131-6333712-6636727%26pd_rd_wg%3Dbs6Jw%26pd_rd_r%3D2a0cd296-4eb5-4e2d-a381-99602e724a16&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7Cd73052bc004a4916c24f08ded146c0a3%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639178299044077555%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=RMUqphiPI0uan89bscs4QWdgIW0cN%2Bykb26670C%2BRbs%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4" data-ogsc="">Midnight in America</a>, shares the story.
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The Death Sentence That Became One of Lincoln’s Most Famous Pardons

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/856b8910-d52d-4d2a-aa25-b47401733efa/transcript

Christmas, 1776

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