Our American Stories
Our American Stories
Playlist by Our American StoriesOur 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 abo…Follow the podcast:
4,330 clip(s) in playlist
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…
10:48
How “God of This City” Was Written in the Unlikeliest Place
On this episode of Our American Stories, while on a mission trip to Thailand, a modern worship band found itself playing an impromptu set inside a brothel in Pattaya, one of the world’s most notorious centers for sex tourism. In that unlikely setting, the song “God of This City” was written in real…
09:29
The Story of America: Failed Experiments in Utopia [Ep. 3]
On this episode of Our American Stories, In the earliest days of settlement, America became a testing ground for bold ideas about faith, freedom, and self-rule. In this episode of our ongoing Story of America Series, historian Wilfred McClay, author of Land of Hope, examines the colonies founded by…
17:58
The Slave-Turned Bishop Who Delivered George Washington’s Eulogy
On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard Allen was born into slavery in colonial America and went on to become one of the most influential religious leaders of the early United States. After purchasing his freedom, Allen became a successful entrepreneur, a powerful preacher, and the founder…
30:16
How One Doctor Tells Patients They Are Dying
On this episode of Our American Stories, Theodore Schwartz, a neurosurgeon at Weill Cornell Medicine and best-selling author of Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery, shares how he approaches one of the most difficult responsibilities in medicine: delivering bad news to patients with terminal …
07:59
From Broken Childhood to Redemption: A Story of Gang Life and Faith
On this episode of Our American Stories, Carl Montgomery grew up surrounded by neglect, instability, and violence, where a broken childhood pushed him toward gang life and years in prison. What began with poverty and bad choices led to a cycle of crime and incarceration that seemed impossible to es…
10:49
What It Means to Be the Only Lawyer in Town
On this episode of Our American Stories, in a town with only one lawyer, every problem comes to the same door. Bill Bryk spent his career deciding when to fight for others and when wisdom meant stepping back. Practicing law in a small community taught him that justice isn’t only about winning cases…
09:29
The Slap Shot Story: Dave “Killer” Hanson and the Hanson Brothers
On this episode of Our American Stories, the iconic Hanson Brothers from Slap Shot weren’t actors. They were real minor-league hockey players. When Dave Hanson, known as “Killer,” was cast in the 1977 cult classic alongside Paul Newman, one of the most unforgettable trios in sports movie history wa…
09:58
Johnny Carson’s Most Memorable Guests: Don Rickles and Ed Ames
From 1962 to 1992, Johnny Carson defined late-night television as the longtime host of The Tonight Show. Over three decades, hundreds of guests passed through the chair across from him, but only a few appearances became truly legendary. Two of the most unforgettable belonged to Don Rickles and Ed …
07:58
Martin Luther and the Question That Changed Christianity
On this episode of Our American Stories, the origins of the Protestant Reformation trace back to a deceptively simple and deeply personal question. A Catholic monk named Martin Luther wrestled with it for years: Am I a good person? That spiritual struggle would ultimately shake the foundations of C…
38:15