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On this episode of Our American Stories, when the Cabbage Patch Kids hit store shelves in 1983, parents felt a pull they hadn’t sensed from a toy before. Crowds formed before sunrise, and the pressure inside those shops grew in a way that felt unfamiliar for the holiday season. What started as a rush for one doll ended up reshaping the way Americans braced for the day after Thanksgiving. Toy historian Jonathan Alexandratos shares the story behind the craze and the shift it set in motion.

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

On this episode of Our American Stories, when the Cabbage Patch Kids hit store shelves in 1983, parents felt a pull they hadn&rsquo;t sensed from a toy before. Crowds formed before sunrise, and the pressure inside those shops grew in a way that felt unfamiliar for the holiday season. What started as a rush for one doll ended up reshaping the way Americans braced for the day after Thanksgiving. Toy historian Jonathan Alexandratos shares the story behind the craze and the shift it set in motion.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

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.

The 1983 Toy Riot That Changed Holiday Shopping

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/621a6b02-9df8-4b55-addb-b39f016544b2/transcript

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On this episode of Our American Stories, long before the annexation of Texas and long before it entered the Union, Texas stood as its own country. The road to that break began under Mexican rule, as growing numbers of settlers pushed for greater local control.

What followed became the Texas Revolution. The Battle of the Alamo gave the conflict its most famous rallying cry, and “Remember the Alamo!” carried forward into the final fight at San Jacinto, where Texas forces defeated Santa Anna and secured independence.

Official Texas State Historian Monte Monroe shares the story of how Texas became a republic in response to tyranny.

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

On this episode of Our American Stories, long before the annexation of Texas and long before it entered the Union, Texas stood as its own country. The road to that break began under Mexican rule, as growing numbers of settlers pushed for greater local control. What followed became the Texas Revolution. The Battle of the Alamo gave the conflict its most famous rallying cry, and &ldquo;Remember the Alamo!&rdquo; carried forward into the final fight at San Jacinto, where Texas forces defeated Santa Anna and secured independence. Official Texas State Historian Monte Monroe shares the story of how Texas became a republic in response to tyranny.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

Why Texas Became a Country Before It Became a State

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7a2d6d72-e52e-4424-9d84-b42f015bd70a/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, Samson appears in the Book of Judges as a man set apart from birth and given extraordinary strength. Known for the story of Samson and Delilah, he became one of the most recognizable figures in the Bible, though his life was marked by far more than that single moment.

Gifted with power yet driven by impulse, Samson’s story moves toward an ending that has been debated for centuries, bringing down the pillars of the Temple of Dagon upon himself. Our regular contributor, Rabbi Stuart Halpern, co-author of Jewish Roots of American Liberty, shares the story of Samson and explains why American rebels, from John Brown to Malcolm X to the Sons of Liberty, saw his final act as a form of righteous resistance, and why Martin Luther King Jr. ultimately rejected that interpretation when shaping his own legacy.

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

On this episode of Our American Stories, Samson appears in the Book of Judges as a man set apart from birth and given extraordinary strength. Known for the story of Samson and Delilah, he became one of the most recognizable figures in the Bible, though his life was marked by far more than that single moment. Gifted with power yet driven by impulse, Samson&rsquo;s story moves toward an ending that has been debated for centuries, bringing down the pillars of the Temple of Dagon upon himself. Our regular contributor, Rabbi Stuart Halpern, co-author of&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.encounterbooks.com%2Fbooks%2Fjewish-roots-american-liberty%2F%3Fsrsltid%3DAfmBOopjtfujEwWTP-6Myi-o3NVdUD1jxZIok9jLqjCZ_5CEkVHt-tcl&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7C733c5401e97e4d90937f08de9c9ee476%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639120403488985635%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=cs0EHEJOSIFBHnByk86wGwQ7PqTFNJvSXHWE2rDpPU0%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">Jewish Roots of American Liberty</a>, shares the story of Samson and explains why American rebels, from John Brown to Malcolm X to the Sons of Liberty, saw his final act as a form of righteous resistance, and why Martin Luther King Jr. ultimately rejected that interpretation when shaping his own legacy.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

Samson and the Jewish Roots of American Rebellion

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ba93837f-39a7-424f-8a11-b42f015bd708/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, Hiram Stevens Maxim is best known as the inventor of the Maxim machine gun, one of the first fully automatic weapons. But later in life, he made a surprising and controversial claim: that he, not Thomas Edison, had invented the light bulb.

According to Maxim, his work with electric lighting predated Edison’s breakthroughs, raising questions about who truly deserves credit for one of the most important inventions in modern history.

Our regular contributor, Ashley Hlebinsky, shares the story of the heated debate over the origins of the light bulb.

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

On this episode of Our American Stories, Hiram Stevens Maxim is best known as the inventor of the Maxim machine gun, one of the first fully automatic weapons. But later in life, he made a surprising and controversial claim: that he, not Thomas Edison, had invented the light bulb. According to Maxim, his work with electric lighting predated Edison&rsquo;s breakthroughs, raising questions about who truly deserves credit for one of the most important inventions in modern history. Our regular contributor, Ashley Hlebinsky, shares the story of the heated debate over the origins of the light bulb.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

Thomas Edison vs. Hiram Maxim: Who Invented the Lightbulb?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/76eef0e5-b869-4157-a3f9-b42f015bd707/transcript

The 1983 Toy Riot That Changed Holiday Shopping

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