On this episode of Our American Stories, on August 24, 1919, Cleveland Indians pitcher Ray Caldwell made his debut at League Park before a crowd of 20,000. In the ninth inning, with victory in sight, lightning suddenly struck the field and Caldwell himself. Fans thought he had been killed. Instead, moments later, he stood up, shook it off, and finished the game. It remains one of the most astonishing moments in Major League Baseball history.

Nick Ragone, host of This Date in History, shares the story of how Ray Caldwell survived a lightning strike and kept pitching.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, on August 24, 1919, Cleveland Indians pitcher Ray Caldwell made his debut at League Park before a crowd of 20,000. In the ninth inning, with victory in sight, lightning suddenly struck the field and Caldwell himself. Fans thought he had been killed. Instead, moments later, he stood up, shook it off, and finished the game. It remains one of the most astonishing moments in Major League Baseball history. Nick Ragone, host of&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2F%40ThisDate&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7C37c4388658ea455469fa08df05500c89%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639235513570412369%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=cU1hSSC4X9XAC8j16OJR2wKiY%2FqcaqFmyAG1qG88c%2B8%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">This Date in History</a>, shares the story of how Ray Caldwell survived a lightning strike and kept pitching.
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.

When Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, he left behind more than a legacy. He also left a mountain of debt. His family eventually sold Monticello, and within years, Jefferson's famous home had fallen into disrepair. Then an unlikely preservationist stepped in.  Marc Leepson, author of Saving Monticello: The Levy Family's Epic Quest to Rescue the House That Jefferson Built, shares the remarkable story of Uriah Phillips Levy, the first Jewish commodore in the U.S. Navy, and his nephew Jefferson Monroe Levy. Across two generations, the Levy family spent decades and a fortune preserving and restoring Monticello, even fighting a national campaign to take the historic home from them. Without their efforts, one of America's most recognizable landmarks might not look the way it does today.

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ba856c8c-298e-404d-a3ac-b4b70153b4e7/transcript

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On this episode of Our American Stories, after winning its independence from Mexico in 1836, Texas faced a new challenge: surviving as its own country. The young republic struggled with debt, threats from Mexico, conflicts on the frontier, and political divisions over whether its future lay as an independent nation or as part of the United States. Meanwhile, the question of annexing Texas became tangled in the national debate over slavery and America's growing belief in Manifest Destiny.

Texas State Historian Monte Monroe tells the story of the Republic of Texas, from the presidencies of Sam Houston and Mirabeau B. Lamar to the political battle that finally brought Texas into the Union in 1845.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, after winning its independence from Mexico in 1836, Texas faced a new challenge: surviving as its own country. The young republic struggled with debt, threats from Mexico, conflicts on the frontier, and political divisions over whether its future lay as an independent nation or as part of the United States. Meanwhile, the question of annexing Texas became tangled in the national debate over slavery and America's growing belief in Manifest Destiny. Texas State Historian Monte Monroe tells the story of the Republic of Texas, from the presidencies of Sam Houston and Mirabeau B. Lamar to the political battle that finally brought Texas into the Union in 1845.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

From Nation to State: Why Texas Joined the Union

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/25af408d-e69f-4cd7-b807-b4ba0156bff8/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, Green Bay, Wisconsin, has a population of just over 100,000 people. It is smaller than many cities with minor-league baseball teams, yet somehow it is home to one of the most famous and valuable franchises in professional sports. Almost every other small industrial town that helped build the early NFL eventually lost its team. So how did the Green Bay Packers survive and turn the city into "Titletown, USA"?

This is the remarkable story of how community ownership, championship football, a new stadium, the rise of Vince Lombardi, and a strategic battle over nearby Milwaukee helped keep the Packers in the NFL's smallest market. We'd like to thank Maapify for helping us share this story.

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

On this episode of Our American Stories, Green Bay, Wisconsin, has a population of just over 100,000 people. It is smaller than many cities with minor-league baseball teams, yet somehow it is home to one of the most famous and valuable franchises in professional sports. Almost every other small industrial town that helped build the early NFL eventually lost its team. So how did the Green Bay Packers survive and turn the city into "Titletown, USA"? This is the remarkable story of how community ownership, championship football, a new stadium, the rise of Vince Lombardi, and a strategic battle over nearby Milwaukee helped keep the Packers in the NFL's smallest market. We'd like to thank&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmaapify.com%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7Ce50001cfc8dd44f691d308df085aeebe%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639238859003820547%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=YyVWEcslxs%2Bd3cp8A7oH%2BDBI8Rsd5Sk2VWtojoj33gE%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4">Maapify</a>&nbsp;for helping us share this story.
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The Green Bay Packers: The NFL Team That Shouldn't Exist

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6328ab1b-e904-4b46-98f4-b4ba0156bff6/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, Carl Albert stood just 5 feet 4 inches tall, but during one of America’s biggest political scandals, he carried more than his share of the weight. As the Watergate scandal unraveled the Nixon presidency, the Speaker of the House, known as the "Little Giant from Little Dixie," became an anchor of stability. He put country over party and helped steer Congress through one of the most chaotic chapters in modern political history.

Jeff Bloodworth, professor of American history at Gannon University and a Jack Miller Center Fellow, shares the story.

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

On this episode of Our American Stories, Carl Albert stood just 5 feet 4 inches tall, but during one of America&rsquo;s biggest political scandals, he carried more than his share of the weight. As the Watergate scandal unraveled the Nixon presidency, the Speaker of the House, known as the "Little Giant from Little Dixie," became an anchor of stability. He put country over party and helped steer Congress through one of the most chaotic chapters in modern political history. Jeff Bloodworth, professor of American history at Gannon University and a&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jackmillercenter.org%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7Ce50001cfc8dd44f691d308df085aeebe%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639238859003797218%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=jq%2Bh33I92LVFhf1YZUsXLz5IxZ0TTuhYGQ6VK%2B4RdcY%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">Jack Miller Center</a>&nbsp;Fellow, shares the story.
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How a Small-Town Speaker Held the Line During Watergate

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2fddf193-614d-471b-bf6b-b4ba0156bff8/transcript

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