Explore every episode of the podcast Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, this is the story of Chuck Colson's Watergate fallout—told by Chuck himself, who served as Special Counsel to President Richard Nixon. This was the last interview Chuck Colson granted before passing at 80 years of age in 2012.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, on June 6, 1944, FDR delivered a prayer to the nation at 9:57PM ET. It would last 6 minutes long and be heard by over 100 million Americans—and millions more in Europe. Written with help from his daughter and his daughter's husband, it was the largest mass prayer in American (and world) history.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Anne Claire tells the story of the Battle of Midway, America's "make or break" moment in World War II.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when 85-year-old Lana Peters passed away in 2011 from complications due to colon cancer, the nation seemed to have forgotten the woman who had become a sensation during the Cold War. The History Guy recalls the extraordinary life of the woman whose defection to the United States represented a seminal moment in history.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when Donna’s daughter, Cassie, was diagnosed with Chronic Paranoid Schizophrenia as a teenager, their daily jobs became more difficult. So they dropped everything and opened a resale shop.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Heather McPherson became the Curator of History at the South Carolina Military Museum. Hear her inspiring reason for her career.ReplyReply allForward

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On this episode of Our American Stories, sometimes it's the principle of the thing. When you experience fraud, you can "wine" about it - or you can get the grapes of wrath involved.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, here to tell the story is Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist, Scott Shane. Shane is the author of "Flee North: A Forgotten Hero and the Fight for Freedom in Slavery’s Borderland."

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Tracy Grant, the former managing editor at the Washington Post, shares the story of why the days taking care of her dying husband were the best 7 months of her life.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Tim Harford, author of the bestselling book 50 Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy, shares the stories of three inventions that changed the way we live today.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, many Americans have heard of the famous Navajo Code Talkers who used their traditional language to transmit secret Allied messages in the Pacific Theater of combat during World War II. Our next story is told to us by one of these Marines. Peter MacDonald is the President at Navajo Code Talkers Association.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, the director was a renegade filmmaker who'd never made a profitable picture. The producer was hired because he could stay below budget. The star had a reputation for being difficult. A formula for disaster? No, the makings of one of the greatest films of all time. Here to tell the story is Harlan Lebo, author of The Godfather Legacy.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Elisabeth Elliot was a missionary who returned to Ecuador with her toddler daughter to preach the Gospel to the Indian tribe that had killed her husband. Here's Elisabeth Elliot to tell us her story.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Thomas Bennett was a master salesman and businessman who helped, along with John Moses Browning, create the iconic American firearms brand Winchester.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, a former high-powered media executive shares the story of how the 37-year horse racing Triple Crown drought broken in 2015 brought back a flood of memories of Sundays at the track with his Dad.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, “Wild Bill" Donovan was one of America’s most exciting and secretive generals—the man President Franklin Roosevelt made his top spy in World War II. “Wild” Bill was the director of the Office of Strategic Services (the country’s first national intelligence agency). He is known as the founding father of both the CIA and the military's Special Operations Forces—along with being credited as the father of psychological and cyber warfare. Here to tell the story is Douglas Waller. He is the author of the bestseller, Wild Bill Donovan: The Spymaster Who Created the OSS and Modern American Espionage.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, King Solomon was a gravedigger who may have saved the town of Lexington during the Cholera epidemic of 1833. Kentucky journalist Sam Terry tells the story of the man they called “King Solomon.”

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On this episode of Our American Stories, the brutal double-murder that happened in Fall River, Massachusetts in 1892 has long been considered an unsolved mystery. Cara Robertson, author of the The Trial Of Lizzie Borden, tells the story.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, the origin of this conflict flowed from a deceptively simple question—a riddle of sorts that a Catholic monk named Martin Luther wrestled with for years. The question he asked himself was this: Am I a good person? Here to tell the story is Eric Metaxas, bestselling author of Martin Luther.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin is in a glass coffin...but so is an American man along the shores of Lake Michigan. Chris Siriano tells this curious story about the coffin, the man inside of it, and the harebrained scheme to steal his diamond necklace.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Halloween expert Lisa Morton is going to be unpacking the history of the Halloween Haunted House, which is directly tied into today’s practice of Trick-or-Treating. Lisa is the author of Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween. By the turn of the 20th century, Halloween in America was nothing more than a day of pranking—kind of like April Fools' Day.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, with its classic “old country” theme, Cracker Barrel has been an American favorite for many decades. But many people don’t know that the decor you find on the walls and throughout the stores are all authentic pieces of American history.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, on the morning of September 11, 2001, Peter Braxton was the first military pilot in the air over the burning Twin Towers. It was his first day on the job. Not long after that, he flew multiple combat tours in the Middle East and then retired from the Air Force. Here’s Peter with the story about the phone call he received shortly after his retirement: "Do You Still Have Your Uniform?

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On this episode of Our American Stories, from Nosferatu and Dracula to Friday the 13th and Saw, Matt Castro brings us the full history of all your favorite horror films. Check out his YouTube channel for more.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert Montgomery was one of the first movie stars to volunteer for service in World War II and when Dwight D. Eisenhower ran for the Presidency in 1952, Montgomery was his television coach. When General Eisenhower became President, Montgomery stayed on in his role as television advisor to become the first show-business professional to occupy an office in the White House. Here to tell another Hollywood Goes to War story is Roger McGrath.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2017, Rhode Islander Joe Jutras broke the record for the largest giant green squash ever grown- it came in at 2,118 lbs. Today Joe shares all that goes into growing these giant fruits.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, why do we participate in these strange celebrations every Halloween? Lesley Bannatyne is the author of Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History, and Lisa Morton is the author of Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, from Nosferatu and Dracula to Friday the 13th and Saw, Matt Castro brings us the full history of all your favorite horror films. Check out his YouTube channel for more.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Paul Westhead, former coach of the L.A. Lakers, shares his life story with Lee.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Anne Claire tells the story of America's first two responses to Pearl Harbor: The Doolittle Raids and the Battle of the Coral Sea.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, escaping the horrors of World War II in Croatia, Tony Maglica's flashlights are proudly made in America—and his dreams were too.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, uncover the true story of Alexander Hamilton, a man of brilliance, contradictions, and enduring influence on American history. Here to tell the story is Ron Chernow, author of Alexander Hamilton.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in a thrilling, moment-by-moment narrative based on a wealth of recently declassified documents and in-depth interviews, authors Bob Drury and Tom Clavin tell the remarkable story of the evacuation of Saigon in Last Men Out: The True Story of America's Heroic Final Hours in Vietnam. This closing chapter of the war would become the largest-scale evacuation ever carried out, as improvised by a small unit of Marines. Bob Drury is here to tell the story.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, regular contributor Stephen Rusiniak has a special story written by his daughter. She shares how helping those in need can help bring a little perspective to our lives.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, territorial ambition as old as the ages gave us the complicated history of North Carolina and Tennessee. In fairness, the grass and trees are remarkably green on both sides. Hear deep insight into what matters to people, and the lengths to which leaders have gone to effect their designs.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, dueling was close to Andrew Jackson's heart. Here to tell us just how close is Keith Hardison, former director of Interpretation at The Hermitage in Nashville, TN - Jackson's home. Keith starts by explaining a code of honor that culminated from 1750 to 1850.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, The Lone Ranger, with his cry of “Hi-Ho Silver!” has become an American institution ranking with Paul Bunyan in the realms of folklore and legend. The History Guy remembers Bass Reeves, John Reynolds Hughes, and forgotten history of the Wild West.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Native Americans of the inhabitants of Manhattan served with George Washington at Valley Forge, and many battles besides. Hear stories of family, and of historic valor. Here is Craig Du Mez, president of the Grateful Nation Project.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, has your neighbor ever had a crazy idea? John Deere did. Let's dig right into it.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story comes from our regular contributor, Christopher Klein. Klein is the author of four books and is a frequent contributor to the History Channel. Here’s Christopher Klein with the story of when the American Irish invaded Canada.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, here’s The History Guy with the story of Robert Smalls, an escaped slave-turned Civil War legend.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, King Solomon was a gravedigger who may have saved the town of Lexington during the Cholera epidemic of 1833. Kentucky journalist Sam Terry tells the story of the man they called “King Solomon.”

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in Our 31st episode of The Story of America Series, Professor Bill McClay conveys in mercifully short order the brutal fight, and the haunting pronouncements, of the American Civil War.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, America's mascot has always been specific, and always evolving. The common themes are provision and a call to serve.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, s a part of its 100th anniversary celebration, Ford wanted a new supercar to showcase its heritage and future. Jon Elfner brings us this new Faerrari-slayer's story through the eyes of industry legends Neil Ressler, Scott Ahlman, and Mark McGowan.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard Muniz tells the story of Willie Kennard...Colorado's first black lawman.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the English language. The book is Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Mark O'Brian tells the story of "St. Louie Louie"...one of the best pool players to ever grace the scene.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, on January 23, 1961, a B-52 bomber crashed in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Two H-bombs—each 250 times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Japan, fell to the ground. Earl Smith dismantled those bombs and he's here to tell us the story!

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On this episode of Our American Stories, historian Stephen Ambrose tells us the unlikely World War II story of George McGovern, the antiwar presidential candidate who was defeated by President Nixon in 1972.

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