Our American Stories

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Latest Episodes:

The Great Arsenal of Democracy: How America Went From Nothing...to Outproducing Every Nation in WWII Apr 01, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, America was woefully unprepared for World War II. Our army was about the size of Portugal's, our navy was outdated, and our "air force" was roughly equivalent to what the German Luftwaffe flew on a near-daily basis across Europe. Not only that, but nobody in America wanted war—or expected it to come to us. FDR was under no such delusion. We needed weapons, and we needed them fast. But how could we get it done? A.J. Baime, author of The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War, tells the remarkable story of how, through free enterprise, we became the strongest military power in the world.

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Meeting the Mother of My Foster Child Changed My Life Mar 31, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Christina Dent shares how her life was forever changed after she became a foster mother.

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The Forgotten Story of the Black Man Who Was the First to Shed Blood in the Civil War Mar 31, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Nicholas Biddle died broke, never received a pension, and was never officially recognized as a Union soldier because of his age and the color of his skin—but he was treated as a soldier by his company and was the first to shed blood in the Civil War, just days after the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter.

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A Nephew Remembers What His Vietnam Vet Uncle Couldn't Forget Mar 31, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Mike Williams remembers his best friend and uncle (who was just one year older than him) as a "gun guy", and a Vietnam veteran who survived a harrowing night in the jungle after a helicopter crash. Here's Mike with the story of Dan Reeves.

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The Woman Who Invented the Mega Church Mar 28, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, the world was changing, and Aimee Semple McPherson certainly took note, becoming one of the first evangelizers to harness the power of national radio to spread the word of her mission.

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The Car Repair Shop That's Not Just Changing Tires—But Changing Lives Mar 28, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Mike Gideon was just a gearhead who loved working on cars and restoring classics (something he thought he could retire on). But God had other plans...

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[This Week in History] Jim Thorpe: All-American, All Native American and the Making of Modern Football Mar 28, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, in honor of Jim Thrope, who passed away this week in history in 1953, Sally Jenkins, author of The Real All-Americans, and Steve Sheinkin, author of Undefeated: Jim Thrope and the Carisle Indian School Football, tell the story of the man who changed the sporting world forever.

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The Story of the Real—and Mostly Unknown—Author of the U.S. Constitution, Gouverneur Morris Mar 27, 2025

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On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story is told by Dennis C. Rasmussen, a professor of political science at Syracuse University and a Jack Miller Center Fellow. He’s also the author of The Constitution's Penman: Gouverneur Morris and the Creation of America's Basic Charter. Rasmussen tells the story of a Founding Father who wrote seven of the most famous words in American history: “We the People of the United States.”

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The 'Forrest Gump' of Drummers: The Story of Zoro Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, rarely does artistic rhythm rest as it does in Zoro the drummer. Hear from the man behind the great book Maria's Scarf how his talent and temerity ultimately equipped him for a mountain of fun for everyone.

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The American Cigar Making Tradition Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, Drew Newman, of JC Newman Cigars, tells the story of cigars in the United States

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