Our American Stories

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Latest Episodes:

Why the U.S. and Britain Nearly Went to War Over a Pig Jun 11, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1859, a pig wandered onto the wrong farm and sparked an international standoff. The United States and Great Britain nearly went to war over a single hog on San Juan Island, in what is now Washington State. History teacher and Our American Stories regular contributor Anne Clare shares the story of the strange chain of events that followed, when pride, politics, and a dead pig led to armed troops, tense negotiations, and the possibility of war.

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Twenty Years After My Sister's Murder, I Wrote to Her Killer Jun 11, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when Jeanne Bishop's pregnant sister, Nancy, and her brother-in-law, Richard, were murdered in their own home, her world shattered. The killer, a sixteen-year-old neighbor, was eventually caught and sentenced to life in prison, but no sentence could undo the loss or answer the deeper question of how to move forward after such a tragedy.
For years, Jeanne worked to honor her sister's memory while refusing to let hatred consume her. Then, more than two decades after the murders, she took an extraordinary step: she wrote a letter to the man who had killed her family. Jeanne shares the remarkable story of grief, forgiveness, reconciliation, and the lesson she learned from her sister's final act of love. Be sure to check out her book, Change of Heart: Justice, Mercy, and Making Peace with My Sister's Killer.

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The Story of America: Theodore Roosevelt and the Modern Presidency [Ep. 41] Jun 11, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, born into wealth, privilege, and chronic illness, Theodore Roosevelt seemed an unlikely candidate to become one of America's most energetic and transformative presidents. Yet through sheer determination, he reinvented himself as a rancher, war hero, reformer, and political force whose larger-than-life personality captivated the nation.
When an assassin's bullet thrust Roosevelt into the White House in 1901, he became the first Progressive president and dramatically expanded the power and influence of the office. As part of our ongoing Story of Us—Story of America series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, shares the story of Roosevelt's rise and explores how his vision of leadership reshaped the presidency and altered the course of American history.

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How Maurice Sendak Redrew Childhood in “Where the Wild Things Are” Jun 11, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Maurice Sendak had a rare ability to look at childhood without sentimentality. He understood its private fears and its unruly joys, and he tried to give those feelings a place to live on the page. That effort shaped the work that made him, for many, the defining children’s book artist of the twentieth century.
Our own Greg Hengler traces how Sendak’s early life and restless imagination shaped the world that would become Where the Wild Things Are—a story that opened the door to a new kind of children’s literature and revealed just how powerful a picture book could be.

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How a Childhood Fascination With Paper Airplanes Became a World Record Career Jun 10, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, most children eventually outgrow paper airplanes. John Collins never did. What began as a childhood fascination with folding paper and experimenting with flight grew into a lifelong passion that led him to become the Guinness World Record holder for the farthest paper aircraft flight at 226 feet, 10 inches.
John shares the story of decades spent designing, testing, and refining paper airplanes, the unlikely partnership that helped him break a long-standing world record, and how a simple hobby ultimately became his full-time career. Along the way, he learned a lesson he now shares with others: don't be afraid to go big.

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Five Brothers Went Off to Fight World War II Jun 10, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when World War II called, the Wilson family of Iowa answered. One by one, five brothers left home to serve their country, while their parents and siblings waited anxiously for news from across the globe.
Our regular contributor Joy Neal Kidney shares the story of her uncles, the five Wilson brothers, and the sacrifices their family made during the war years. It is a deeply personal story of duty, separation, and the quiet courage required not only of those who fought, but also of the loved ones who waited for them to come home.

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The Truth About Michael Jackson’s Changing Skin Color Jun 10, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Michael Jackson’s career made him one of the most recognizable and most scrutinized people on the planet. As his fame grew, so did the attention on his appearance, especially his skin color. What the public saw was a dramatic lightening over time. What they didn’t know was that Jackson was living with vitiligo, a medical condition that strips the skin of its pigment. Simon Whistler, from the Today I Found Out podcast, shares the story of how the disease shaped Jackson’s look and his life.

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The Race That Sealed Secretariat's Legacy: The Story of the 1973 Belmont Stakes Jun 10, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, no horse had claimed the Triple Crown in 25 years until Secretariat lined up at the Belmont. What happened next stunned the world. With the crowd on its feet, Secretariat sprinted into history, delivering a performance so dominant it's still studied today. This is the story of the race that made him a legend and left the sport forever changed.

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The Boy Behind “La Bamba”: The Story of Ritchie Valens Jun 10, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in the late 1950s, a shy teenager from Southern California seemed destined for stardom. As Ritchie Valens rocketed from local dances to national fame, hits like “La Bamba” and “Donna” helped make him one of the brightest young stars in rock and roll.
Discovered and mentored by producer Bob Keane, Valens's rise was as rapid as it was remarkable. Keane shares the story of the young musician's journey from an ordinary high school student to a recording sensation whose influence on American music far outlived his tragically short life.

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Thomas Paine and the Pamphlet That Sparked the American Revolution Jun 09, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, few writers have ever changed the course of history the way Thomas Paine did. His pamphlet Common Sense electrified the American colonies, helped turn public opinion toward independence, and inspired ordinary Americans to support the Revolution. Later, his American Crisis essays rallied George Washington's troops during some of the darkest days of the war.
In Thomas Paine and the Clarion Call for American Independence, historian Harlow Giles Unger tells the remarkable story of the man John Adams called "the first man of the Revolution" and explores how Paine's words helped shape not only the American Revolution, but democratic movements around the world. Audio courtesy of the U.S. National Archives.

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