Our American Stories

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Latest Episodes:

Inside Atlanta’s Breman Museum: Jewish Life in the American South Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Breman Museum was created to preserve Jewish heritage in the American South, with a focus on Jewish communities in Georgia, Alabama, and beyond. What began as a small archive grew into a museum dedicated to telling the story of Jews in the Southern United States.
Through the work of Sandy Berman and Jane Levy, the museum highlights the role of Jewish Americans in shaping communities and culture across the South.

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From Homelessness to Handcrafted Furniture: J.J. Jones’ Story Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, before J.J. Jones became known in Oxford for building custom furniture, he was a father trying to survive without a home. He spent months living in a vehicle with his young daughter, taking whatever work he could find and doing his best to shield her from the reality of homelessness.
With the help of mentors who saw something in him and a faith that steadied him, he rebuilt his life and became the craftsman he is known as today.

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Thomas Jefferson: Brilliant, Flawed, but Still Deeply American Apr 29, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Thomas Jefferson stood at the center of the American founding, writing the Declaration of Independence and later serving as the third president of the United States. He believed deeply in liberty and in the promise of the country, but his life was marked by contradictions that continue to shape how he is remembered, including the fact that he never freed his slaves despite his lofty ideals about freedom.
In this talk at the Library of Congress, acclaimed historian and bestselling author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, Jon Meacham explores Jefferson as both a founder and a man, and explains why his life and flaws still say a great deal about Americans today.

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The Inspiring Story of Anne Beiler, Founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzels Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Auntie Anne’s became one of the most popular fast-casual restaurant chains, Anne Beiler was a woman trying to rebuild her life following the loss of her daughter.
But out of her hardship came something unexpected. Starting with a small pretzel shop, she built what would become the world’s largest pretzel franchise. Today, Auntie Anne’s stands alongside the biggest fast-food brands in America, but its story begins with one woman’s decision to move forward and create something truly meaningful.

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St. Louie Louie: The Rise and Fall of a Pool Hall Legend Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, in pool halls across St. Louis, there was a player people spoke about in hushed tones. They called him St. Louie Louie, a natural talent with a cue stick who could run a table clean and leave even seasoned players high and dry. But his reign didn’t last forever.
Mark O’Brien, a listener of Our American Stories and the author of Have Pool Cue Will Travel, shares the true story of St. Louie Louie’s rise, untimely fall, and enduring legend.

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A Presidential-Sized Comeback: The Story of Ulysses S. Grant Apr 28, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before he led the Union Army to victory in the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant was a man who seemed to be going nowhere. He graduated near the bottom of his class at West Point, struggled on remote frontier posts, and left the Army under a cloud of rumors about drinking. Back home, he failed in business and worked in his father’s leather goods store, with little to suggest he would one day change the course of American history.
Then came the Civil War.
Dr. John F. Marszalek and Eddie Rangel of the Grant Presidential Library in Starkville, Mississippi, share the story of how Ulysses S. Grant rose to command the Union Army and secure victory in America’s bloodiest conflict.

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The Streets Were My Father: A Chicago Gang Member’s Road to Redemption Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, Carlos Colon spent his early years searching for a father figure and found it in the streets of Chicago. Gang life gave him identity and purpose, but it also drew him into violence that followed him into prison after he took another man’s life. Inside those prison walls, something began to change. He committed himself to a different path and walked out a new man years later.
Here’s Carlos with his story, originally part of our documentary The Streets Were My Father.

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Big Nose Kate, and the Untold Story of the West’s Most Misunderstood Lady Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, known to history as Big Nose Kate, Mary Katherine Horony was more than a footnote in Doc Holliday’s life. She was a trained nurse, a sharp-tongued survivor, and a force in her own right, and her story offers a window into the grit and resilience of women in the American West.
The History Guy shares the true story of this often-misunderstood icon of the Wild West.

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Burger King vs. Burger King: The Lawsuit That Changed Fast Food Forever Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, before the Burger King most people know became a nationwide fast food chain with thousands of locations, a man in Mattoon, Illinois, built his own Burger King from the ground up. When the national brand moved into nearby markets, it sparked a legal fight that would become one of the most unusual fast food lawsuits in American history.
Chris Suerdieck, a curator at the Mattoon, Illinois History Center and a former employee at the “real” Burger King, shares the true story of how this small-town burger joint beat the national chain in court, and why you won’t find a Whopper within 20 miles of his hometown.

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The True Story of How Curious George Escaped the Nazis Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Our American Stories, before Curious George became one of the most beloved characters in children’s literature, his creators were fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe with little more than a few belongings and their book manuscripts. Among them was the story that would become the first Curious George book.
Louise Borden, author of The Journey That Saved Curious George, shares the true and unforgettable story of Margret Rey and H. A. Rey, the husband-and-wife team behind Curious George, and how their escape from occupied France brought one of the most enduring characters in children’s literature to America.
We’d like to thank the U.S. Library of Congress for originally hosting this audio.

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