Our American Stories

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Brett Favre’s Legendary Monday Night Game After His Father’s Death Mar 13, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, after the sudden death of his father, Irvin Favre, Brett Favre faced a decision about whether he could play the next night in a crucial Monday Night Football game. What followed became one of the most remarkable performances in NFL history.
In this installment of our five-part series, Brett reflects on the night he took the field with a heavy heart, played one of the greatest games of his career, and came to believe that God had answered the prayer he whispered before kickoff.

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The Confederate Mystery Ship and the Dangerous World of Civil War Blockade Runners Mar 13, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, The Confederacy entered the Civil War with a serious problem. It didn’t have the industrial strength to build the navy it needed. To keep the war effort alive, Southern leaders turned to something they still had plenty of: cash crops and international trade.
That’s where blockade runners came in. Fast ships slipped through the Union blockade carrying cotton out and weapons and supplies back in. Some of those vessels became legends of Civil War naval history. Others disappeared almost as quickly as they appeared. John Freeman of the South Carolina Military Museum shares the story of a mystery 'blockade runner' and how it met its demise.

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The Story of America: What the Constitution Actually Said About Slavery [Ep. 11] Mar 12, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, The United States Constitution is the oldest written constitution still in force, yet one question about the document continues to shape debates about American history: Did the Constitution support slavery, or did it leave room for the institution to be challenged and eventually abolished?
For our ongoing Story of Us—Story of America series, Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, examines how the framers dealt with slavery during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and what the text of the Constitution actually says about our original sin.

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The Reluctant Minister Who Built One of the World’s Largest Prison Ministries Mar 12, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Joe Garman wanted to minister to people on his own terms, and certainly not in a prison setting. As he tells it, God had other plans. He would end up forming ARM, one of the largest prison ministries in the world.

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What George Washington Did on Christmas Changed Everything Mar 12, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, the first American Christmas came just months after the Declaration of Independence. But by December, the mood across the colonies was anything but triumphant. Washington’s forces had been pushed back again and again. The army was cold, outnumbered, and on the brink of collapse. What happened on Christmas night turned the tide. With no guarantee of success, Washington led a quiet crossing of the Delaware and launched a surprise assault on Trenton. The victory didn’t end the war, but it gave people something they hadn’t had in weeks: hope. Historian Brian Benjamin shares a poem that tells the story behind one of the most important days in the fight for independence.

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An Immigrant’s Journey Through Hope, Hardship, and the American Dream Mar 12, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, immigration to the United States has always been driven by the same simple hope. Families leave the places they know best and step into an uncertain future because they believe the next generation might have greater opportunity.
Our American Stories listener Jon L. Jacobson shares the story of his great-grandfather, Cornelius, an immigrant whose arrival in America more than a century ago changed the course of his family’s history. Jon reflects on the sacrifices, struggles, and determination that defined the immigrant experience and helped shape the country many families now call home.

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What a Mysterious Gift Taught Jen Neiman About Friendship Mar 12, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Jen Neiman was dealing with persistent health troubles that would not go away. She was depressed, upset, and felt as if any progress she had made had been met with more bad news. Then a mysterious gift appeared on her doorstep. Jen shares the story of what she learned about friendship in her darkest hours. We would like to thank our regular contributor, Leslie Leyland Fields, for introducing her student Jen to the show.

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Before I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball Spent Years Being Told No Mar 11, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, few television comedies have had the lasting impact of I Love Lucy. When the show debuted in the early 1950s, Lucille Ball quickly became one of the most recognizable performers in American entertainment.
Her success did not arrive quickly. For years, Ball struggled to find a role that truly fit her talent, moving through small film parts and studio setbacks before television offered a new opportunity.
Kathleen Brady, author of Lucille: The Life of Lucille Ball, joins us to tell the story of Lucille Ball’s long road to success and the breakthrough that made her one of the defining figures of early television.

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A Family Speaks At Their Fallen Hero's Funeral: Colorado Deputy Micah Flick Mar 11, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, on February 5, 2018, Colorado Deputy Micah Flick was killed in the line of duty while responding to a call in Colorado Springs. His death was one of many law enforcement line-of-duty deaths that year, and it left a family, a department, and a community grieving the loss of a young officer who had dedicated his life to public service.
Our American Stories remembers Deputy Flick through the words spoken at his funeral. His widow and brother-in-law reflect on the life he lived, the man they knew, and the moments that made him more than a badge and a uniform.

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The Faith That Led One Company to Give Away Half Its Profits Mar 11, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when Steve Trice started Jasco Products in 1975, he didn’t set out just to build a successful and profitable company. Guided by his Christian faith, he believed his business could be a way to serve others.
That belief eventually led Jasco to make an extraordinary commitment: giving away half of its profits to charitable causes around the world. Steve Trice shares how faith, generosity, and a higher calling shaped both his company and its culture.

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