Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, on November 10, 1975, the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald vanished beneath the stormy waters of Lake Superior, taking all 29 crew members with her. The tragedy became one of the most famous Great Lakes shipwrecks, inspiring Gordon Lightfoot’s haunting ballad The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Historian Ric Mixter — a shipwreck diver and documentarian who has actually seen the wreck on the lake bottom — shares the story of the freighter’s final hours and why the Edmund Fitzgerald remains the most legendary shipwreck in American maritime history. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vince Benedetto, Founder and chairman of Bold Gold Media Group, dives into the historical significance of George Washington's 1790 letter to the Hebrew congregation in Newport. He highlights how Washington’s radical promise of no tolerance for bigotry and persecution laid the groundwork for religious freedom in America. The conversation covers Washington's engagement with diverse faiths and its impact on the First Amendment. Benedetto showcases how this landmark moment continues to resonate in today’s discussions on liberty and equality.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the late 1980s, Panama was at the center of global attention as strongman Manuel Noriega tightened his grip on power. Known for his brutality and ties to the drug trade, he seemed untouchable. But when a hairdresser unknowingly welcomed Noriega’s daughter into her chair, an unlikely chain of events began. That meeting opened the door to the dictator himself, leading to a story of faith that unfolded against the history of Operation Just Cause and the U.S. invasion of Panama. The late Joe Garman, founder of ARM Prison Ministries, tells the unforgettable story of how a dictator met God in the unlikeliest of places. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, long before billion-dollar stadiums and television contracts, professional football was played on dirt lots by men who worked factory shifts by day and risked their bodies by night. Owners mortgaged their futures to keep teams alive, and few believed the sport would last more than a season or two. John Eisenberg, author of The League, traces how those uncertain beginnings gave birth to the NFL we know today. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the summer of 1833, Lexington, Kentucky, was brought to its knees by a cholera outbreak. Entire families were lost in a matter of days, and fear spread faster than the disease itself. When the dead outnumbered the living willing to bury them, one man stepped forward. His name was Solomon. Most people in town dismissed him as a drunk gravedigger. But in the middle of the crisis, he dug without stopping, gave the dead their dignity, and kept the city from collapsing under the weight of its own fear. Kentucky journalist Sam Terry tells the story of King Solomon, the unlikely hero whose redemption came in the middle of one of the deadliest epidemics in American history. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the weeks after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, authorities hunted not only John Wilkes Booth but also anyone suspected of aiding him. Among the accused was Mary Surratt, a widowed boardinghouse owner in Washington. Investigators claimed her home was the meeting place where the plan to kill the president took shape. The evidence was thin, the public mood was unforgiving, and her trial became a national spectacle. By July 1865, Mary Surratt stood on the gallows, becoming the first woman the U.S. government ever executed. Kate Clifford Larson, author of The Assassin’s Accomplice, shares the story. We'd like to thank the U.S. National Archives for allowing us access to this audio. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before it became the fourth Thursday in November, Thanksgiving was just one of many autumn celebrations scattered across the country. In the mid-1800s, Sarah Josepha Hale, already known for writing “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” saw an opportunity to unite the nation around a shared tradition. For decades, she wrote to governors, editors, and finally President Abraham Lincoln, urging him to declare a national day of thanks. In the midst of the Civil War, Lincoln answered her call. His 1863 proclamation created the Thanksgiving holiday Americans know today, blending food, family, and gratitude into one of the most cherished traditions in the United States. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before 1987, Greg LeMond was already a champion. After 1987, no one expected him to race again. A near-fatal hunting accident left him with life-threatening injuries and months of painful recovery. But in 1989, he returned to the Tour de France, determined to reclaim his place at the top. What followed was a nail-biting battle to the finish line, and a victory measured in seconds that became one of the greatest comebacks in sports history. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the tense years before the Civil War, Joshua Glover — a man who had escaped slavery — was captured in Wisconsin under the Fugitive Slave Act. His fate seemed sealed until local abolitionists staged a daring public rescue that defied federal law in broad daylight, breaking down the doors of a jail to save him from bondage. That single moment of defiance helped give rise to the Republican Party and became a pivotal turning point in the fight for freedom that would shape the course of the Civil War. Michael Jahr, the creator of the documentary "Liberty at Stake," and Dr. Robert Baker, author of "The Rescue of Joshua Glover," share the remarkable story.  Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1926, two men set their sights on the same prize: the North Pole. Roald Amundsen took to the air in the Norge, a giant hydrogen airship, while Richard Byrd climbed into a Fokker trimotor and gambled on speed. Both faced bitter cold, unreliable machines, and a wilderness with no safe landing. What happened over those icebound miles changed the future of exploration and cemented the North Pole as one of the last great frontiers. The History Guy shares the story.  Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.