On this episode of Our American Stories, every summer, Dennis Peterson and his brother went to work with their father, a self-employed brick mason. As young boys, they hauled bricks, cleaned tools, and worked long days on construction sites. At the time, it felt like hard labor. Looking back, it was something much more valuable. ⁠

Through those hours on the job, Dennis's father taught lessons about the dignity of hard work. Dennis shares a heartfelt tribute to the man who showed him that the true reward of labor wasn't just a paycheck, but also the character built along the way.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2016, entrepreneur Fawn Weaver was struggling through one of the most difficult seasons of her life. A disappointing business venture had left her frustrated, and the sudden death of her beloved niece, Brittany, left her heartbroken. Looking for a distraction while traveling overseas, she stumbled across a newspaper article about a little-known figure in American history: Nathan "Nearest" Green, the formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey.

His story quickly became her obsession. As Weaver dug deeper into the story of Uncle Nearest, she found something she desperately needed: hope. Fawn shares the remarkable story of loss, purpose, and the unlikely chain of events that led her to uncover one of the most important forgotten figures in American whiskey history.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, long before the Civil War, in 1799, the United States was facing one of the greatest political crises in its young history. With tensions rising between the federal government and the states, some feared the nation could fracture or even descend into civil war. George Washington certainly did, and he turned to one man he believed could help prevent it: Patrick Henry.

Historian John Ragosta, a fellow at the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello, tells the story of Patrick Henry's final public campaign, George Washington's desperate plea for help, and the little-known constitutional crisis that nearly tore the American experiment apart. We'd like to thank the Jack Miller Center for sending us this story.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when Brian Wilson passed away in 2025, the world lost one of the most important and influential musicians in American history. As the creative genius behind The Beach Boys, Wilson helped redefine popular music through groundbreaking compositions, intricate harmonies, and a body of work that continues to inspire musicians today. Yet for many people, Brian Wilson's story seemed tragic. In the popular imagination, he was an eccentric recluse whose struggles and personal demons led to a breakdown that removed him from touring with the band he helped create and make great.

But David Leaf knew a different side of Brian. For nearly fifty years, he was not only Wilson's biographer and champion, but also his friend. In this moving tribute, originally delivered at Brian Wilson's Celebration of Life, Leaf reflects on the kindness, vulnerability, humor, and musical genius of the man he knew behind the legend, and on a friendship that lasted a lifetime.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, a first job is a rite of passage for many. For Leslie Leyland Fields, it was something more. Hired by a quirky and struggling ice cream shop in New Hampshire, she hoped the job would bring in much-needed money for gas and offer some time away from a difficult home life. Instead, it ended with an experience she never expected: getting fired by her "crazy" manager. At the time, it broke her. After all, she considered herself the "good girl."

Years later, Leslie came to see that the job itself mattered far less than the lessons it left behind. She shares this moving reflection on a pivotal moment in her life, a story that also appears in her book Write Your Story, Change Your Life.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, In 1831, a young French aristocrat named Alexis de Tocqueville traveled to the United States, ostensibly to study America's prison system. What he was really seeking was something much bigger: an understanding of democracy itself. The result was Democracy in America, a book that remains one of the most insightful works ever written about the United States.

As part of our ongoing Story of Us—Story of America series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, shares the story of Tocqueville's remarkable journey and the observations that made him famous and best explained Americans to the world.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when red-light cameras began appearing across Missouri, many drivers saw them as little more than an annoyance. Civil rights attorneys Hugh Eastwood and Bevis Schock saw something else: a system that issued tickets to vehicle owners regardless of who was driving, generated millions in revenue for local governments, and raised serious questions about due process and fairness.

Hugh and Bevis share the story of how they challenged the red-light camera industry, took on cities and private contractors, and helped bring an end to one of Missouri's most controversial traffic enforcement programs.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before they made history, the Wright brothers were just two mechanics with a theory. Their shop in Dayton kept the lights on, but it was their time on the beaches of North Carolina that changed the world. While others with greater resources failed to get off the ground, Wilbur and Orville studied what moved through the air and why. In 1903, after years of testing and quiet experimentation, they lifted off the sand and became the first men to achieve powered flight, with a journey that lasted just 12 seconds.

Our own Lee Habeeb shares the story.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when Willy Lensch's father was diagnosed with cancer, the news brought fear, uncertainty, and the prospect of loss. It also opened a door that had been closed for decades.

As father and son spent more time together, old grievances began to fade, difficult truths were finally spoken, and a relationship that once seemed beyond repair slowly transformed. For our Final Thoughts series, Willy reflects on the unexpected blessing hidden inside a family tragedy and the final chapter that changed both their lives. This story originally appeared in The Boston Globe.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before modern sanitation, cities were filthy, drinking water was often contaminated, and diseases like cholera and typhoid killed hundreds of thousands of people. Life in even the world's greatest cities could be dangerous, all because of a problem most people would rather not talk about.

Our own Greg Hengler explores the surprising history of the toilet, sewer systems, and sanitation, tracing their evolution from ancient Rome to modern America. Along the way, he tells the story of the inventors, engineers, and public health pioneers whose overlooked innovations helped add decades to human life and made modern civilization possible.

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