On this episode of Our American Stories, The GAR Cemetery in Miami, Oklahoma, doesn’t look like much at first. But among the weathered headstones are the stories of Union and Confederate veterans, British pilots, rodeo stars, and forgotten locals who lived big lives before fading from memory. Nancy Bro has spent years documenting them—making sure their names, and the histories behind them, aren’t lost.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before engines and asphalt, movement meant muscle, yours or the horse’s. But riding bareback could only take humans so far. The saddle changed that. With structure, control, and later, the stirrup transformed the horse into a game-changing force in human history. From mounted armies to long-distance trade, this one invention shaped how empires rose, how people connected, and how the world moved. Our own Reagan Habeeb shares the story.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before settlers arrived, and before maps labeled native nations, indigenous communities had already shaped the land we now call America. Their history reaches back thousands of years, far beyond the record books. Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson, a Harvard-trained biologist and author of They Had Names: Tracing the History of the North American Indigenous People, explores how genetics and archaeology are helping fill in the early chapters of indigenous history in North America. His work adds new insight into the deep roots of the Native American story and the origins of the people who shaped the continent long before colonization.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, he helped fight for America’s freedom, then shaped the city that would represent it. Pierre Charles L’Enfant designed Washington, D.C. with intention: circles, lines, and avenues that all meant something. But what began as a grand commission ended in conflict. L’Enfant’s refusal to give up control led to his removal. The plan moved on without him, and for years, so did history. Constituting America's award-winning student historian, Wyatt Hensley, shares the story of a designer with a vision too strong for his time, and how it still lives on in the streets of the capital.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, a group home’s night out turned unforgettable when two strangers stepped in with a silent gift. Laurie Seibert had brought her group out for a well-earned dinner, never expecting someone across the room to cover the full bill. But that’s exactly what happened.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Wayne Gretzky didn’t have the size or speed most scouts looked for. But what he did have couldn’t be measured. With unmatched vision, timing, and instinct, he rewrote what was possible on the ice. He holds more than 60 NHL records and remains the only player to score over 200 points in a season, a feat he accomplished four times. We take a look at the life and legacy of “The Great One,” a player who saw the game differently and left behind a record book no one has come close to matching.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when John O’Leary was nine years old, a house fire left him with burns over 100 percent of his body. Doctors said he wouldn’t survive. He did. They said he’d never walk again. He did. And when he returned home, his mother insisted he do one more thing no one thought possible: learn to play the piano. John had no fingers, but she believed he had more strength than anyone could see. The bestselling author of On Fire shares how one act of motherly determination helped him face the world again and taught him that no obstacle is bigger than love, hope, and the will to try.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, few musicians have soared as high—or fallen as hard—as Brian Wilson. After redefining American music with the Beach Boys and producing Pet Sounds, Wilson began working on a follow-up so ambitious that it became his undoing. The project, SMiLE, pushed the boundaries of sound and pushed Wilson to the edge. For decades, he disappeared from the spotlight, battling mental illness and enduring abuse at the hands of those who claimed to help him. Only with the support of devoted fans and friends did he reclaim his music... and his voice. David Leaf, author of SMiLE: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Brian Wilson, reveals how genius, pain, and redemption shaped one of music’s most complicated legends.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Kevlar is now a staple of body armor, trusted by law enforcement, military personnel, and first responders, but when Stephanie Kwolek first developed the fiber in a DuPont lab, it was almost thrown away. The material didn’t behave like others, and no one saw a use for it. Kwolek pushed for further testing, convinced it was worth more. That decision led to one of the most important safety innovations of the twentieth century. Kaela Rider from the Bill of Rights Institute shares how one overlooked discovery became the foundation for the modern bulletproof vest.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Bob McLalan, a regular contributor to Our American Stories, shares why—after half a century—he still chats with his high school teacher.

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