Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, most Americans learn that the Revolutionary War ended at Yorktown. Fewer know the British Army occupied New York City for two more years before finally sailing away on November 25, 1783. For generations, New Yorkers celebrated that day as Evacuation Day, one of the city's biggest holidays.

Our American Stories regular contributor Bill Bryk shares the remarkable story of the British departure, George Washington's triumphant return to New York, and the forgotten celebration that once rivaled Thanksgiving.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, growing up in Bayonne, New Jersey, Giovanni Rocco was surrounded by mobsters, outlaw bikers, and the kind of street culture that most parents hope their children never experience. He was, in his own words, a pretty "bad" kid. Those same experiences eventually made him one of the FBI's National Covert Operations Unit's most successful undercover operatives, culminating in Operation Charlie Horse.

Author, former undercover investigator, and Mob Museum speaker Giovanni Rocco (aka Giovanni Gatto) shares how he infiltrated the New Jersey Mafia family that inspired The Sopranos, earned the trust of a feared Mafia captain, came within reach of becoming a made man, and paid an enormous personal price to bring the organization down. His book, Giovanni's Ring: My Life Inside the Real Sopranos, tells the remarkable story in full; be sure to check it out.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Tyson Timbs used his $40,000 Land Rover to sell drugs to an undercover police officer, Indiana seized the vehicle through civil asset forfeiture. Getting it back should have been straightforward. Instead, it took seven years, three trips to the Indiana Supreme Court, and a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.

For our Rule of Law series, legal scholar Ilya Somin explains how one man's fight over a single SUV reshaped American law on excessive fines, civil asset forfeiture, and the constitutional limits of government power.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, it started with a dropped wrench. Moments later, a missile exploded inside its silo, launching a nuclear warhead into a roadside ditch outside Damascus, Arkansas. For hours, few people understood just how close the country had come to catastrophe.

Former Arkansas newsman Randy Dixon was there from the beginning. He shares how one of America's most forgotten nuclear accidents unfolded, the secret recording that revealed what really happened that night, and why the story became one of CNN's first major live news events.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, at thirteen years old, Rose Ann Forte took her first drink because she wanted to fit in. What began as teenage experimentation slowly became part of every stage of her life, from college and corporate America to marriage and motherhood, until one day she realized she'd crossed what she calls "the invisible line."

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced her to confront her addiction, Rose Ann found a path to sobriety rooted in her Christian faith and a fresh way of thinking about recovery. Today, she helps others discover that freedom from alcohol is possible. Her book is The Plans He Has for Me: A 12-Week Daily Devotional for Freedom from Alcohol.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, nearly every American knows Davy Crockett died at the Alamo. But before he ever crossed into Texas, he'd run away from home, survived on the untamed American frontier, fought in the War of 1812, and rose from six months of formal schooling to the halls of Congress.

Our regular contributor Roger McGrath separates the folklore from the facts, sharing the real story of how Crockett became one of America's first folk heroes, and how his final stand against Santa Anna made him a national hero and legend.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, for generations of Americans, Mel Blanc's voice was childhood. As Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Sylvester, Yosemite Sam, and dozens of other unforgettable characters, he entertained millions and forever changed the art of voice acting.

Through archival interviews with Mel Blanc himself and those who knew him best, we share the remarkable story of the man whose greatest gift wasn't simply creating cartoon voices. It was bringing joy and laughter to people around the world.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, before he became Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard, James Best lived a remarkable American life. Orphaned at the age of three and raised in Kentucky and Indiana, he served with the U.S. Army in war-torn Germany, where an unexpected visit to a stage production inspired him to become an actor.

Best went on to appear in hundreds of television episodes and work alongside stars including Jimmy Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Burt Reynolds, and Clint Eastwood. He also became one of Hollywood’s most respected acting teachers before creating one of television’s most memorable comic characters. In his own words, James Best shares the story of his journey from a country boy with no knowledge of theater to the beloved sheriff of Hazzard County.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, today, Charles Carroll is one of America's most overlooked Founding Fathers. But during the Revolutionary era, he helped finance the fight for independence, shaped Maryland's government, influenced the creation of the U.S. Senate, and became the only Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence.

Dr. Bradley J. Birzer, author of American Cicero: The Life of Charles Carroll, shares the remarkable story of the last surviving signer of the Declaration and explains how a man who overcame deep anti-Catholic prejudice became one of the most respected figures of the American founding.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, today, Charles Carroll is one of America's most overlooked Founding Fathers. But during the Revolutionary era, he helped finance the fight for independence, shaped Maryland's government, influenced the creation of the U.S. Senate, and became the only Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence.

Dr. Bradley J. Birzer, author of American Cicero: The Life of Charles Carroll, shares the remarkable story of the last surviving signer of the Declaration and explains how a man who overcame deep anti-Catholic prejudice became one of the most respected figures of the American founding.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.