Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, the election of 1828 marked a political revolution in America. Andrew Jackson, a hard-driving frontiersman who never forgot his roots, brought a new style of politics to Washington, one built on popular appeal, distrust of elites, and faith in the judgment of ordinary Americans.

In this installment of our ongoing Story of Us—Story of America series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, tells the tale of the rise of Andrew Jackson, what Jacksonian Democracy was, and the promise and contradictions of America’s first common-man president.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, at only hours old, Jackie Darby was abandoned in a garbage dump in Seoul, Korea, where rats were already biting her tiny body when a missionary nurse rescued her. Adopted by an American family, Jackie grew up surrounded by love, but struggled with profound questions about rejection, identity, and her own self-worth.

Through faith and family, she' come to see her story very differently. Jackie shares the story of her remarkable journey from abandonment to purpose, and how God transformed the story she once carried in shame into one she now uses to encourage others. Be sure to check out her childrens book on adoption, Whose Am I?

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On this episode of Our American Stories, the 1896 election made one thing clear: William Jennings Bryan and the Populists had tapped into a growing sense that many Americans were being left behind by a rapidly changing nation. Though Bryan lost, the reformers behind his movement lived on. Soon, a new generation of reformers known as Progressives would seek to modernize government, curb corruption, and apply expertise and administration to the problems of industrial America.

In this installment of our Story of Us—Story of America series, Dr. Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, shares the story of the rise of the Progressive Movement and explains the ideas that reshaped American politics and society in the early 20th century.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, at seven years old, Randy Liberty visited his absent father behind bars at the Maine State Prison, whose imposing walls later helped inspire Stephen King's novel The Shawshank Redemption. Decades later, he returned to that same prison, not as a visitor but as a corrections officer. Along the way, he charted his own unique path, rose to become the prison’s warden, and helped reshape corrections in Maine by introducing groundbreaking programs designed to reduce recidivism and change lives.

Be sure to check out his book, Liberty’s Prison.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before he became a familiar face in westerns like Tales of Wells Fargo and Iron Horse, Dale Robertson was fighting in Europe during World War II. Commissioned through Officer Candidate School, he served with the U.S. Army’s 322nd Combat Engineer Battalion of the 97th Infantry Division, was wounded twice, and earned both the Silver Star and Bronze Star for his service.

In this installment of our ongoing Hollywood Goes to War series, historian, author, and former U.S. Marine Roger McGrath shares the remarkable story of how a decorated combat veteran went from the battlefields of World War II to a successful acting career in Hollywood.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, decades before Orson Welles’s War of the Worlds shocked the nation, a New York newspaper convinced thousands of Americans that the Moon was teeming with life. Beginning on August 25, 1835, The Sun published a sensational series claiming that famed English astronomer Sir John Herschel had discovered a lunar civilization populated by bat-like humanoids, strange beaver creatures, miniature zebras, and other bizarre lifeforms. For a time, America believed it. However, it was all a hoax.

Our regular contributor, Ashley Hlebinsky, shares the story of the Great Moon Hoax of 1835: a tale of fake news before the internet, the explosive rise of the penny press, and one of the strangest media frenzies in American history.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, when one of his graduate students challenged a 92 on an assignment, Paul Kotz was frustrated. The student questioned his grading, his judgment, and, for a moment, even his love of teaching. But instead of firing off another email, Kotz picked up the phone.

Paul shares the story of the conversation that followed, which had little to do with grades and everything to do with the weight of life itself. Kotz is the author of Profiles in Kindness and is a regular contributor to Our American Stories from Saint Paul, Minnesota.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, as industrial America surged forward in the late 19th century, millions of farmers and working Americans felt left behind by falling crop prices, mounting debt, and economic upheaval. Into that unrest stepped William Jennings Bryan, a fiery young politician from Nebraska whose famous “Cross of Gold” speech in Chicago transformed him into the leading voice of the downtrodden and forgotten.

In this installment of our ongoing Story of Us—Story of America series, Dr. Wilfred McClay, author of Land of Hope, shares the tale of the fierce national debate over money, democracy, and economic power that would reshape America at the dawn of the 20th century.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, a late-night mistake changed Gwen Boyd-Willis’s life in 2005. After serving her time, she did everything people say you’re supposed to do took responsibility, earned a degree, rebuilt her life, and kept trying to move forward. But every background check brought the same answer: no.

In this installment of our Opportunity America series, Gwen shares the deeply personal story of faith, perseverance, and the long battle to prove she was more than the worst mistake she ever made, and how a second chance finally changed everything.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, long before baseball became America’s pastime, soldiers carried the game with them into war. On the battlefield of Battle of Shiloh, one of the bloodiest clashes of the American Civil War, a forgotten baseball was discovered years later buried amid the history of combat and sacrifice.

Our American Stories regular contributor Ashley Hlebinsky shares the remarkable story of the Civil War-era baseball found at Shiloh and what it reveals about the soldiers who fought, the game they loved, and the unexpected ways Americans carried pieces of home onto the battlefield

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