On this episode of Our American Stories, Thanksgiving used to be one of many days—"If you planned your itinerary carefully, you could have a good Thanksgiving dinner every day between Election Day and Christmas Day." That all changed when a songwriter worked long and hard to crystallize American culture as distinct from that of Britain - including by a new official holiday in the midst of the Civil War. https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

On this episode of Our American Stories, Donald Sturm tells his story of growing up during The Great Depression without knowing it because of the powerful influence of his parents...here's his remarkable story. https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the English language. The book is Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases. https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story is about a Founding Father who wrote the most famous seven words in American history: “We the People of the United States.” Professor of political science at Syracuse, Dennis C. Rasmussen is also the author of The Constitution's Penman: Gouverneur Morris and the Creation of America's Basic Charter—he is also a Jack Miller Center Fellow. https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mike Leven was President and Chief Operating Officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp. One of the great hoteliers of all time—a legend in his business. He is also what you would call a “wise man.” Here’s Mike with a story about how he learned to put his customers in charge. https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, 400 million pounds of cranberries are consumed by Americans each year. Twenty percent of that is during the week of Thanksgiving. That's 80 million pounds! And 5,062,500 gallons of jellied cranberry sauce are consumed by Americans every holiday season. Here’s the History Guy to share the story of the Great Cranberry Scare of 1959. https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Jimmy Neary was an Irish immigrant who boarded a ship to America in the 1950s and went on to open a namesake restaurant in Manhattan that has for more than a half century been a famed canteen in the heart of New York City. Here to tell his story is Jimmy’s daughter, Una. https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, all in all, it is estimated that around 800 Jews were saved by Corrie ten Boom and her family. Hear Corrie tell her story! Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, The History Guy remembers the Birkenhead Disaster and explains where the protocol "women and children first" was first used. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Thanksgiving is the only American holiday that has actually remained relatively innocent—it’s not something that we have been able to commercialize. But there’s something going on here more than feasting, family, and football. Robert Tracy McKenzie is a professor of history at Wheaton College and is the author of The First Thanksgiving. He’s here to tell us the story of this quintessentially American holiday. Support the show...

On this episode of Our American Stories, George Washington led America's army to independence. He needed help to avoid leading it into our first civil war. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, popular social media influencer and mother Tiffany Jenkins talks about her secret to being a mother.... (hint: it's not what you post on social media!) Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, this is the story of how two country boys rose to the highest heights of Harvard Yard, yet their lives would have two dramatically different fates. Here to tell the story Andrew Porwancher. He is a professor at Arizona State University and is also a Jack Miller Center Fellow. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Peter Braxton brings an eye-opening perspective on service to America in war-torn skies. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, one of the most successful blackjack teams in America is made up entirely of Christians. Here to tell the story are two of the winningest players, Colin Jones, founder of BlackJackApprenticeship.com. And the player dubbed “the most notorious card counter in America,” David Drury. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Larry Spencer tells the story of being one of the first POWs of the Vietnam war and surviving until war's end in both "The Zoo" prison and in the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Paul Monti drives his son Jared's truck, an act which inspired the hit country song "I Drive Your Truck" by Lee Brice...but the story is much more than that of a song. Here's the story of Jared Monti, a true hero who died in service of our country trying to save a fellow soldier in the mountains of Afghanistan. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in the late 1960s, Karl Marlantes was presented with a choice. Serve in a war that he saw as unjust, desert to Algeria or Sweden, or stay at Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship and hide behind that privilege as his high school friends fought and died in the jungle of Vietnam. Marlantes chose to serve. But why? Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Vince Benedetto delivers the awe-inspiring story of our first president. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Joy Neal Kidney shares her uncle, Donald Wilson's, war story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, as big freighters go, she was bigger than most with a crew and captain well-seasoned...but on November 10th, 1975, she and her 29-man crew were sent to the bottom of Lake Superior. Ric Mixter of Lake Fury tells the story. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mike Leven was President and Chief Operating Officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp. One of the great hoteliers of all time—a legend in his business. He is also what you would call a “wise man.” Here’s Mike with a story about what he learned from an uncaring college law professor. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Annie Oakley was a shooting star. In her personal life she was a sharpshooter as well. She was devoted to her marriage and to her faith. It’s no wonder that Annie Oakley inspired scores of books and movies and the Broadway musical Annie Get Your Gun. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Adam Jortner, the author of A Promised Land: Jewish Patriots, the American Revolution, and the Birth of Religious Freedom, sits down with Lee Habeeb to discuss the vital role Jews played in the fight for religious freedom in the formative years of 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, we are about to hear the untold story of Hollywood legend Steve McQueen told by a McQueen expert, Marshall Terrill. Steve McQueen died this day in history in 1980. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.