Covering every hamlet and precinct in America, big and small, the stories span arts and sports, business and history, innovation and adventure, generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love, past and present. In short, Our American Stories tells the story of America to Americans.
About Lee Habeeb
Lee Habeeb co-founded Laura Ingraham’s national radio show in 2001, moved to Salem Media Group in 2008 as Vice President of Content overseeing their nationally syndicated lineup, and launched Our American Stories in 2016. He is a University of Virginia School of Law graduate, and writes a weekly column for Newsweek.
For more information, please visit ouramericanstories.com.
The Story Behind FDR’s “Day of Infamy” Speech
America's Greatest Grifter? The Odd Story of Appleton Oaksmith: Presumed Slave Trader, Confederate Spy, and Voting Rights Activist
On this episode of Our American Stories, they say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree— but Appleton Oaksmith landed on another planet. His mother was a feminist who knew top abolitionists; his father, a cartoonist admired across party lines. Appleton? He was hunted internationally for presumed slave trading and a failed kidnapping in Cuba that may have threatened Lincoln’s reelection. Yet he later fought for Black voting rights. Jonathan W. White, author of Shipwrecked, shares the story—courtesy of the U.S. National Archives.
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How Horse Racing and the Triple Crown Brought a Father and Son Together
On this episode of Our American Stories, a former high-powered media executive shares how the 37-year Triple Crown drought, finally broken in 2015, brought back a flood of memories of Sundays at the track with his dad
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The Henry Steinway Story
On this episode of Our American Stories, when German guilds told him they didn’t need another piano manufacturer, Henry Steinway moved to America and founded Steinway & Sons, establishing a global standard of excellence embraced by everyone from Irving Berlin to Billy Joel. Here’s the story of how one man’s pursuit of the American Dream reshaped the sound of music forever.
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Are Professional Wrestlers Athletes?
On this episode of Our American Stories, oftentimes, when the topic of professional wrestling (think Hulk Hogan) comes up, it’s almost guaranteed that someone will scoff and say it’s “fake.” Here’s Riley Evans, sportswriter and CEO of RealPodcasting.com, with the real story behind professional wrestling.
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The Story of How Chick-fil-A Borrowed “My Pleasure” from a Luxury Hotel
On this episode of Our American Stories, the origins of Chick-fil-A’s “my pleasure” catchphrase trace back to 2001. According to Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy, it began when he visited a Ritz-Carlton luxury hotel, co-founded by his friend Horst Schulze. Here's Horst with the story.
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How an Escaped Slave Hijacked a Confederate Ship and Sailed It to Freedom
On this episode of Our American Stories, The History Guy shares the remarkable story of Robert Smalls, an escaped slave who stole a Confederate ship, rescued his family, and delivered freedom to many others.
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The Story of "Of Beards and Men" and How They Define Masculinity in Culture
On this episode of Our American Stories, Professor Christopher Oldstone-Moore makes the case that today’s bearded renaissance is part of a centuries-long cycle in which facial hairstyles have shifted in response to changing ideals of masculinity.
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The Story of George Washington
On this episode of Our American Stories, aside from the cherry tree legend, which, of course, isn't true, most of us don't know much about George Washington. To many, he's just a man peering at us from a dollar bill or a figure carved in marble. Here's the definitive story of the most important man in American history.
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The Story of the Men Who Built the Most Expensive and Most Powerful Gun: The Colt Walker
On this episode of Our American Stories, for a time, a near-mint Colt Walker held the distinction of being the most expensive gun ever sold, fetching $1.8 million at auction in 2018. Here to tell the story of the legendary Colt Walker revolver is Logan Metesh. Logan is the founder of High Caliber History LLC and has over a decade of experience working for the Smithsonian Institution and the National Park Service.
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