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.
John Newton: The Story Behind “Amazing Grace”
The Gettysburg Address: The Story Behind Lincoln’s Words
On this episode of Our American Stories, in November 1863, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, a speech so brief and powerful it reshaped the nation’s understanding of the Civil War. Our host Lee Habeeb shares the story behind the story: why Lincoln’s words mattered, how they reframed the sacrifice of Gettysburg, and how “of the people, by the people, for the people” became the enduring creed of American democracy.
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Bernard John Dowling Irwin: The First Medal of Honor Recipient
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Medal of Honor is the United States’ highest military decoration, awarded for acts of heroism that go above and beyond the call of duty. The first to earn it was Bernard John Dowling Irwin, an Army surgeon who risked everything during the Apache Wars. His bravery in 1861 set a precedent that continues through every Medal of Honor citation today. Here's The History Guy with the story.
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“On Skid Row” and the Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions
On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice from his guide to unraveling the baffling mini-mysteries of the English language. His book, Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases, explores where our favorite sayings come from—and what they really mean. Be sure to check it out!
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Ralph Cox: The Last Cut from the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
On this episode of Our American Stories, Ralph Cox was a star college hockey player with his sights set on the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. But when coach Herb Brooks finalized the U.S. Olympic hockey team roster, Cox was the last man cut. While his teammates went on to make history in the “Miracle on Ice” against the Soviet Union, Cox had to watch from the sidelines. Here, he reflects on the heartbreak and what it means to be tied forever to one of the greatest moments in sports history.
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The Forgotten Founding Father Who Wrote “We the People”
On this episode of Our American Stories, most Americans know the phrase “We the People,” but few know the man who wrote it. Gouverneur Morris, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, shaped more of the Constitution’s text than almost anyone else. Historian and Jack Miller Center Fellow Dennis C. Rasmussen tells the story of this overlooked Founding Father, known as the “Penman of the Constitution,” whose words gave America its most famous beginning.
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The Runaway Slave Who Helped End the Fugitive Slave Act
On this episode of Our American Stories, The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 forced every American to be complicit in slavery, requiring even free states to return escaped slaves to bondage. Yet the bravery of one runaway slave helped turn the tide. This is the story of how its end began.
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They Will Be Remembered: A Memorial by Reagan’s Speechwriter
On this episode of Our American Stories, even before his time in the White House, Tony Dolan was a writer with a deep reverence for service and sacrifice. As Ronald Reagan’s chief speechwriter, he helped craft the words that defined an era. Here, in one of his most personal pieces, the late Dolan pays tribute to America’s fallen soldiers.
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A Little Brother’s Prayer to Be as Big as His Big Brother
On this episode of Our American Stories, every sibling relationship has its own story. For Paul Bauer, a listener of Our American Stories, it was a childhood prayer to be as big as his older brother Moose. This memory of brotherhood and family reminds us how small moments often define sibling ties for years to come.
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The Day a B-25 Crashed Into the Empire State Building
On this episode of Our American Stories, on July 28, 1945, a U.S. Army B-25 bomber got lost in dense fog over Manhattan and slammed into the Empire State Building. The Empire State Building crash killed 14 people and tore open the 79th floor of one of the world’s tallest skyscrapers. While often overshadowed by later tragedies, the B-25 Empire State Building crash remains one of the most remarkable accidents in aviation and New York history. The History Guy revisits the forgotten details of the 1945 Empire State Building plane crash and why it remains a story worth remembering.
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