Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, why do we have so many different kinds of screws? The answer lies in a little-known industrial rivalry between the Robertson and Phillips screw designs, where engineering innovation collided with manufacturing, war, and corporate power. Th ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, why do we have so many different kinds of screws? The answer lies in a little-known industrial rivalry between the Robertson and Phillips screw designs, where engineering innovation collided with manufacturing, war, and corporate power. Th ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, invented in 1897, Jell-O became one of America’s most recognizable foods through clever marketing, simple convenience, and perfect timing. Simon Whistler of Today I Found Out and The Brain Food Show tells how a wobbly gelatin dessert worke ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, Abercrombie & Fitch once ruled shopping malls in the 1990s and early 2000s, but its story began long before loud music and cologne. Founded in 1892 in New York City, the company started as an elite outfitter for explorers, presidents, and ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, if you could spend one hour talking with anyone, living or not, who would you choose? For regular contributor Stephen Rusiniak, the answer isn’t a famous figure or historical hero. It’s his parents. In this deeply personal reflection, Rusi ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, born in small-town Oklahoma in 1918, Paul Harvey grew up shaped by faith, rural life, and the tragic murder of his father, a police officer. From World War II to Watergate, from civil rights to the dawn of the digital age, Harvey spoke to ...  Show more