Our American Stories

On this episode of Our American Stories, as a teenager, Jim Johnson landed what he thought was a dream job selling hot dogs at Minnesota Twins games in Metropolitan Stadium. But between spilled hot dogs, difficult customers, colorful coworkers, and unforgettable moments with base ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, as a teenager, Jim Johnson landed what he thought was a dream job selling hot dogs at Minnesota Twins games in Metropolitan Stadium. But between spilled hot dogs, difficult customers, colorful coworkers, and unforgettable moments with base ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, when Brent Timmons' son was involved in a motorcycle accident on his way to work, a frightening phone call sent his family racing to the scene, unsure of what they would find. Thankfully, the crash was minor, but it became a powerful remin ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, many people remember Pat Boone as one of the biggest pop stars of the 1950s and '60s, but his story began in a church choir. He grew up learning how to hold a melody, lead voices in harmony, and carry a room without a single instrument beh ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, The Fugitive Slave Act, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, Bleeding Kansas, the Dred Scott decision, and John Brown’s raid pushed the United States ever closer to civil war. As the nation fractured over slavery, a little-known Illinois lawyer emerge ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, John McCormack spent decades telling Americans he was the son of Irish immigrants who overcame poverty to become Speaker of the House. The truth was more complicated. To make his way to the top, McCormack reinvented his own family story be ...  Show more