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.
He Bought an Ice Cream Truck To Empower His Children with Down Syndrome
When Pepsi Traded Soda for Soviet Submarines
On this episode of Our American Stories, a soda company with submarines? In a bizarre twist of Cold War diplomacy, Pepsi brokered a trade deal with the Soviet Union that landed it an actual naval fleet, briefly making it the world’s sixth-largest navy by ship count. The History Guy shares the unbelievable true story of how American capitalism, Soviet politics, and global tensions collided in one of the weirdest moments in international trade history.
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My Life After Firefighting: What the Job Took and What It Left Behind
On this episode of Our American Stories, James Pritchard spent his career running toward danger as a firefighter and fire captain, responding to car wrecks, house fires, and emergencies most people spend their lives hoping never to see. What he did not expect was how much of that job would follow him home. James reflects on the life of a firefighter, the emotional toll of repeated trauma, and what happens when years of pushing everything down finally catch up.
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Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross: “I Was Fired Twice and Decided I Was Unemployable”
On this episode of Our American Stories Miami Dolphins owner and billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross shares how being fired twice early in his career led him to conclude he was unemployable. That realization pushed him toward entrepreneurship, ultimately shaping his path to building a global real estate empire and becoming one of the most influential owners in professional sports. Ross reflects on failure, resilience, and the unconventional career choices that defined his success.
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Ely S. Parker: Seneca Chief, Civil War Hero, and Grant’s Right Hand
On this episode of Our American Stories, one was a future president, the other a Seneca warrior-turned-engineer. Together, Ulysses S. Grant and Ely S. Parker would shape the final chapter of the Civil War and the early years of Reconstruction. Parker, a brilliant mind and proud Native American, served as Grant’s personal military secretary and later became the first Native American to hold a cabinet-level position in U.S. history.
Historian Mary Stockwell, author of Interrupted Odyssey: Grant in the West, tells the remarkable story of two men whose paths crossed in history and whose bond transcended war, politics, and identity.
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Maggie Bailey: Moonshine Queen of the Kentucky Hills
On this episode of Our American Stories, Maggie Bailey started selling moonshine in the Appalachian hills at just 17 years old and kept her bootlegging business alive for the better part of a century. Known as the “Queen of the Mountain Moonshiners,” Maggie became a local legend not just for the quality of her shine, but for the way she used her profits. She paid college tuition for local kids, fed the hungry, and took care of her community. She was so loved that no jury would convict her. J.D. Phillips, the Appalachian Storyteller, shares the tale of a woman who bent the law without ever breaking her word.
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Lewis & Clark: A Journey Told by the Historian Who Made It Legendary
On this episode of Our American Stories, best-selling historian Stephen Ambrose brings the Lewis and Clark Expedition to life in vivid detail, sharing scenes from his acclaimed book Undaunted Courage. He retraces their journey across rivers, mountains, and tribal lands, following the Corps of Discovery from its quiet launch under Thomas Jefferson’s directive to its triumphant arrival at the Pacific.
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The Football Team That Broke Baltimore's Heart
On this episode of Our American Stories, one snowy night in 1984, a fleet of moving trucks pulled away from Baltimore carrying the Colts, their gear, and decades of history. The team was gone just like that. For fans who grew up idolizing Johnny Unitas and wearing the horseshoe with pride, it felt like a piece of the city had been ripped out. We look back at the legacy the Colts built in Baltimore.
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Inside the Museum of Bad Art Where Failure Gets Framed
On this episode of Our American Stories, most museums exist to showcase the finest achievements in art and culture. The Museum of Bad Art does the opposite. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, MOBA proudly collects paintings that miss the mark so completely they become unforgettable. From A Mariachi in Tiananmen Square to Self Portrait as a Bird, the museum celebrates art that tries hard, fails spectacularly, and refuses to be ignored.
Curator Louise Reilly Sacco shares how the Museum of Bad Art began, how these strange works are selected, and why MOBA has become a cult favorite for people who love museums, modern art, and the joy of creativity without pretension.
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The Army Barracks Fight That Shut a Bully Down for Good
On this episode of Our American Stories, they say “Don’t Mess With Texas,” and Roger Latham proved it. In 1967, this skinny Texan found himself face-to-chest with a six-foot-two barracks bully who had been terrorizing smaller recruits during air traffic control training. What started as a shove turned into a full-blown brawl that ended with one perfect kick and a lesson that would follow that bully for life.
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