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.
Tyler Hamilton and the Truth Behind Lance Armstrong
After Losing His Fingers in a Fire, One Boy Faced the Impossible—with a Piano
On this episode of Our American Stories, when John O’Leary was nine years old, a house fire left him with burns over 100 percent of his body. Doctors said he wouldn’t survive. He did. They said he’d never walk again. He did.
When he returned home, his mother insisted he do one more thing no one thought possible: learn to play the piano. John had no fingers, but she believed he had more strength than anyone could see.
The bestselling author of On Fire shares how one act of motherly determination helped him face the world again and taught him that no obstacle is bigger than love, hope, and the will to try.
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The Kidnapping That Ended With One Oilman Outsmarting Machine Gun Kelly
On this episode of Our American Stories, Charles Urschel had money, influence, and a target on his back. When Machine Gun Kelly broke into his home and took him hostage, it seemed like just another high-profile crime in a lawless era.
But Urschel didn’t panic. Instead, he took mental notes, tracking every moment, every voice, every clue. His memory became the FBI’s secret weapon and helped lead to one of the first major takedowns of America’s new wave of gangsters.
With insight from Joe Urschel and Dr. T. Lindsey Baker, this is the story of how a businessman played a crucial role in bringing down one of the most infamous criminals of the 1930s.
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The Unexpected Olympic Friendship That Defied Hitler’s Propaganda
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jesse Owens arrived in Berlin for the 1936 Olympics as one of the fastest men in the world. The long jump competition placed him beside Luz Long, a German athlete competing under the watchful eyes of the Nazi regime and in a stadium built to showcase its ideals.
During the event, Long noticed Owens struggling with his approach and quietly offered advice that helped him stay in the competition. The two men spoke easily, competed fiercely, and walked off the field together in front of a crowd that had not expected to see them side by side. Elliott Drago of the Jack Miller Center shares the story of how a single Olympic event created a bond that outlived the medals.
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"High and Dry" and "Let the Cat Out of the Bag": The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions
On this episode of Our American Stories, Andrew Thompson shares another slice of his guide to understanding the baffling mini-mysteries of the English language, this time diving into how the phrases “high and dry” and “let the cat out of the bag” came to be. His book, Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases, is a must-read. Be sure to check it out!
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From Mafia to Ministry: Robert Borelli’s Story
On this episode of Our American Stories, Robert Borelli once believed the Mafia offered the clearest path to power. As a teenager growing up in Brooklyn, he set out to become a gangster, drawn to the respect, money, and status he saw around him. Instead, that path led him in and out of prison, and eventually to rock bottom.
But inside a jail cell, at his lowest point, Borelli cried out to God for change. What followed was a transformation that gave him a new purpose in life, one rooted in faith and service to others.
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The Puritan Who Brought Scripture to New England’s Tribes
On this episode of Our American Stories, have you ever heard of a Puritan pastor who learned a new language so he could preach the Bible to Native Americans in their own words?
In the 1600s, John Eliot did exactly that. He became known as the “Apostle to the Indians” for translating Scripture into Algonquian and sharing it across New England, leaving behind the first Bible printed in North America.
Robert J. Morgan, author of 100 Bible Verses That Made America, shares the story of John Eliot’s mission and its place in America’s early history.
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The Forgotten Story of the Land Laws That Sheltered Women When They Had No Voice
On this episode of Our American Stories, in the nineteenth century, a woman’s future could collapse overnight. If a husband died, disappeared, or fell into debt, she often had no legal claim to the house she lived in. The homestead law changed that.
As Professor Jean Stuntz explains, the law created a small but powerful shield that prevented families from losing the one thing they could not live without. It was far from perfect, yet for countless women who had no voice in court and few rights under most state laws, this protection meant stability and offered a kind of dignity that had rarely been within reach.
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The Restaurant Owner Who Offered a Job to the Man Who Robbed Him
On this episode of Our American Stories, when Diablo’s Southwest Grill in Georgia was broken into, owner Carl Wallace could have responded the way most business owners would. Instead, he posted a public message offering the burglar something unexpected, a job. Here’s Carl sharing his story.
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Providence Spring: Faith and Survival at Andersonville
On this episode of Our American Stories, by the summer of 1864, Union prisoners at Andersonville were dying by the thousands. The Confederate prison camp in southwest Georgia had become one of the most infamous places in the Civil War, marked by starvation, disease, and a desperate lack of clean water.
Then came an event many survivors would never forget. After a violent storm and a prayer meeting among the prisoners, fresh water began flowing from the ground in what became known as Providence Spring.
Robert Morgan, author of 100 Bible Verses That Made America, shares the story of Andersonville and the moment that gave prisoners a renewed sense of hope.
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