On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1846, a group of pioneers set out for California with dreams of a better life. Known as the Donner Party, they fell behind on the trail, took a disastrous shortcut, and became trapped in the Sierra Nevada as winter storms closed in. With supplies gone and snow piling up, survival came at a great cost. Here’s their remarkable and tragic story.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in 2003, Ford marked its 100th anniversary with something more than a celebration. The company decided to build a supercar that would honor its legendary Le Mans victories while proving it could still compete at the highest level of performance. The result was the Ford GT: a car that blended heritage and innovation in a way few vehicles ever have. Through the voices of industry leaders Neil Ressler, Scott Ahlman, and Mark McGowan, Jon Elfner tells the story of how the GT was designed, tested, and unleashed as America’s answer to Ferrari.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, picture a crowded parlor in the 1800s. The air is heavy, the fire is roaring, and the women are laced into corsets that leave little room to breathe. In moments like these, fainting became common—so common that homes often had special couches set aside for recovery. What we now think of as a Victorian cliché was, for many women, an ordinary interruption to daily life. Simon Whistler, host of Today I Found Out, explains how fainting reflected the health, fashion, and culture of the nineteenth century.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Pat Boone was at the height of his career when television executives told him to cancel a guest. That guest was Harry Belafonte, the singer whose hit “Day-O” had made him famous around the world. Boone was warned that audiences in some parts of the country wouldn’t accept a Black artist on stage beside him. His answer was simple: if Belafonte wasn’t welcome, neither was he. Boone recalls the night he chose integrity over career security and why that moment meant more than the show itself.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Neil White thought his life was defined by success and appearances—until a white-collar crime sent him to prison in Carville, Louisiana. What he didn’t know was that this prison also housed one of the last leprosy colonies in the United States. Living side by side with patients who had been exiled from the world forced White to confront his own pride, his failures, and the meaning of dignity. He shares how his time in Carville reshaped everything he believed about life and self-worth.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in a small Oklahoma town, one man’s toy collection grew into something nobody had ever seen before: the world’s first action figure museum. Thousands of superheroes, robots, and childhood icons now fill the shelves, turning a private passion into a public treasure. What began as one person’s love of action figures has become a place where visitors can step back into their own childhood and rediscover the wonder of play.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, on June 6, 1944, as Allied troops fought through the waves at Normandy, Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke to a nation holding its breath. Rather than delivering a speech, Roosevelt led the nation in prayer for the men fighting overseas. For six minutes, more than 100 million Americans bowed their heads as FDR called for faith in the face of war. Our host, Lee Habeeb, shares the story of Roosevelt’s D-Day prayer—and explains why it remains one of the most powerful moments of his presidency.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, before he shared the screen with John Wayne in Rio Bravo, John Russell was fighting on Guadalcanal as a decorated Marine. He returned from WWII with a battlefield commission, a reputation for valor, and a rugged presence that caught Hollywood’s eye. Soon, he was cast in films and television, rising to fame as the star of Lawman and earning a place among Western legends like Clint Eastwood. As part of our ongoing Hollywood Goes to War series, Roger McGrath shares the story of the Marine who came home and made his mark on the screen

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in the 35th episode of our Story of America series, Hillsdale College professor and Land of Hope author Bill McClay tells the story of how America shifted from the rhythms of the countryside to the pace of the city. Factories, streetcars, and crowded neighborhoods brought both opportunity and hardship, reshaping daily life for millions. As McClay explains, immigration and industry created a faster, less familiar America—one that still shapes the way we live today.

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