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.

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Meryl Comer's Most Personal Assignment: Caring for Her Husband with Alzheimer's

Theodore Roosevelt: The Protestant President Who Protected an Antisemite with Jewish Police Officers

On this episode of Our American Stories, President Theodore Roosevelt is known for his many accomplishments: the Panama Canal, his wartime service, and national parks… but there’s one forgotten story that deserves to be remembered as well. As an icon of the Protestant elite, Roosevelt was an unlikely ally of the waves of impoverished Jewish newcomers who crowded the docks at Ellis Island — and he stood up against antisemitism in his city in an astonishing way. Here to tell the story is Arizona State history professor Andrew Porwancher, author of American Maccabee: Theodore Roosevelt and the Jews.

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Saying Hello at a Diner Led to a Lifelong Friendship with a WWII Veteran and His Captured Nazi Flag

On this episode of Our American Stories, Jason Porter shares with us the story of how he met WWII veteran Forrest Johnson and how “Forrie” became his best friend.

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John Deere and the Invention That Changed the Heartland

On this episode of Our American Stories, John Deere wasn't always a household name. Before tractors transformed American agriculture, he had one revolutionary idea: a steel plow that could cut through tough prairie soil. Kirk Higgins of the Bill of Rights Institute shares the story of how John Deere got his start, how one piece of scrap metal transformed the West, and how the green tractors bearing his name continue to shape farming in the U.S.A. today.

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Buried as a Mystery, Remembered by Name: The Story of Michael Blassie

On this episode of Our American Stories, he was buried as the Vietnam Unknown beneath the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but Michael Joseph Blassie’s story didn’t end there. Craig Du Mez of the Grateful Nation Project shares the story of how DNA revealed his name and changed a national tradition.

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Inside America's Strangest Museum: 8,000 Small Appliances in a Missouri Town

On this episode of Our American Stories, Richard Larrison runs a Western store in Diamond, Missouri. But behind it? A one-of-a-kind museum with 8,000 vintage electrical appliances. Here's the story of how one man turned his love of vintage toasters and waffle irons into one of the most unusual museums in America!

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A Lifetime Measured in Independence Days

On this episode of Our American Stories, as a kid, Dennis Peterson’s experience with fireworks was mostly from a distance, but as his life changed, so did his Independence Day celebrations. Dennis reflects on how Independence Day became the backdrop to his personal journey and why each July 4th still matters.

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The Founding Choice That Defined America: Washington’s Refusal to Be King

On this episode of Our American Stories, after leading the colonies to victory in the American Revolution, George Washington shocked the world by refusing to become king. Instead, he laid the foundation for the American presidency and helped define the future of our republic. Dr. Larry Arnn of Hillsdale College and bestselling author Nathaniel Philbrick share the remarkable story.

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How One Hatmaker Shaped the Image of the American West

On this episode of Our American Stories, the cowboy hat didn’t come from Texas or tumbleweeds. Instead, it came from a modest Philadelphia workshop. John B. Stetson transformed durable felt and a wide brim into a practical design that would become one of the most iconic symbols of the American frontier. His creation topped the heads of Western legends like Buffalo Bill and Will Rogers, and later, Hollywood cowboys like John Wayne. Our own Reagan Habeeb shares the story of how a simple hatmaker helped shape the look and legacy of the American West.

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How a Tone-Deaf Lawyer Wrote America’s National Anthem

On this episode of Our American Stories, Francis Scott Key wasn’t a musician, a soldier, or a master wordsmith. But after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, he scribbled out a rough poem that captured a nation’s defiance. Set to the tune of a British drinking song, his words became "The Star-Spangled Banner" and the unexpected anthem of a young country.

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