Our American Stories
In 2023, we began an exciting partnership with popular podcast and radio show Our American Stories with Lee Habeeb to tell inspiring stories from American history.
Episodes feature our resident historian, Elliott Drago, board member and celebrated historian Wilfred McClay, among other scholars from the Jack Miller Center network.
Below find a list of episodes featuring great scholars from the Jack Miller Center network!
Selected episodes from the JMC Network
The Most Famous Abolitionist You Never Heard Of: The Story of Thomas Shipley
Thomas Shipley always sprang into action to defend black men and women from abuses and professional kidnappers. He infiltrated murderous mobs, warned would-be victims, and testified against ringleaders throughout his life. JMC’s own Elliott Drago, author of Street Diplomacy: The Politics of Slavery and Freedom in Philadelphia, 1820-1850, tells the story.
The Story of Alvin York: The Tennessee Farm Boy Who Went From Pacifist to One of America’s Greatest War Heroes
The story of Sgt. Alvin York is a celebrated chapter in American history. Though he tried to avoid war for religious reasons, York became one of the most notable heroes of World War I. Here to tell the story is the Jack Miller Center’s resident historian and manager of the history initiative, Elliott Drago.
The Story of the Real—and Mostly Unknown—Author of the U.S. Constitution, Gouverneur Morris
On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story is about a Founding Father who wrote the most famous seven words in American history: “We the People of the United States.” Professor of political science at Syracuse University, Dennis C. Rasmussen is also the author of The Constitution’s Penman: Gouverneur Morris and the Creation of America’s Basic Charter—he is also a Miller Fellow.
Thomas Mundy Peterson: The Story of the 1st Black Voter in the United States
On this episode of Our American Stories, learn what happened shortly after the ratification of the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibiting a citizen’s right to vote “on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Here to tell another great American story is the Jack Miller Center’s resident historian and manager of the history initiative, Elliott Drago.
How Patrick Henry Saved America From Its First Civil War
On this episode of Our American Stories, George Washington led America’s army to independence. He needed help to avoid leading it into our first civil war. John Ragosta, author of Patrick Henry: Proclaiming a Revolution, tells the story.
The Black Pitcher and White Catcher That Made the 1964 World Series Unforgettable
On this episode of Our American Stories, Jeff Bloodworth, professor of American history at Gannon University and Miller Fellow, tells an incredible story from the 1964 World Series.
How One Black Woman Led in the Redemption of “The Most Dangerous Racist In America”: The Story of George Wallace and Shirley Chisholm
A tragic event brought a racist (Wallace) and a radical (Chisholm) together and forged an unlikely alliance. Miller Fellow Jeff Bloodworth tells the story.
Ben Franklin: Chess Can Make You A Better Person?
Ben Franklin has the distinction of many “firsts”: He invented the lightning rod, the Franklin stove, bifocals, the catheter, swim fins and the odometer. He started the first public library, the first volunteer fire company, the first American fire insurance company, the first hospital and was the first postmaster general. Chess.com also reminds us that Franklin was also the first known chess player as well as the first chess author in America. Here again to tell us the story is the Jack Miller Center’s resident historian and manager of the history initiative, Elliott Drago.
The Con Man Who Was Pardoned By Both Abe Lincoln and Jefferson Davis
On this episode of Our American Stories, our next story is about a con man who was so good that he got both the Union and the Confederate presidents to pardon him; yet, he was so bad that a NYC woman offered a $50k reward to find him—dead or alive. Frank Garmon, author of A Wonderful Career in Crime, tells the story.
Ex-Slave Joins Union Army and Becomes the 1st Black Medal of Honor Recipient
This is the story of Army Sgt. William H. Carney, who became the first Black American to have earned the Medal of Honor for protecting one of the United States’ greatest symbols during the Civil War—the American flag. Here to tell the story is the Jack Miller Center’s resident historian and manager of the history initiative, Elliott Drago.
The Story of the Runaway Slave That Helped End the Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act made all Americans accomplices in the practice of slavery. Elliott Drago explains why this story marks the beginning of its end.
A Black Man (Jesse Owens) and a Nazi: A Friendship Forged in Competition & Courage
The story of United States’ Olympic legend Jesse Owens and Nazi long jumper Luz Long’s friendship demonstrates how sports can unite people even in the toughest circumstances. Here to tell the story is the Jack Miller Center’s resident historian and manager of the history initiative, Elliott Drago.
The Story of Speaker of the House Carl Albert: The Watergate Democrat Who Put the Nation and the Constitution Above His Party
He was known as the Little Giant from Little Dixie. He would rise to become the Speaker of the House during the Watergate years. Hear his story of putting principle over politics. Here to tell the story is Miller Fellow, Jeff Bloodworth, author of Losing the Center: The Decline of American Liberalism, 1968-1992.
Were All Japanese Americans in WWII Internment Camps? One Woman’s Story
Mary Mikami was a Japanese American born in Alaska. Preston Jones appears on the show to tell her story.