In this episode, we explore the fascinating legacy of the Vanderbilt family and their iconic Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Discover how Cornelius Vanderbilt, "The Commodore," built a fortune through steamboats and railroads during the Industrial Revolution, leaving a lasting impact on American infrastructure, culture, and philanthropy.
To ... Show More
Oct 15
222 - "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe (Halloween Special)
📖 Need help following along? Read the transcript + vocabulary explanations while you listen! In this episode, we're diving into the dark and mysterious world of Edgar Allan Poe, one of the most famous writers in the U.S. First, I'll introduce you to Gothic literature, a genre kn ... Show More
32m 16s
Oct 7
⭐ Feature: 13 Common Superstitions and Their Origins
We live in a day and age that is driven by science and technology, yet people are still superstitious. According to a study I read by YouGov, 9% of Americans claim to be superstitious, while another 35% admit to not being very superstitious, but somewhat. That makes over 40% of i ... Show More
37m 16s
Mar 2022
EP204: The Joys of An Ordinary Tree and The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt
On this episode of Our American Stories, Joy Neal Kidney, author of Leora's Letters: The Story of Love and Loss for an Iowa Family During World War II, tells the story of the ordinary tree in her yard which has given her so much. In his Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, The Firs ... Show More
38m 16s
Aug 2020
Introducing: Even the Rich
Wondery’s Even the Rich gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the stories of some of the greatest family dynasties in history. This season, three siblings — Gianni, Donatella, and Santo Versace — built one of the greatest fashion labels the world has ever seen. But when Gianni is ... Show More
6m 50s
Aug 2024
The Noble -- and Kind of Ridiculous -- History of Butlers
Are you a millionaire, billionaire or aristocrat too busy to manage the day-to-day affairs of palatial estate? If so, you may have already secured the last word in personal service: the butler. In today's episode, inspired by strange memories of the sitcom Mr. Belvedere, Ben, Noe ... Show More
37m 38s
Dec 2022
The New Gilded Age (2022)
Philanthropic foundations are a fundamental part of our society: they support media, the arts, education, medical research, and more. NPR, and even this show, is supported by many personal and family foundations. But it wasn't always that way. In this episode, we go back to the b ... Show More
50m 19s
Nov 2023
Dollar Princesses
In the late 1800s, American industrialists were raking in cash and living like princes, but they had no way, other than their mansions, servants and yachts, of making it clear that they were better than everyone else. Meanwhile, across the pond, the British aristocracy had come o ... Show More
30m 26s
Sep 2021
EP80: The Bad Employee Who Defined Her Whole Bank, How The Elevator BRAKE Shaped Our Modern World, Down Cemetery Row and No. 18: LSU's Men of Character
On this episode of Our American Stories, Horst Schulze, co-founder of Ritz-Carlton tells us what real customer service should look like; Tim Harford’s “Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy:” air conditioning, the elevator brake, and the barcode; Bill Bryk, gives us a t ... Show More
38m 16s