Ask the average person who Pocahontas was, and you might get an answer like, “A Disney movie,” “an Indian princess,” or “Elizabeth Warren.” Some may recall she saved a man’s life, or was that just a legend?

I dare say, little is widely known about the historical figure. For example, did you know she took a different name or that she married outside of her tribe?

My podcast this week is dedicated to her life and accomplishments. Listen, and you may be in for some surprises.

Due to the phenominal success of the Broadway play, "Hamilton," that Founding Father has received a great deal of attention, and scrutiny. I'm often asked what he was really like. I can assure you, he didn't sing Rap or Hip Hop!

He was, however, a complex man, ambitious, passionate, honorable, at times faithful, while at others, faithless. In my podcast this week, I talk about the way he poured himself out in public service, and the manner in which he faced death. His last goodbye to his wife, Eliza, is especially touching.

To hear that story, click the Anchor podcast link on this page,

Anchor.fm/rebeccapricejanney

This podcast is in honor of the brave men who stormed Normandy's beaches on a pivotal day in Word War II, 75 years ago this week. My father was among those young men of destiny who, along with his company, landed at Omaha. A year ago, one of my closest friends stood on that beach and put a small photo of my dad along a memorial wall. Then she brought back a few stones for me. I would very much like to go there myself in the near future to pay my respects.

Thank you to all those who served, for their bravery, commitment to liberty, and sacrifice. Many never returned to their loved ones. What they secured, was no less than our life as a free people.

You can hear this great story in American history by clicking on the Anchor Podcast link on this web page, or by going to: Anchor.fm/rebeccapricejanney

Thanks fo my Facebook friend, Joyce Hemphill, for sharing with me the moving story of her father, who was a POW of the Germans during WWII. In the final days of the war, Staff Sergeant Clemens "C.J." Rosen and his fellow prisoners faced an ordeal as their freedom from captivity drew near. Their liberation did not come easily.

As you listen to his account on my podcast, Great Stories in American History with Rebecca Price Janney, I hope you'll be moved to thank God for all the men and women who sacrificed so much so we can live in freedom.

Anchor.fm/rebeccapricejanney

I remember learning about seminal Supreme Court cases in school with one of the most important decisions of the 20th century coming in 1954. That's when the Court ruled segregation in schools to be unconstitutional. This was a huge victory for that classic American belief, that under God, all people are equal.

These days it's fashionable to criticize those who came before us as racists. Many dismiss the Founders who owned slaves as having little of relevance to say to us today. But consider this--the United States did not invent slavery or prejudice. These were universally present throughout the world back then, and in some parts remain a tragic reality. I propose that we look at the Founders differently, as flawed people like us, who for the most part, courageously stared down injustice and dared to make a better world.

To hear more about Brown v. Board of Education, click on the Podcast icon on this page.