American Holidays

Dave Stotts starts his journey in Atlanta, Georgia, where MLK was born and raised, and later returned to pastor the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Dave then travels to Alabama and explores MLK’s years in the Civil Rights Movement, including the Selma to Montgomery marches and his time in the Birmingham jail. Dave treks to Washington DC, and covers the 1963 March on Washington, including MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech. He ends in Memphis, Tennessee, where MLK was assassinated in 1968 after a nation-changing career of non-violent activism based on Christian principles.

Dave travels to Britain and beyond to investigate Saint Valentine and the day named after him. Dave then returns to America to explore famous couples from history, literature, art, and the Bible. He also unpacks the history of some Valentine’s traditions, including Cupid himself. Along the way, Dave is joined by some special guests to help unpack God’s original design for courtship, marriage, and love.

Dave travels across our great nation to share the legacy of America’s first president, George Washington, and our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. He rolls from Mount Vernon, Virginia, to Springfield, Illinois, exploring the founding of America and the American Civil War. From Valley Forge to Independence Hall, and from George Washington’s Farewell Address to Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, Dave treks through the formative years of the American presidency.

In this episode, Dave investigates the forgotten history related to Saint Patrick by trekking across Ireland, the ancient “Land of Winter.”

Mother’s Day always falls on the second Sunday in May, but what’s the history surrounding that special day? Join Dave as he travels to West Virginia to investigate Anna Jarvis and the first Mother’s Day in America. Then, stay along for the ride as he explores some great Mother’s Day stories such as the “Founding Mothers” of the Revolutionary Era, great moms of the Animal Kingdom, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he’s joined by some awesome guests to unpack the importance of motherhood and God’s incredible design inherent in the miracle of birth.

In this episode, Dave starts in the battlegrounds of the American Civil War and ends in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C, to honor our fallen heroes that gave everything (“the last full measure of devotion”) to secure our rights, freedoms, and American way of life.

In the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. Typically, it’s a day to honor dad with a family picnic or a bar-b-que in the backyard. Sometimes, fathers exploit the day to do nothing but watch sports on TV. In recent years, retailers have tried to follow the success of Mother’s Day by promoting manly greeting cards and gifts such as sports gear, electronics, tools, and ties. 

In this Adventure, Dave starts on the Freedom Trail in Boston, where he investigates the roots of the Revolutionary Era at places like King’s Chapel, Faneuil Hall, the Old South Meeting House, and the Old North Church. He then travels to Lexington and Concord to explore the start of the Revolutionary War and the “shot heard round the world.” He ends in historic Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. Along the way, Dave visits key sites such as Carpenter’s Hall, Christ Church, the Liberty Bell, and Independence Hall, where he unpacks the foundational principles of our Constitution and Bill of Rights and their continuing importance in America today.

While Labor Day has some sketchy roots in the socialist labor movement, it is important to redeem the holiday and explore the truly unique aspects of American ingenuity, hard work, and free enterprise. As such, Dave uses the day to explore the awesome history of the American worker. He travels the United States to share the early stories of industry, immigration, innovation, and work ethic that helped America achieve the greatest standard of living in world history.

9/11 is a day to remember an attack on our homeland, an attack on our freedom, and an attack our national worldview. It’s also a day to remember our fallen Americans and our selfless heroes. It’s a day to remind new generations to stay vigilant in defending our country, our liberty, and our way of life.

In 1954, President Eisenhower signed legislation formally establishing November 11th as Veterans Day in America. Veterans Day is now a national holiday, celebrating all the men and women who have served our great country in the U.S. military. Dave travels across America to explore the history and unique mission of the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force.

To truly appreciate the early tradition of Thanksgiving Day in America, Dave journeys back to the start of it all in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and the arrival of the Mayflower Pilgrims.