After many years researching, teaching, and writing about the history of the fire service, I’m honored that the National Fire Heritage Center has appointed me as the founding editor of Fire Heritage Review, its new peer‑reviewed journal dedicated to documenting and interpreting the American fire service and fire protection history. The NFHC has published a…
Enslaved People and the American Revolution in Cecil County
Situated in Maryland’s northeastern corner and sharing a twenty-four-mile border with Pennsylvania, Cecil County occupied a pivotal position between slavery and freedom in the antebellum era. Its railroads, rivers, canals, and roads made the county a natural crossroads for enslaved people moving north across the upper Chesapeake in search of liberty. Well-known figures such as…
Prohibition Talk Spotlights New Jersey
I am pleased to be at the Historical Society of Somerset Hills in Basking Ridge, NJ on November 13, 2025, to explore the fascinating subject of temperance and prohibition with a special spotlight on New Jersey. This talk on prohibition will shed light on the natin’s unique centuries-long effort to control and regulate alcohol consumption….
The Shadow of the Gallows: Capital Punishment in America – A Delaware Humanities Sponsored Lecture
Delaware Humanities has selected one of my research topics for inclusion in its 2025–2026 Speakers Bureau. My lecture series, titled “The Shadow of the Gallows: The History of Capital Punishment in America,” will be available for public programming across the state beginning November 1, 2025, and continuing throughout the 2026 calendar year. This selection followed…