Back in 2021, I led a virtual tour of the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum in Washington, DC. Check out the tour and learn more about Clara Barton's incredible work as a humanitarian during the Civil War-era. The tour also highlights the history of her boardinghouse rooms that became the Missing Soldiers Office after the Civil War. Check it out!
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. vividly depicts restless minds, repeated headlines, and the shock of war in a powerful essay from the dawn of the Civil War. Discover his profound insights into life’s upheaval when a nation stands on the brink. Read the full story.
Experience the sights and sounds of the Civil War era as living historians fire authentic muskets and cannons, delivering an eerie echo of America’s most devastating conflict. Discover how these captivating demonstrations shed light on the toll of war and the soldiers who endured it. Read the full story.
Explore the stark contrasts of wealth and struggle during America’s Gilded Age through PBS’s American Experience documentary. From Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal fields to industrialist empires, uncover the stories of power, inequality, and the seeds of progress. Read the full story.
In February 2024, I had the opportunity to visit Dublin, Ireland and made a stop at a memorial to those lost in the Potato Famine of the 1840s. The events in Ireland during the 1840s had reverberations in Pennsylvania's Coal Region as thousands of Irish immigrants fled their homeland and sought a new life in the anthracite coal fields. Read the full story.
Explore Northern Ireland’s complex past with 'The Troubles Podcast.' I review this deep-dive into one of the most impactful conflicts of the late 20th century. Read the full story.
Reflections on a busy year in 2024 with a huge thank you to you, dear readers, who have supported all of this! Let's share some stories from 2024, reflect on a memorable year, and get excited for new things happening in 2025! Read it all here.
Looking back over a year of reading is always enlightening, and 2024 was no exception! This year, my favorite reads spanned from oral histories of D-Day to the Civil War and modern political extremism. Here are my top five non-fiction books that I couldn’t put down this year.
In April 2023, I explored the historic city of Vienna and found some less-known revolutionary history.
In May 2024, we visited historic Old San Juan, Puerto Rico and experienced the incredible charms of this amazing city.