About

I teach history at Suffolk University in Boston, and at the Harvard Extension School.

The real purpose of this blog is to share our course on Boston history, which we put together as a way of introducing the city to more people.  I will also occasionally share other history stories as they come up, as my interests span all of American history–for the Teaching Company I’ve done a course on Colonial America, “Before 1776”, and I’ve written books about Boston, about the Barbary Wars, American hero Stephen Decatur, and about the American Revolution.

I am not originally from Boston, but have lived here longer than anywhere else (though my friends remind me it does not count).  My wife grew up in the Boston area, and we have lived in East Boston and now for more than a quarter century in  South Boston, where our two boys grew up.

Enough about me.  Let me know what interests you!