F.S. key AFter the song

EXPErTS INTERVIEWED FOR THE SERIES

Donald R. Hickey – War of 1812 expert

Donald R. Hickey has written hundreds of articles on the War of 1812 and 10 books. One including The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict, which in 1990 won the National Historical Society’s Book Prize and the American Military Institute’s Best Book Award. He received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is currently a history professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.

Hickey has consulted with many government agencies and museums including the National Park Service and the National Portrait Gallery. He mainly focuses on war in the United States but especially the War of 1812.

Mark R. Cheathem – Andrew Jackson expert

Mark R. Cheathem has written a handful of books. These include Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democrats, Jacksonian and Antebellum Age: People and Perspectives, and most recently, Andrew Jackson, Southerner. He graduated with a B.A. from Cumberland University, M.A. in history at Middle Tennessee State University, and then received his Ph.D. in history from Mississippi State University.

Cheathem has served as an assistant professor of history at Southern New Hampshire University. He is currently back at his alma mater, Cumberland University, as a professor of history and the chair of the history program. His scholarly interest is the Jacksonian era and he has taught classes on Jacksonian America, the Civil War, African American history, and presidential history.

David Johnson – John Randolph expert

David Johnson is the author of John Randolph of Roanoke published in 2012 by Louisiana State University Press. He graduated from the College of William and Mary and the University of Richmond School of Law.Johnson has served almost two decades in the Office of Attorney General as Counsel, Senior Counsel, and currently Deputy Attorney General for Health, Education, and Social Services. He is currently a presiding Circuit Court Judge in Virginia.

Manisha Sinha – Americanslavery expert

Manisha Sinha has published almost 40 articles and five books, one of which is The Slave’s Cause: A History of Abolition. It was featured as the Editor’s Choice for the New York Times Book Review.She was born in India and received her Ph.D. from Columbia University in New York City.

Dr. Sinha is a history professor and the Draper Chair in American history at the University of Connecticut. She has written for the New York Times, CNN, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, and was feature on John Stewart’s The Daily Show.Recently she appeared in the PBS program “The Abolitionists.” Her scholarly focus is on slavery, abolition, feminism, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and early American, southern, and African American history.

Marc Leepson – Francis Scott Key expert

Mark Leepson is the author of What So Proudly We Hailed: Francis Scott Key, A Life. He graduated with a B.A. from George Washington University in 1967 but before he received his M.A in 1971, he joined the Army for two years and served in Vietnam.

Leepson has been interviewed on radio and television many times. Some of these shows include The Today Show, MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, The Discovery Channel, The Diane Rehm Show, BBC News Hour and many more. HE has also spoken at universities all over the country including William and Mary, American University, Georgetown University, George Washington College, and the University of Maryland.

Nicholas Wood – John Randolph expert

Nicholas Wood has written many peer-reviewed articles including “John Randolph of Roanoke and the Politics of Slavery in the Early Republic” which was in the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. He received his B.A. in American History from Rutgers University – New Brunswick, his M.A. from Rutgers University – Camden, and his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.

Wood completed his post-doc term at Yale University and is now a member of the faculty at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. He is also currently writing a book titled Before Garrison: Anti-Slavery and Politics in the New Nation. His scholarly focuses are slavery, race, and politics in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Jefferson Morley – Washington, DC history expert

Jefferson Morley is the author of many political books including Snow-Storm in August: Washington City, Francis Scott Key, and the Forgotten Race Riot of 1835. He attended Yale University and focuses on intelligence, military, and political subjects.

Morley has previously been an editor and reporter for The Washington Post. He has also written for other news publications including The Atlantic, The Intercept, Rolling Stone, and The Los Angeles Times. He currently is a writer for Salon.

James B. O’Hara – Roger B. Taney expert

Author of Out of the Shadow: Roger B. Taney as Chief Justice

Charles N. Edel – John Quincy Adams expert

Chris N. Edel is the author of Nation Builder: John Quincy Adams and the Grand Strategy of the Republic. He received his B.A. in Classics from Yale College and then went on to receive his Ph.D. in History from Yale University. His scholarly interests are grand strategy, American political history, and security issues in the Asia-Pacific region.

Edel has served in various roles consulting for the federal government as a political and counterterrorism analyst. He has also taught high school history in New York. He currently is an associate professor of Strategy and Policy at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island as well as an intelligence officer in the Naval Reserves.

John F. Marszalek – Jackson Petticoat Affair expert

John F. Marszalek is from Buffalo, New York and has written over two hundred fifty articles and book reviews. He has also published 13 books, one of which is The Petticoat Affair: Manners, Mutiny, and Sex in Andrew Jackson’s White House. His main scholarly focuses are on Jacksonian America, race relations, and the Civil War. He received his B.A. at Canisius College in 1961, his M.A. from Notre Dame in 1963, but served in the Army for two years during 1965-1967 in Vietnam before he went back and received his Ph.D. from Notre Dame in 1968.

Marszalek taught at Canisius College and Gannon University before he was offered a position at Mississippi State University in 1973. He retired from Ole Miss in 2002 as a Giles Distinguished Professor Emeritus and currently serves as the Director for the Mississippi State University Distinguished Scholars Program. He was named the William L Giles Distinguished Professor in 1994.

John V. Quarstein – Nat Turner expert

John V. Quarstein has written 7 books including Nat Turner’s Rebellion. He received his B.A. in History from Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia and his M.A. in History from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. His main focus is the Civil War.

Quarstein starting serving as director of the Virginia War Museum right out of college and has been there ever since. He also oversees the city of Newport News’ historical properties. He has served as an adjunct professor at the College of William & Mary, University of Virginia, and Virginia Commonwealth University. He currently lives in Hampton, Virginia.

Orin Hargraves - Historical language consultant

Orin Hargraves has written many books, one of which includes Mighty Fine Words and Smashing Expressions: Making Sense of Transatlantic English. He has a B.A. from the University of Chicago and is a lexicographer and language researcher, primarily with the English language.

Hargraves specializes in the difference between English in Britain and America. He has edited for major reference and dictionary projects including Merriam-Webster, Columbia University Press, Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Microsoft, Scholastic, and many more. He lives in Niwot, Colorado.

David Hildebrand - Historical music consultant

David Hildebrand has written and narrated his own radio program “Broadside to Anthem: Music of the War of 1812”. He received his B.S. from Dickinson College, M.A. in musicology from George Washington University, and a Ph.D. in Musicology from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Hildebrand specializes in Early American Music. He and his wife has been performing professionally since 1980, holding concerts for museums, historical societies, universities, and national parks. He currently teaches American History at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

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