Welcome to my homepage!

This is my twenty-fourth year teaching in North Canton and twenty-first at the Middle School.  I attended thirteen schools in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia prior to my graduation from high school in Tiffin, Ohio (My father was in retail management, if you're wondering).   I received a BA in social studies from Malone College where I was a member of the track team and an All-American cross county distance runner.  I received my Master's degree in secondary education from the University of Akron.  I also have post-graduate hours at Ashland University. 

My travels include England (twice), Ireland (twice), Scotland (twice), Wales (twice), Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain (twice), Austria, France (twice, four times if you count Paris), Switzerland, Italy (3 times), New Zealand, and Australia (twice).  Closer to home I have been to St. Lucia, St. Thomas, Barabados, St Martin and Antigua.  I have also travelled throughout northern New England,the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Michigan (my wife is from there) and sailed the coast of Maine in a windjammer. 

In my spare time I design and install residential landscaping and work at Inglis Nursery (if you're looking for deciduous trees).  I enjoy reading fiction, reading about and listening to classic rock and roll music, working around the house, and am a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan. ( I'm originally from the Pittsburgh area).  My wife, Megan and I, live in the Canton area and have a two year-old daughter Sydney.

"History is who we are and why we are the way we are."
-David McCullough

This US History course covers the time period from colonization through the end of Reconstruction in 1877.  The course is organized by the following nine themes.   Click on the files link on the top of this page to access concept questions for the theme being studied in class.



Colonization of North America (1500's-1600's)
        - Answers the question of why Europeans came to America and looks at the 
           creation of the English colonies

Revolution in the English colonies (1763-1781)
       - Examination of  the causes, highlights and results of the War of Independence

Formation of United States government (1781-1789)
        - Deals with the creation of U.S. government including the Articles of   
           Confederation and the Constitution

Evolution of United States culture (1789-1840)
        - The growing pains of our nation's early years with topics such as Washington's 
           presidency, the Bill of Rights, the War of 1812 and the Era of Good Feelings

Expansion of the United States (1804-1850)
        - The physical growth and events connected to the growth of the United States

Expression of American social concerns (1820-1850)
       - A study of  the different ways individuals and groups attempted to reform   
          American society

Separation of northern and southern states (1820-1860)
        - The social, economic and political differences that led to the Civil War

Confrontation of North and South (1860-1865)
        -  The important people, concepts and events of the Civil War

Reconstruction of the United States (1865-1877)
        - Looks at the challenges of reuniting the nation following the Civil War