His research and teaching focuses on nineteenth- century American history, particularly a broadly conceived Civil War era. He has published books on Reconstruction politics and Appalachia after the Civil War, and is currently working on a book project about African American communities in nineteenth-century Memphis. He is also co-editing two collections of essays, one on the North during the Civil War era and the other on the urban South during the Civil War era. In addition to teaching a wide variety of courses -- including ones on the Civil War, comparative slavery, and Appalachia -- he regularly works with MA students.