7 Questions with Jayne D’Alessandro-Cox, Author of Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man

Jayne D'Alessandro-Cox is a historian and author from Farmingdale, Long Island, New York.  Offered a scholastic scholarship to Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. 



 
Jayne is a published author of three Christian books: A Miracle in Bethlehem, A Passover Blessing, and Happy Birthday Precious Lamb.  Her fourth book is a secular biography/autobiography, for all ages, on Thomas Jefferson's early years, entitled Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man.

Jayne enjoys volunteering at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson.  Besides her family and friends, writing and exercising are her most favorite past times. She is available for speaking engagements and book signings. 

1. How and/or when did you get hooked on history? 
Having to answer this question is actually embarrassing! I had many other interests before I got hooked on 18th century history and my favorite founding father, Thomas Jefferson. In 1982, I married and moved from Long Island to Charlottesville, VA, home of Thomas Jefferson and his beloved Monticello. About 10 years ago, after driving past Jefferson's birth site property, Shadwell, for many years, I began to get very curious as to what life must have been like for the young Jefferson growing up at Shadwell. (The property has been owned by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation since the 1930's or so, and the general public is not allowed up there, but a local cattle farmer who rents the property and raises his black Angus.) My curiosity got the best of me, so I went to the book store to find a book about Jefferson's early years... for a good read, and found no book on the subject. I then went to the public library, and found that every book about Thomas Jefferson was about his life post Declaration of Independence to death. I thought that was very strange, being that I live in "Jefferson Country"! After much research, I found that there was no book about his first 31 years, prior to his involvement with the Second Continental Congress. So... long story short, almost 4 years later, my book Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man was published. It will be out in audio book by June 2016, and it is fabulous!

2. What role does history play or has it played in your personal life? 
As a result of writing Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man, I remain quite busy giving speaking engagements and book signings, which I love. (See www.jaynedalessandrocox.com) I most enjoy volunteering up at Monticello at the Visitor Center, where I can meet fellow Jefferson enthusiasts. I also enjoy Tweeting about Jefferson's life and would like to encourage your readers to join me on Twitter.

3. How is/How was history a part of your professional life/career? 
Eighteen century Virginia and Early American History will remain a part of my professional life and career as long as people continue to be fascinated by Thomas Jefferson. Being that Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man is the exclusive book on the market today about Jefferson's first 31 years, I believe that I will continue to be involved in educating and entertaining people about this very fascinating and likeable iconic historical figure. This will keep me busy for as long as I breathe, for promoting my book it is such an enjoyable past time.

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?
Basically, history is fascinating, and I believe that to better understand who we are as a people and society, we need to know how we evolved. So it is the same with Thomas Jefferson. For me it was important to learn about the boy and his journey to manhood in order to understand the man who historians say was so complicated. After researching his early years, I don't feel that he is that complicated. I know where he was coming from, how he was raised, know what he was taught in boarding school and by whom, etc..  I feel fortunate to live in a very historical area of Virginia, which dates back to the early 1700's. As I drive the local highways, I enjoy the surrounding landscape as I drive the same roads that the early American settlers traveled, but now covered with asphalt. My mind tends to go back in time as I imagine early 18th century life for our forefathers as they surveyed the land and cultivated their crops. By learning about Jefferson's early years, I can now better understand this man of the Enlightenment who dared to question the common thoughts of his day as it pertained to science, philosophy, society and politics. So it is with the entire subject of history... learn about the past in order to understand the present, which, in turn, helps us plan for a better future.

5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?
Certainly 18th century America is my favorite period in history. I very much enjoy visiting Colonial Williamsburg and talking with the character actors on Duke of Gloucester Street, visiting those locations that Thomas Jefferson and our founding fathers frequented... where they went to Church, socialized, and made history.

6. Why does Thomas Jefferson appeal to you as a subject ?
I knew very little about Thomas Jefferson until about 6 years ago. Today, I can safely say I am very well read regarding his entire life, but I am most devoted to the years prior to his drafting/signing of the Declaration of Independence. When I moved to Charlottesville, VA, I discovered that "everything was Jefferson": Monticello, the University of Virginia, customs, traditions, etc. Not a day goes by that you don't hear his name on TV, radio, or at Starbucks! I had learned the basics about him in school growing up in Long Island, New York, but he was no more important than any other founding father. There were other people and places to learn about in school. I did not take any history classes in college, but majored in Business with a minor in Spanish. It wasn't until my husband and daughters moved closer to Thomas Jefferson's birthplace, Shadwell, that I became more "curious" about him, especially his birthplace, Shadwell, along the Rivanna, where he spent many years of his youth. His birthplace,Shadwell, also happened to border the property where my daughters' elementary school was located.

7. How is your latest book, Thomas Jefferson: From Boy to Man a unique biography?
It is totally unique, as it is the "exclusive" book on the market today, specifically about his first 31 years: childhood, adolescence, boarding school days, college years at William & Mary, post-graduate law years in Williamsburg, his law practice, women in his life, family, friends, events, fire, earthquakes, flood, deaths, etc. Check it out...every book, besides mine, on the market today about Thomas Jefferson, summarizes his life prior to his involvement with the Second Continental Congress in a few paragraphs...maybe 6 pages, not even a whole chapter, as if they had no real importance or significance at all. Researching for this book was no easy task whatsoever, but it is done, and I am extremely proud of it, as it continues to get 5 star reviews and amazing endorsements from readers around the country. It is very humbling to be so appreciated, as well as to have the endorsement of Rob Coles, Thomas Jefferson's 5th generation great-grandson.  An endorsement of this kind tends to tell the reader, "this is a book worth your time reading"! It is in a journal format which includes authentic Jefferson quotes, and is supplemented with historically accurate background text, meant to inform the reader.  It includes over 60 photos to enhance the readers imagination, and various appendices that further inform. 

Great news is that the audio book will be available by June 2016. The 32 year old British voice actor is fabulous, and his 16 year old son reads the young Jefferson passages....simply amazing and well worth the $29.99 investment. To read more about Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man, please visit my web site: www.jaynedalessandrocox.com

7 Questions with David Silver, Docent at the Museum At Eldridge

David Silver, a native New Yorker, is currently serving as a volunteer docent at the Museum At Eldridge Street. In addition to his being a docent he consults with corporations in the area of leadership. And he developed his own leadership skills and behaviors while serving as a pilot in United State Air Force as a Forward Air Controller during the Vietnam Conflict.   

1. How and/or when did you get you hooked on history?
 
I have been interested in history since my undergraduate college years but it was more on a casual basis rather than as a serious student of history. I remember reading Cornelius Ryan’s The Longest Day and I think that is what got me hooked on history especially reading as much about the history of WW II as time allowed. Throughout these subsequent years my interest in history has expanded to include the Civil War years and history of NYC.      

2. What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?
For me, it has been about imagining what my life would have been like during the periods in which I am reading, especially about living in New York City. My family settled in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the early 1900’s. As I continue to read about the city I walk to areas that are discussed in my readings and see some of the buildings described in the readings. And in other cases, I visualize what the area looked like when those buildings existed. And I still discover new sights in NYC.     

3. How is/How was history a part of your professional life/career?
Part of my interest in history has been biographies of business leaders. I remembered some of their lessons learned to guide some of my decisions regarding career direction. I managed to avoid the pitfalls that they highlighted in their careers and took actions that fostered their career successes. History has also helped significantly in my professional life. Organizations, in which I have been part of, are affected by world events both past and present. Understanding these events have helped me make decisions when organization change was needed. I often used history in preparing my business cases to influence the decision-makers.

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?
History repeats itself one way or another. And there are incidents in history we should not forget about because we might need to avoid those that caused terrible world events. Understanding history allows us to put events in perspective. I sometimes have dinner with friends and their children join us. When the subject of American and world history is brought up it confounds me that these children, who attend school, are not able to join in the discussion. And the knowledge of history has us understand events that have brought about the world, as it is, today. Their failure in studying and understanding history is an obstacle to having a reasonable dialogue about current events. 

5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?
My initial struggle with history was narrowing my particular area of interest. For awhile, it was about the history of the U.S.’s involvement in World War II in the Pacific and Europe. Then my focus turned to the major battles of the Civil War. Next came biographies of military leaders. Finally, and for the past few years it has been about the history of New York from the early 1800’s thru 1940. The history of NYC is of particular interest because many of the men who made America great were based in NYC. The great banks and railroads have their history in NYC in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. 

6. How did you get involved with the Museum at Eldridge and what do you do as docent?
A friend of mine is on the Board of Directors of the Museum at Eldridge Street. He invited me to the dedication of the Museum in 2007 and that was my first contact with the Museum. In the subsequent years I attended a number of events and in 2014 I attended a fund raising event. At that event the Director of the Museum invited me to become a docent. I went through the training and the rest is history, so to speak. As a docent I conduct tours of the Museum. As part of the tour I describe the history of the congregation that has and continues to worship in the synagogue that is part of the museum. I help explain about the causes of the immigration of Russian Jews to the USA and the specifically to the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Much of my narration focuses on the highlights of the congregation’s growth and decline and the impact this had on the building…..especially the sanctuary.       

7. Why is the Museum at Eldridge an important part of American history?
The Museum is one of the last symbols of the great immigration of Russian Jews to America in the 19^th and early 20^th century. The Lower East side would probably not be as notable a feature of New York had it not been for the immigration of Eastern Europeans to the USA. And there are few remaining synagogues in the Lower East Side that still stand as a testament to the over 2 million Jews that settled in such a small area of New York.   

7 Questions with Caroline Wazer, Staff Writer at HistoryBuff.com

Caroline Wazer is a staff writer at HistoryBuff, a new online community based around a love of history. She's also a Ph.D. candidate at Columbia University, where she is working on a dissertation about urban sanitation and conceptions of health in the early Roman Empire. 

1. How and/or when did you get you hooked on history?
I've been obsessed with history for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I devoured historical fiction—I was especially interested in reading about everyday life for children in the 19th century, but could get excited about any time period. It probably helped that I grew up in Massachusetts, which is chock-full of historic sites.

2. What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?
Many of my friends are also very interested in history, even if they aren't historians professionally. I'm also a sucker for well-done historical TV shows, like HBO's Rome and Cinemax's The Knick. 

3. How is/How was history a part of your professional life/career?
In addition to being a staff writer at HistoryBuff, I'm also finishing my Ph.D. in ancient history—so not a day goes by that I don't do some form of work related to history. I love diving deep into historical sources, but also think it's very important for academic historians to engage with the broader public. I'm very lucky to be able to do both professionally.

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?
History helps us make sense of the world around us. The really fun thing about history is that the more you learn, the more seemingly unconnected parts of the past start to fit together, like a puzzle. 

5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?
I have a lot, but one aspect that always fascinates me is how societies throughout history have dealt (or not dealt) with urban sanitation. It's a fun topic because it pulls together a lot of different aspects of history: the history of science, economic history, political history, demographic history, cultural history... the list goes on. It's also full of gross anecdotes that are great fun to pull out at dinner parties.

6. What’s the story behind HistoryBuff?
HistoryBuff is a brand-new platform that encourages any and all people who love history to come together and share fascinating stories. Most of our writers and readers don't have history degrees or jobs in history, and we think that's great. We've been blown away by how quickly our audience has grown since we launched just four months ago—and it's amazing to see how excited our readers and community members are to learn about and have fun with history.

7. What stories currently on HistoryBuff.com do you find most interesting?
One piece I recently wrote—about a 1936 WPA-funded, all-black production of Shakespeare's Macbeth that became a smash hit around the United States—has stuck with me. The Great Depression is not a period I've spent much time on since high school, and it was a surprise to come across this cutting-edge piece of art that ended up being really popular even in the Jim Crow South. 

7 Questions with Ben Smalley, The Specialist on YouTube

Ben Smalley grew up in Athens Georgia, received his Bachelors in Social Science Education from UGA and his Masters in Social Studies Education from Georgia State.  He currently teaches Honors and AP US History and coaches Varsity girls soccer at Pebblebrook High School in Cobb County. Check out his new Youtube Channel, “The Specialist."

1. How and/or when did you get you hooked on history?
I got hooked on history when my 10th grade AP US History teacher explained that history was a fluid interpretation of the past rather than a static memorization of facts.

2. What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?
I love to see how history connects to current events and absolutely love to travel to historical places.  It is so amazing to see and experience something you have read/taught about for years.

3. How is/How was history a part of your professional life/career?
I currently teach Honors and AP US History, I just started a youtube channel that is heavy on history, and I am working on using 360 degree camera technology to take students on virtual field trips using virtual reality headsets and smartphones.

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?
History can explain everything that is happening in the world we live in.  It is important that we understand history and try to build on our shared successes and failures in order to make the world a better place.  

5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?
I love 1920s America!  There are so many amazing things happening at once and I think it marks the beginning of the modern era.  I was also recently on a Mongolian Empire kick after listening to the podcast Hardcore History.

6. What is The Specialist?
The Specialist is a list show with intelligence.  The channel has short 1-3 minute videos with lists that are geared toward engaging my students, but also have a "did you know?" dinner party vibe as well. For example, in 9 Things You Didn't Know About The Civil Rights Movement you will find out that Rosa Parks was inspired by a 15 year old girl who refused to give up her seat on a bus before she did.



7. What will viewers gain from The Specialist and what’s your vision for its future?
The random viewer will gain a quick burst of knowledge that blends entertainment and education, while the student/teacher will gain a great supplementary tool that will hopefully fuel their hunger for learning.  My goal is to continue to add new videos, increase viewership, and get valuable feedback from my audience.