My name is John McNeer and I live with my family in Richmond, Virginia.  After graduating from Washington & Lee University in 1993 with a double major in US History and Political Science, I moved to New York City to work in the trust and estates department of a major New York bank.  After three years, I returned to Richmond to earn a law degree from the University of Richmond in 1999.  I practiced law for 14 years until we had our second child.  I closed my practice and began teaching part-time to ensure we could raise our children responsibly.  In 2017, I completed a Masters in US History.  Currently, I teach US History and Logic at a small private school.

My grandmother Gertrude McNeer and my father Paul McNeer were history buffs and shared their passion with me from an early age.  My grandmother died at the age of 97 in 1991 but to her last day was mentally sharp.  She had just received a book on Ancient Egypt.  Hers and my father’s lifelong interest in reading and learning continues to inspire me to this day.

As if that was not enough, I was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, a city laden with history in close proximity to countless historic sites.  I visited St. John’s Church where Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Liberty or Death” speech within blocks of the iconic Virginia State Capitol designed by Thomas Jefferson.  Richmond is literally surrounded by Civil War battlefields denoting its importance as the Capital of the Confederacy.  We were within easy driving distance of the homes of America’s great Founders: Mount Vernon, Monticello, Montpelier, and others.  Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Yorktown were 45 minutes away and for more modern history, we could easily take a day trip to Washington DC.

I always looked forward to riding down to Virginia Beach where we could glimpse aircraft carriers and other warships.  My father spent part of his youth in Sandbridge, Virginia and told us stories about witnessing the sinking of a Victory Ship in World War II and laying in the sand dunes as American pilots practiced dogfighting.  My grandmother was a consummate storyteller, a skill I try to bring to my students and those who visit this blog.

In short, I love history and am hoping this blog will spread some of my enthusiasm to others in and out of a classroom.