BIO

Dr. Kahan earned a Ph.D. in U.S. history from Temple University where he worked with William W. Cutler, III. Prior to that, Dr. Kahan earned his M.A. in Modern American History & Literature from Drew University and B.A.s in history and English (with minors in medieval/Renaissance studies and music) from Alfred University.

In 2008, Dr. Kahan published his first book, Eastern State Penitentiary: A History. This book explores the penitentiary's history and is written for a popular audience. In February 2012, Peter Lang published Dr. Kahan's second book, Seminary of Virtue: The Ideology and Practice of Inmate Reform at Eastern State Penitentiary, 1829-1971. His third book, The Homestead Strike: Labor, Violence, and American Industry, was published by Routledge in late 2013. In 2016, Dr. Kahan published The Bank War: Andrew Jackson, Nicholas Biddle, and the Fight for American Finance, the first narrative overview of this turning point in American political history in more than half a century as well as Amiable Scoundrel: Simon Cameron, Lincoln's Scandalous Secretary of War. His most recent book is The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant: Preserving the Civil War's Legacy.