For the past few months, I’ve been pondering an upgrade for this blog. I’m not sure that I can justify WordPress Pro ($99/year), so I’m thinking that the WordPress domain and mapping option ($17/year) is the direction to go.
My major dilemma with this decision is the domain name: Should I go with Jacksonian America dot com or with a variation of my name? This blog has developed into more than just discussion of Jacksonian America, but I don’t want to dispose of the brand name that I’ve built with the blog. On the other hand, identifying the domain with my personal name is its own type of branding, and it doesn’t limit me to the historical topic on which I built the blog (not that the name has stopped me from tackling other topics).
As far as design, I like the way Kevin Levin’s website is constructed. Are there other examples of historians’/academics’ websites that you find aesthetically pleasing?
Jacksonian America: Society, Personality, and Politics 
I would encourage you to purchase the domain option, and to keep it as JacksonianAmerica-dot-com. Even if the content strays afield sometimes, “branding” is important in attracting readers and keeping focused.
Andy,
I wound up buying both markcheathem.com and jacksonianamerica.com. When I have time, I’m going to tinker with doing something along the lines of Kevin’s blog. Thanks for the suggestion.