Introduction

Greetings!  Since this is my first post on "Past as Prologue," I think that perhaps introductions are in order.  My name is Mark A. Neels, and I am a doctoral student in American History at Southern Illinois University.  I received my Bachelor of Arts in History from Missouri State University, and my Master of Arts from University of Missouri - St. Louis.  So, as you can see, I have a long background in my academic field.  It should come as no shock, then, that this blog will primarily have a historical context.

The title of this blog, "What's past is prologue," comes from Act II, Scene I of William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and is inscribed on the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C.  It is commonly interpreted to mean that what happens in the past directly effects the future.  And thus, our actions will resonate not only in our own time, but also in that of our children and grandchildren.  This has been particularly true of my approach to the study of history, and nothing has been more rewarding than to watch my students "get it," and apply something they have learned in my lectures to what is happening in the world around them.  With this blog, I hope to be able to share a part of that experience with my readers.

I am by nature of a political historian, meaning that I study the way in which Americans have philosophized about government institutions, and thus used those institutions to create policy.  Thus, the current political culture in America is particularly interesting to me.  In recent years we have seen a resurgence of concern over "what the founders intended," and this has in turn created a wide field for historians to participate in public discussion.  And while I have published several articles on regional history in the past couple of years, and hope to publish more, I consider this blog my way of interacting with a larger readership. 

Some times my blog entries will reflect on current events.  Other times they will cover a historic landmark, such as an anniversary or a commemoration.  In all, I hope they will be insightful and compel my readers to think outside of their comfort zones.  I've always believed that if you aren't learning something new every day, then you haven't been very productive with your time.  In the process of keeping this blog, I hope you--my dear reader--and I will learn from each other.