On the Cover

Is historical continuity a presence or an absence? Continuity, after all, is the same thing, person, or behavior existing across a span of time. It can also be the thing, person, or behavior failing to change. Historians often approach continuity as a presence for purely practical reasons—the number of reasons why any specific change failed to happen could surpass the number of stars in the night sky. But it is sometimes useful to think in terms of what if or why not. These are questions that offer different perspectives.

lworking2/Flickr/CC BY-NC 2.0. Image cropped.