/r/askhistorians

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Today, many hobbies are recreational pursuits of past careers or housework - woodworking, knitting, fishing, pottery, etc. Is this a new phenomenon?

337 upvotes • VoilaVoilaWashington

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Is it just a coincidence that both native americans and europeans had bows before the columbian exchange?

337 upvotes • SeaOfScrolls

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7th grade Ancient Civilizations teacher here. My hominids/early humans unit is too boring. Can any experts guide me toward some interesting topics?

337 upvotes • throwawayhistory1

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Why is Rome considered decadent and debauched? When did the public begin to think of Rome as 'sinful' and associated with excess? More questions in text.

337 upvotes • Misogynist-ist

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A lot of pictures depict Joan of Arc clad in armor holding a sword, but did she actually have any considerable military training?

337 upvotes • darkfang77

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There's several episodes of Downton Abbey where the family do the servants fairly substantial favours (like paying for medical care and such like). Are there many/any cases of aristocrats doing that sort of thing reality, a century or more ago?

337 upvotes • grapp

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It's 1580's England. I am an archer/longbowman, and I'm told that we are transitioning to firearms as our standard weaponry. What did other ranged soldiers of the time think about this, and what did the conversion process entail?

337 upvotes • Hitty40

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When did the U.S. government acquire most of its gold bullion reserves (Most in the world)? Was there ever a campaign or effort to ramp up acquisition of gold bullion reserves to increase the value of the dollar?

337 upvotes • Jackson3125

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Were there any cultural reasons that Islam frowns upon alcohol?

337 upvotes • eternalkerri

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In Wild West movies there is often a character that has moved west to help alleviate their tuberculosis (Doc Holliday being a real life example). Was this a common practice of the time and, if so, did this influx of sick people affect how The West developed?

337 upvotes • Tar-mairon

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
Today, many hobbies are recreational pursuits of past careers or housework - woodworking, knitting, fishing, pottery, etc. Is this a new phenomenon?	337	VoilaVoilaWashington
Is it just a coincidence that both native americans and europeans had bows before the columbian exchange?	337	SeaOfScrolls
7th grade Ancient Civilizations teacher here. My hominids/early humans unit is too boring. Can any experts guide me toward some interesting topics?	337	throwawayhistory1
Why is Rome considered decadent and debauched? When did the public begin to think of Rome as 'sinful' and associated with excess? More questions in text.	337	Misogynist-ist
A lot of pictures depict Joan of Arc clad in armor holding a sword, but did she actually have any considerable military training?	337	darkfang77
There's several episodes of Downton Abbey where the family do the servants fairly substantial favours (like paying for medical care and such like). Are there many/any cases of aristocrats doing that sort of thing reality, a century or more ago?	337	grapp
It's 1580's England. I am an archer/longbowman, and I'm told that we are transitioning to firearms as our standard weaponry. What did other ranged soldiers of the time think about this, and what did the conversion process entail?	337	Hitty40
When did the U.S. government acquire most of its gold bullion reserves (Most in the world)? Was there ever a campaign or effort to ramp up acquisition of gold bullion reserves to increase the value of the dollar?	337	Jackson3125
Were there any cultural reasons that Islam frowns upon alcohol?	337	eternalkerri
In Wild West movies there is often a character that has moved west to help alleviate their tuberculosis (Doc Holliday being a real life example). Was this a common practice of the time and, if so, did this influx of sick people affect how The West developed?	337	Tar-mairon