/r/askhistorians

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A famous medieval knight called Bertrand du Guesclin was ransomed for 100,000 Francs. What could you buy in 14th-century France for 100,000 francs? And was it considered to be a large ransom or quite the opposite?

2605 upvotes • TheyTukMyJub

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After playing a ton of Red Dead Redemption, I began to wonder; how often did "outlaws" in the "Wild West" commit murder without being caught or, more specifically, without being identified?

2604 upvotes • Ilovemygamgam

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What would an English serf do to occupy his time during the long periods of darkness in the fall and winter?

2603 upvotes • arkham1010

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Was there any previously unknown land that was discovered after the invention of satellite imagery?

2602 upvotes • conn77

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What was the popcorn and hot dogs of the Roman coliseum? What did Romans have for snack foods while watching the events?

2602 upvotes • Fionnlagh

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What was Julius Caesar’s legacy as military commander? Is he considered to be a military genius (e.g., Napoleon, Moltke, Alexander, etc), or is it more of a case of him being a very capable commander whose immortal fame comes from his establishment as emperor and the tragedy of his death?

2601 upvotes • Jagdgeschwader

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Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is considered by many to be one of the most influential works of strategy and warmaking. Once translations made it to Europe how was it initially regarded? and Was there any obvious changes in strategy once the book made it into foreign hands?

2601 upvotes • TheAtheistApologist

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In all 50 United States, why do all of them use the presidential system of government instead of a semi-presidential or parliamentary system, and all but one are bicameral?

2600 upvotes • NateNate60

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In the documentary, The Black Power Mixtape, Talib Kweli states, "It's documented, not a conspiracy theory, that the [black] community was flooded with drugs... Hoover and the FBI, they made sure that the drugs were an influence in the community". What is the documented evidence he's referring to?

2599 upvotes • hissingpanda

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Where did the Western idea that Buddhism isn't a religion but a philosophy -- and that Buddhism as actually practiced in Asia is a degeneration of real Buddhism -- come from?

2597 upvotes • AndrewSshi

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
A famous medieval knight called Bertrand du Guesclin was ransomed for 100,000 Francs. What could you buy in 14th-century France for 100,000 francs? And was it considered to be a large ransom or quite the opposite?	2605	TheyTukMyJub
After playing a ton of Red Dead Redemption, I began to wonder; how often did "outlaws" in the "Wild West" commit murder without being caught or, more specifically, without being identified?	2604	Ilovemygamgam
What would an English serf do to occupy his time during the long periods of darkness in the fall and winter?	2603	arkham1010
Was there any previously unknown land that was discovered after the invention of satellite imagery?	2602	conn77
What was the popcorn and hot dogs of the Roman coliseum? What did Romans have for snack foods while watching the events?	2602	Fionnlagh
What was Julius Caesar’s legacy as military commander? Is he considered to be a military genius (e.g., Napoleon, Moltke, Alexander, etc), or is it more of a case of him being a very capable commander whose immortal fame comes from his establishment as emperor and the tragedy of his death?	2601	Jagdgeschwader
Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is considered by many to be one of the most influential works of strategy and warmaking. Once translations made it to Europe how was it initially regarded? and Was there any obvious changes in strategy once the book made it into foreign hands?	2601	TheAtheistApologist
In all 50 United States, why do all of them use the presidential system of government instead of a semi-presidential or parliamentary system, and all but one are bicameral?	2600	NateNate60
In the documentary, The Black Power Mixtape, Talib Kweli states, "It's documented, not a conspiracy theory, that the [black] community was flooded with drugs... Hoover and the FBI, they made sure that the drugs were an influence in the community". What is the documented evidence he's referring to?	2599	hissingpanda
Where did the Western idea that Buddhism isn't a religion but a philosophy -- and that Buddhism as actually practiced in Asia is a degeneration of real Buddhism -- come from?	2597	AndrewSshi