/r/askhistorians
In many movies about the 14th-20th centuries, palaces are shown constantly full of people intermingling and talking without having any apparent reason to be there, as there doesn’t seem to be a ball or party happening. Were royal palaces full of people during the day just hanging out?
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How did blood become associated with consanguinity (kinship) before the development of genetic theory?
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"[Let us] chalk our faces so that Gaul will take us for her own sons; as if color alone could change one’s figure!" Did the Romans perceive the Gauls as being particularly pale, or is there a different context I'm missing?
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In the book Little Women when Meg and Jo go to a social function Meg tells her sister not to say 'Christopher Columbus or capital'? Why should she not say these words?
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During the American Civil War, how did Confederate commanders deal with monolingual French-speaking recruits from Louisiana? Did these soldiers require their own units? Did linguistic differences cause any major miscommunications?
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Siberia is vast, fertile, and beautiful. Why did no great Empire or civilization emerge from this area despite being rich in resources and large enough for large populations?
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Barack Obama is going to address the nation tonight. Are there any instances in the past in which a former president has addressed the nation?
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If the Bible is a collection of texts telling the story of the ancient Isrealites, do other extensive bodies of texts exist for other ancient peoples?
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