/r/askhistorians
Mark as read: Add to a list
Former Chief Justice Warren Burger in 1991 described the NRA’s lobbying in support of an expansive interpretation of the Second Amendment as: “One of the greatest pieces of fraud he has ever seen." Just how influential was the NRA in changing American public opinions on the 2nd Amendment?
Mark as read: Add to a list
Mark as read: Add to a list
Athens regularly held "unpopularity contests;" the winner was exiled for a decade. Athens sent away dozens of leading citizens and war heroes. Did ostracism stabilize the democracy? Was it useful? Did the frequent recall of exiled citizens mean ostracism was counterproductive?
Mark as read: Add to a list
Everybody - not just historians - knows about Columbus, Cleopatra, Da Vinci and Lincoln. They're the celebrities of history. What are come examples of such historical "Celebrities" that used to be globally known, but faded away from collective memory?
Mark as read: Add to a list
Mark as read: Add to a list
Mark as read: Add to a list
The adjective "byzantine" has pejorative connotations, indicating something is overly complex or a situation with many conspirators working against one another. Does the Byzantine court deserve these associations? Were they really all that different from Roman or Chinese imperial administrations?
Mark as read: Add to a list
William T Sherman said of Grant that "Grant stood by me when I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk, and now we stand by each other". Was this frankness as unusual as it sounds for its time? What happened to Sherman, and how was he able to maintain a high-profile position?
Mark as read: Add to a list