/r/askhistorians

Title	Upvotes	Author
In Narcos, the DEA and all other American assets are basically untouchable for fear of extreme American retaliation, even by the extremely violent Pablo Escobar. Does this level of untouchability hold true to history, or is this just dramatization?	1570	LawBobLoblaw
I know that in the middle ages many towns were rather small (often the largest still only consisting of tens of thousands of people). How vital to the national economy were towns? What sort of professions were people practising there and were there any that weren't as common in more rural locations?	1569	NotthatMiddleton
There were 5 former presidents at the time of the Civil War. What were their views on the war, and were any of them especially public (or conspicuously silent) about it?	1568	Woah_buzhidao
When did french fries become the standard side to serve with a hamburger? Did it begin with fast food joints, or were fries served with burgers before fast food restaurants came along?	1568	gdawg99
My father likes to tell me “Black” people taught “White” people how to bath. I recently asked him for context and he explained to me the Moors taught people in Spain, England, and Portugal better hygiene. Can I get some more context on this?	1568	PyrokineticZulu
How did Mormonism transition from a rogue, semi-threatening religion against which President Buchanan sent military forces, to a mainstream, non-threatening American religion no one gives a second thought to?	1568	RusticBohemian
How did the ♥, come to be identified with love, and represent a heart?	1567	sailor831
Canada, Australia, New Zealand: these former British colonies enjoy an unusually high quality of life compared to the rest of the former British Empire, and sometimes even outdo the UK itself in democratic/journalistic freedoms, medical care, etc. How did this come to pass?	1567	st_sebastian
A National Review column argues that the Spanish Inquisition was was “ahead of its time”, “pioneer of many judicial practices we now take for granted”, and that the conventional wisdom of a repressive and fanatical court "is the product of Elizabethan propaganda". Is this column correct?	1567	smurfyjenkins
What was the actual logistics of the dismantling of the Berlin Wall? Was it all knocked down by citizens wielding sledgehammers or did they hire some contractors to do the job as well?	1566	Usedpresident

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