/r/askhistorians

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A recent Guardian article about climate-resilient crops had this throwaway line: "In the Americas, Spanish colonizers banned the Aztecs and Maya from growing amaranth when they arrived on the continent." What would be the purpose of Spaniards banning cultivation of a staple crop?

558 upvotes • DaaraJ

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Why did The Rite of Spring infuriate its audience so much on the first performance?

558 upvotes • Rejoicing_Tunicates

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Was Hitler aware of Japan's plans to bomb Pearl Harbor?

557 upvotes • FastCarsShootinStars

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during the cold war did the Russians really make their spies have fake marriages and even children with each other to maintain cover?

557 upvotes • grapp

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If Crossbows had been around since ancient Greece, why did their use increase dramatically during the middle ages?

557 upvotes • Sevsquad

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What have the Romans ever done for us?

557 upvotes • Pray-4-Mojo

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Are there any known cases where a serial killer has targeted one of the main investigators in their case?

557 upvotes • why_rob_y

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How informed was the crew of the Enola Gay about the bomb they dropped on Hiroshima before they actually dropped it?

557 upvotes • cwryan

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How did laborers in the American South "beat the heat" before the invention of air conditioning?

557 upvotes • tedwurds

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Prior to the invention of eyeglasses around 1300, what did people with poor eyesight do for a living?

556 upvotes • ARedHouseOverYonder

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
A recent Guardian article about climate-resilient crops had this throwaway line: "In the Americas, Spanish colonizers banned the Aztecs and Maya from growing amaranth when they arrived on the continent." What would be the purpose of Spaniards banning cultivation of a staple crop?	558	DaaraJ
Why did The Rite of Spring infuriate its audience so much on the first performance?	558	Rejoicing_Tunicates
Was Hitler aware of Japan's plans to bomb Pearl Harbor?	557	FastCarsShootinStars
during the cold war did the Russians really make their spies have fake marriages and even children with each other to maintain cover?	557	grapp
If Crossbows had been around since ancient Greece, why did their use increase dramatically during the middle ages?	557	Sevsquad
What have the Romans ever done for us?	557	Pray-4-Mojo
Are there any known cases where a serial killer has targeted one of the main investigators in their case?	557	why_rob_y
How informed was the crew of the Enola Gay about the bomb they dropped on Hiroshima before they actually dropped it?	557	cwryan
How did laborers in the American South "beat the heat" before the invention of air conditioning?	557	tedwurds
Prior to the invention of eyeglasses around 1300, what did people with poor eyesight do for a living?	556	ARedHouseOverYonder