AskHistorians

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Why did coastal parts of West Africa never take off as vacation hubs in the same way the Caribbean has?	255
In early America/the colonies in the 1700s, before the mythical cowboys but well after the age of chivalrous knights of England, what any storybook warrior archetypes were people enamored by?	18
When did the concept of philosophers as depicted in Ancient Greece go away, and why? Modern philosophy seems to be unheard of to anyone outside philosophy academics. Is that how it would be in Ancient Greece too?	15
In America/the colonies in the 1700s, how common were “arms”?	11
Before suburbia as we know it in North America, was having your own backyard “swimming pool” a thing?	8
When and why did drug advertisements start coming up in the United States despite being disallowed in many European countries?	7
When discussing pre-Columbus North America, we often discuss the Vikings and evidence of their treks to the continent. Is there any evidence that people from Eastern Asia tried to sail Eastward or might have even stumbled upon the West coast prior to the United States westward expansion?	5
The airplane came to be in the early 1900s, and hardly a decade later planes were being used in WW1. Were there any reservations/concerns at the time for incorporating flight with war?	5
I am a colonist in the 1700s embarking on some travel, maybe to another city to make a sale, or maybe to visit family. Would I typically carry any type of weapon or gun with me? I imagine a musket and traditional fire-arm is too large and cumbersome for any use outside war, is this the case?	5
Spiked gloves, gauntlets with blades built in, artificial claws...Hand weapons are somewhat common in fantasy stories. Was there any precedent for these in real life beyond things like brass knuckles, and if so what was their use case?	4

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