AskHistorians

Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
There's a common convention that you shouldn't use contractions in formal writing in English. How far back does it go? Why did it develop?	7
Why do Spanish-based Creole languages seem to have so few speakers compared to English and French-based Creole languages?	7
What's up with the Romans "reclining at table"? Didn't they get heartburn? When did it start? When did that die out in the Mediterranean world?	6
Flipping through the radio today, my local classic rock station played "Indian Reservation" and said it was a #1 hit for Paul Revere and the Raiders. How was the song received by the Cherokee community?	6
The typical American workday is centered on 1 PM (9-5, 8:30-5:30, etc.) rather than noon. Which came first, working 9-5 or Daylight Savings Time? Are they related?	6
The Wikipedia article on King Kamehameha II of Hawaii says he began to break the existing kapu (taboo) system and destroy the temples six months BEFORE Christian missionaries arrived in Hawaii. Why did he do that?	6
In parts of the world where malaria used to be endemic and has since been eliminated, was the local mosquito population destroyed for a period of time during malaria elimination?	6
Slave marriages in the Americas: I think I remember reading that marriages between two slaves were recognized in Catholic countries but not in Protestant countries. Is this true?	6
In the U.S., many businesses are open 9-5, which is centered on 1 PM rather than noon, which seems more natural. Was this because of daylight savings time, or did 9-5 start before DST? If it's not because of DST, why would the work day be centered on 1 PM?	6
Why was the loyalty oath to the British Crown so important to the British negotiators of the Anglo-Irish Treaty? Why were they willing to fight on rather than allow Ireland to become a republic?	6

« < > »