askhistorians

Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
How educated was Shakespeare's audience? They seem to assume a decent knowledge of English and classical history	33
U.S. hospitals have only been required to provide lifesaving care since 1986. What was healthcare like before then?	33
I know older people who would object to using the American flag as clothing or athletes draping the flag around their shoulders. When did this become acceptable in American culture?	32
On this date in 1431, Joan of Arc was executed for heresy. What heretic beliefs was she accused of holding?	29
Is there a historical reason why the default for wine is still (rather than sparkling) but beer is (almost?) always carbonated? Would this be true about medieval beer and wine? Ancient Egyptian?	29
What's the history of sandals in the English-speaking world 1500-1999? I can't picture a Victorian gentleman or American colonist wearing sandals to the beach, but I would picture a medieval monk wearing sandals and of course they're popular today.	28
When and why did the Latin-rite Catholic Church start mandating that the Mass be said in Latin for non-Latin speaking peoples? And why did it last so long?	28
During the Jim Crow period, was there any attempt by segregationist governments to appear to comply with the Fifteenth Amendment by letting small numbers of African Americans vote, or would there typically be zero black voters? If so, what would this veneer of compliance look like?	27
Searching, I seen this question has been posted a lot but no answers longer than four sentences: How far back does the horror clown trope go? Did it start with It?	26
Did Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, or Andrew Jackson consider seeking a third term? Had Washington's example already become inviolable?	25

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