askhistorians

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700,000 Portuguese people migrated to Brazil in the period before 1760. Given that Portugal only has 10 million people today, that figure astounded me. How does the relative and absolute scale of that migration compare with contemporary patterns of European settlement in the Americas.	451
It is my understanding that Al-Andalus was culturally, economically and socially very advanced for its time. What about the neighboring Christian kingdoms of Iberia? Were they also more advanced than the rest of Western Europe as a result of contact with the Muslims?	14
Spain and Cuba were engaged in a lengthy and bloody conflict for much of the second half of the 19th century. To what extent was Cuban independence a political issue in European Spain? Did many "regular" Spaniards actively support or oppose Cuban Independence?	11
What was the most culturally "Romanized" province of the Roman Empire outside of Italy?	11
In 1509, María de Toledo (a cousin of Ferdinand of Aragon and granddaughter of the powerful Duke of Alba) arrived in the New World as the wife of Viceroy Diego Columbus. How common was it for women (much less high-ranking noblewomen such as herself) to travel across the Atlantic in that era?	10
The year is 1550 and I am a peasant in Castile. How much do I likely know about the New World? If I decide I want to journey there, what is the process involved? Was it accessible for the average person? Once there, how likely am I to achieve wealth and glory, or even survive?	5
From the use of Latin as its official language to its seat in Rome, it seems that Roman Catholic Church survived the fall of the Western Roman Empire more "intact" than most other Roman institutions. Is this an accurate characterization? Did the church use this connection as a source of legitimacy?	4
How commonplace was migration from W. Europe to the Americas in the 16-18th centuries? Was it a viable option for the average person? Would most people in Spain or England know someone who had made the journey? Or was it more of a niche activity, limited to people from certain regions or classes?	3

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