/u/MisterBigStuff's posts in /r/askhistorians

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Why was the 18th Amendment an amendment? Couldn't Congress ban alcohol just by passing a law?

2743 upvotes

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In Braveheart, Edward Longshanks straight up murders a guy in front of his son and a couple of guards/soldiers. Could a 14th century king really do that with no repercussions?

1965 upvotes

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In the 1962 movie Harakiri, it is supposedly common for ronin to show up at a clan's palace and ask for a place to commit suicide, hoping the clan will pay to go away. Is there any record of this happening in Japan around 1630?

18 upvotes

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Why is "Anderson" such a common last name, but I've never met someone named "Ander"?

14 upvotes

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How and why did surnames like "Jameson" and "Williamson" start being used for people whose father was not named "James" or "William"

6 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
Why was the 18th Amendment an amendment? Couldn't Congress ban alcohol just by passing a law?	2743
In Braveheart, Edward Longshanks straight up murders a guy in front of his son and a couple of guards/soldiers. Could a 14th century king really do that with no repercussions?	1965
In the 1962 movie Harakiri, it is supposedly common for ronin to show up at a clan's palace and ask for a place to commit suicide, hoping the clan will pay to go away. Is there any record of this happening in Japan around 1630?	18
Why is "Anderson" such a common last name, but I've never met someone named "Ander"?	14
How and why did surnames like "Jameson" and "Williamson" start being used for people whose father was not named "James" or "William"	6