askhistorians

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Were officers in the American Revolution actually trained to use swords, spontoons, and even halberds in combat, or did they only use them to make it easier to distinguish their ranks on the field?	96
In the Age of Sail, how did the British navy prepare enormous fleets for giant ship battles like Málaga and Trafalgar? How were the logistics and plannings done?	75
How come in history, the Swiss were known for producing such strong, ferocious soldiers/mercenaries, and why particularly the Swiss?	73
It is often said that Montezuma drank 50 cups of cocoa a day, do we know of any health effects he experienced from this heavy drinking?	71
I'll try ask again because I've never gotten any answers on this question: do we know what the kill radius and maximum effective blast radius of a shrapnel grenade would have been in the Golden Age of piracy?	70
Why did 18th-century ships of the line have their steering wheels underneath the quarterdeck? Wouldn't it be difficult for the helmsman to see the direction they are steering in?	68
In Assassin's Creed Black Flag and Rogue, some major enemy ships in the game were depicted to have large rams on their bows to inflict major damage to enemy ship hulls, could such rams have actually been constructed on warships during the Age of Sail?	66
Apparently a crew of around 800 men was needed to sail a Man o' War/Ship of the line carrying a total 100+ cannons. What were the roles of the other 700 (or so) men?	59
What was Port Royal, Jamaica like after the 1692 earthquake, primarily during the Queen Anne's War?	59
This sword is apparently inscribed with the words "Drawn to Protect Innocence 1775." Who was (or at least claimed to be) innocent in the American Revolution?	53

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