askhistorians

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Most know the Statue of Liberty is made from copper and due to the salt water in NY harbor, had been "rusting" away, giving it it's green look. When the US accepted it in the 1800s, did they know that would happen? If so, did they just assume it would eventually rot and dissolve into the ocean?	1322
I am a British or French soldier in WWI. My army attachment is involved in a big push and had high casualties. I got scared halfway through no man's land and came back. What was REALISTICALLY going to happen to me?	340
Ok it's kind of a silly question, but since most people didn't own a mirror until the 1800s; did people prior to that ever do things that we do in the mirror, like pop zits, check our teeth, etc?	113
I am a British or French soldier in WWI. My army attachment just had a big offensive push. I got scared halfway through no man's land and came back to the trenches. What is likely to happen to me next?	107
It seems that, for the most part, pre-industrial cities must have smelled god-awful due to lack of modern sewers. Is there anything to indicate the inhabitants were "acclimated" to this smell?	76
Going back to the USSR days: if you had an important job, say working at a power plant, fireman, etc, if you didn't like your job were you allowed to just"quit?"	75
I feel almost silly asking this, but why is The Big Dipper called The Big Dipper instead of "The Big Pot" or "The Big Cauldron"?	70
Why do some English last names have a profession (Smith, Shepard, Cooper, Fletcher, etc) while others say who you descended from (Johnson, Wilson, etc)?	69
Why were so many American men in the late 1800s and early 1900s named with two initials? (ie: T. R. Winthrop, E.B. Wilson. Etc)	53
The Romans had aqueducts feeding many cities from many miles away. How did they keep the water wheels and intake spots maintained so they didn't break or intentionally destroyed?	50

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