AskHistorians

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The Italian city of Bologna had 180 towers by AD 1200. The tallest was 320 feet high and still stands. How unusual was this? Who were the main tenants, and how annoying was climbing so many stories without modern elevators?	63
Was the world less copyright obsessed/litigious 60 years ago?	62
A Roman emperor is frequently known by his hated nickname, Caligula, or "Little Boots" - what was the public dynamic around the use of this nickname during his reign?	62
How commonly practiced were ancient Greco-Roman philosophies such as Stoicism and Epicureanism? Did they trickle down throughout society enough for their ideas affected the thoughts of the common man?	61
French Canadians agitated for independence in the 20th century and claimed to be worried about losing their culture and language. What specifically was the issue that independence would solve? What concessions did Canada make leading to the movement dying down?	61
The Hawaiian Ho'oponopono system of forgiveness has a historical basis, but also seems to have been adopted as a "new age," spiritual belief. How did the new-age elements distort the original, historical basis of the practice?	61
George Pullman's company town, Pullman, IL, was called both "The World's Most Perfect Town," and also as an oppressive nightmare. How dystopian was this place?	61
Did Japanese soldiers returning for WW2 face a backlash for losing the war, similar to how Vietnam vets faced scorn? What happened when civilians learned the soldiers had killed babies, raped women, and otherwise terrorized civilians/committed war crimes?	59
How tenuous was William the Conquerer's hold on England in the first years following his 1066 conquest? With King Harold dead and his army destroyed, was a large-scale English uprising a realistic possibility? Were rebels like Eadric the Wild actual threats to William?	59
Ben Franklin made a lot of money as a book printer. How did his business work? Did he ship books all over the colonies? Did he have local distributors in each city? Was he primarily printing his own work and translated classics, or did he commission/print new work as well?	59

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