askhistorians

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Why did corn become so popular in northern Italy? What staple crops did it displace?	58
The legend of Miyamoto Musashi seems larger than life. Do we have enough historical records to think some of it is plausible? Are some parts obviously fictionalized?	58
Is it true that anyone of any ethnicity, living in any area, could be "Greek" in the ancient world if they adopted the right language, customs, gods, rituals and festivals? Were the Greeks really this open-minded? How unique was this arrangement, historically?	57
Much of the Netherlands is famously below sea level, and maintained with dikes and pumps. But when and why did the Netherland stop reclaiming large parcels of new land from the sea? How did they decide they had enough land, or couldn't realistically get more?	57
How quickly did it become clear that purchasing, Alaska, or "Seward's Icebox," for $7.2 million had actually been a good deal? Should we take seriously the claims of some economists that it was actually a bad deal?	56
Between the invention of movies with sound in 1929 and the widespread adoption of the Hays Code in mid-1934, Hollywood had a lot of freedom. It pushed the boundaries of propriety, leading to the Hays Code. What sort of movies came during this "Pre-Code" era, and how did society react?	56
After Napoleon returned to power in 1815, how did he raise, train, and equip a 250,000 man army so quickly, considering that he'd run out of troops before his abdication in 1814?	55
"The Lessons of History," by Will and Ariel Durant is often recommended by prominent nonhistorians as a favorite history book. Do historians hold it in high regard and consider its conclusions accurate?	55
Did the "Muddy Mississippi" run clear before farming and development along its banks and tributaries sent lots of eroded soil into it?	55
Flat-sided coins seem to be standard across the world for exchanging small denominations of precious metal currency. Were other designs — like spherical or triangular coins — ever tried?	55

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