askhistorians

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Modern depictions of medieval European nobles are usually negative — they're spoiled, entitled cowards benefiting from unearned prestige and riches. Are these depictions fair? Were there plenty of chivalrous, pius, philantropic nobles we never hear about?	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
How did Bali end up a Hindu island surrounded by almost universally Muslim neighbors?	55
Did the "Muddy Mississippi" run clear before farming and development along its banks and tributaries sent lots of eroded soil into it?	55
Descendents of the Aztec emperor Montezuma were given the title "Duke of Moctezuma," by the Spanish crown, and the line is still around. Was it considered risky to make a would-be competitor a Duke? What was the strategy for marrying Mexican nobility into the Spanish nobility?	55
During the Cold War, Soviet spies had the reputation of being everywhere, being incredibly competent and effective, and turning loyal citizens into red informers. Was their reputation justified by their results, or was it mostly paranoia on the part of the West? What did they accomplish?	54
Ben Franklin's sister, Jane, only learned to write because Ben taught her the basics before he ran off at 17. I've heard that many women of the era could read the bible, but couldn't write. Is this accurate? Was it historically common to learn one but not the other?	54
Hartford, CT is currently an unimpressive city that's practically deserted after 5 p.m. and on weekends. But Mark Twain loved it enough to settle there when it was a cultural and economic hotspot. What element of the city would have caught Twain's eye?	54
Why was Tenochtitlan and other Mexica cities so much larger and more impressive than the grandest European cities the conquistadors had seen?	54
Are the honorable, disciplined, spiritual samaurai depicted in movies as far from reality as the Knights of the Round Table are from medieval knights? Or is there some truth in our romanticization of Japan's ancient warrior class?	54

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