askhistorians

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Lee Harvey Oswald applied to work at the Texas School Book Depository over 2 months before Kennedy's assassination. How did he know to do this? Was JFK's motorcade route announced several months in advance?	4874
In the United States we have to register to exercise our right to vote, but we dont have to register to exercise our right to buy guns or to exercise any other right. How and why did registering to vote begin? Did Americans in the 1700's have to register to vote?	4131
How did humans work in fields in the heat for thousands of years without easy abundant access to water but avoid dying of heat stroke or exhaustion?	3160
How recent is awareness of dates? Did everyone in the 13th century know they were in the 13th century? Did everyone in 1516 know it was 1516?	2702
The phrase "They're selling like hotcakes" dates back to the 1800s, "hotcakes" just being a another word for "pancakes", but hotcakes had been around for centuries by the 1800s. Was there a huge demand for pancakes around the time this phrase originated?	2391
I was reading US Civil War-era newspapers from Tennessee and the papers seem to imply that secession was a decision made by public referendum. Did ordinary citizens cast their vote to secede from the Union? I always thought it was politicians.	1803
Benjamin Franklin used the pen name Silence Dogood, posing as a middle aged widow. Was 'Silence' a common name at the time? If not, why did he use such an unusual name?	1473
I recently watched a documentary that claimed there was a law in the Byzantine Empire that forbade government officials from marrying actresses and that this law was repealed so that Emperor Justinian could marry Theodora. Why would there be a law like this in the first place?	1366
In his book 'Supergods' by comic book writer Grant Morrison, he argues that Superhero stories are modern American mythology. He claims that Superman is the first mythological hero to solve his problems without killing. Is this true? Were there any mythological heroes from the past that didnt kill?	897
This Wikipedia page says that "after the American Revolutionary War, students experienced harsh treatment from teachers. In response to the abuse, college students began to riot, burn down buildings located on their college campuses, and assault faculty members." Why did teachers treat students bad?	603

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