askhistorians

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I've seen several paintings depicting how people dressed in the antebellum South. They seemed to wear heavy, European clothing, such as large dresses. Why is it that the style of clothing seems so out-of-sync with the actual warm climate?	275
As an hourly worker, I feel a lot of pressure to get things done from my boss. Would a medieval serf have experienced a similar kind of pressure, or was the pace more leisurely?	234
Dozens of utopian experiments took place in the United States in the early 1800s. What conditions led to such widespread experimentation?	115
Did early Christians have a concept of "hell" or eternal damnation similar to what modern Christians have now? Why or why not?	29
There are many mentions of lions in the Bible, was there some kind of lion population in the Middle East during ancient times?	18
The early schools of Buddhism traditionally condemned the killing of animals. How was this handled as Buddhism spread to colder climates, where hunting was an important part of daily living?	9
When someone gets yelled at or verbally disciplined by their boss, they might say, "He read me the Riot Act today." What are the origins of this phrase?	8
In the film "The Crossing," continental soldiers could only use swords and bayonets during the surprise attack on the Hessians because their gunpowder was wet. Is there any actual truth to this?	4
In the West we seem to associate communism with despots and dictators. Why is it, then, that so many communist countries called themselves "The Peoples' Republic of ____ " ?	4
When did the distinction between "indoors" and "outdoors" first arise? Modern people camp in the "outdoors" for fun, but hunter-gatherer cultures would probably find such a distinction absurd.	4

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