askhistorians

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How were the former slaves actually freed after the American Civil War? What was the process? Did many former slaveowners get killed by their former slaves, or did people mostly leave peacefully?	150
What happened around 1140 so that the king’s title changed from “King of the English” to “King of England”?	120
If you transported an educated 21st century Catholic to visit Augustine of Hippo in 425 AD, would he recognize them as a relatively normal Christian?	120
South Korea seems to have an unusual number of modern Christian-based religious movements with the founder claiming to be a Biblical figure. Is there a reason for this?	112
During World War 2, Churchill and Roosevelt met in locations (Tehran, Cairo, Moscow, etc) that would have them traveling very close to or over enemy territory. Why did the countries take such risks with their leaders? Did they use deception to draw attention away?	105
Did the ancient Romans also think the Italian peninsula looked like a boot?	101
Gaiman's "American Gods" is predicated on people from the old country retaining some of their pre-Christian beliefs when immigrating to the United States. Is that the case? Was Odin worship (or even folklore) a thing in areas with lots of Scandinavian immigrants?	88
In "A Christmas Story", the mother freaks out about the duck-with-head-attached served at the Chinese restaurant. ("It's smiling at me!") Would she have actually cared in 1954?	85
Recent reports suggest that US birth rates per 1000 women have reached lows not seen since 1978. What factors led to such low birth rates in the 1970s, and why did the rate (temporarily) rise afterwards?	81
The Library of Alexandria has been widely viewed as a repository of advanced knowledge burned out of spite by superstitious Christians. The reality is much less exciting. What is the origin and history of the anti-Christian library myth?	79

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