AskHistorians

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With regards to European nobility, "minor nobility" is sometimes referenced (e.g. John came from a family of minor nobility). What exactly makes them "minor" in comparison to other nobles and how would their lives differ?	142
During the persecution of Catholics in 17th-century England, how did the ruling Protestants reconcile this with the fact that all of their ancestors were Catholics (Since Catholicism didn’t exist before the 16th century)? Did the Protestant Nobles consider their ancestors to be “heretical papists?”	82
Throughout history, were people aware of how societies changed over time? Essentially, did they think that their way of life would be the norm forever or that things have always been a certain way? Other than creation myths, did people realize that culture is dynamic?	67
How did American slavery in the 18th century contrast with slavery in the 19th century? How were they similar?	31
During Imperial Japan's colonial expansion in Asia, were there any instances of "passing as Japanese", akin to how some African-Americans "passed as white" during American Segregation?	28
To what extent can culture be attributed to economic circumstances rather than political conviction? Has there ever been such a thing as politics divorced from economics?	12
How did Germans come to control Prussia? (Considering that the Old Prussian language was a Western Baltic language.)	10
Why did the constituent states of the Holy Roman Empire maintain the office of Emperor if he exerted little control outside of his personal "Imperial" holdings? I know the Emperor wasn't so weak as to be "ceremonial", but broadly speaking, why do titles without the "corresponding power" persist?	5
During the persecution of Catholics in 17th-century England, how did the ruling Protestants come to terms with the fact that all of their ancestors were Catholics (because Protestantism didn’t really exist before the 16th century)?	4
Does “Alternate History” have a place in formal study?	1

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