/u/marfalump's posts in /r/AskHistorians

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In many classic TV sitcoms, upper middle class families have a live-in maid. How common was this in America? When and why did families stop employing maids?

519 upvotes

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Many middle-class families in TV sitcoms from the 50s - 80s had live-in housekeepers. (Brady Bunch, Hazel, the Jeffersons, etc.) How common were live-in housekeepers in real life? Why don't upper middle-class families have them now?

242 upvotes

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Why did many large American corporations founded in the late 1800s and early 1900s have very generic names, like General Electric, Standard Oil, and General Motors?

141 upvotes

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Cartoons and children's toys often portray circus trains as having a giraffe car where the giraffe's neck sticks out through the roof. Did circuses ever actually transport giraffes like that?

68 upvotes

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Today I learned that my grandfather was a "technical staff sargeant" in the US Army during WW2. He served aboard Navy's USS Hope hospital ship. What might his duties have been?

9 upvotes

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Can someone explain the political beliefs of Ancient Romans?

7 upvotes

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What specific things did Hitler say in his speeches that made him so persuasive?

6 upvotes

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I am a crewmember, sailing with a European explorer. I lead a mutiny against the captain. We take over the ship and leave the captain on a deserted island. What happens next?

2 upvotes

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Were there any polls, votes, or other statistical data from the 1770s to show what percentage of the American colonists supported independence from the British?

1 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
In many classic TV sitcoms, upper middle class families have a live-in maid. How common was this in America? When and why did families stop employing maids?	519
Many middle-class families in TV sitcoms from the 50s - 80s had live-in housekeepers. (Brady Bunch, Hazel, the Jeffersons, etc.) How common were live-in housekeepers in real life? Why don't upper middle-class families have them now?	242
Why did many large American corporations founded in the late 1800s and early 1900s have very generic names, like General Electric, Standard Oil, and General Motors?	141
Cartoons and children's toys often portray circus trains as having a giraffe car where the giraffe's neck sticks out through the roof. Did circuses ever actually transport giraffes like that?	68
Today I learned that my grandfather was a "technical staff sargeant" in the US Army during WW2. He served aboard Navy's USS Hope hospital ship. What might his duties have been?	9
Can someone explain the political beliefs of Ancient Romans?	7
What specific things did Hitler say in his speeches that made him so persuasive?	6
I am a crewmember, sailing with a European explorer. I lead a mutiny against the captain. We take over the ship and leave the captain on a deserted island. What happens next?	2
Were there any polls, votes, or other statistical data from the 1770s to show what percentage of the American colonists supported independence from the British?	1