AskHistorians

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Today I learned about “gracias al sacar”. Certificates that subjects in New Spain could purchase or petition for in order to be treated, at least legally, as white. This seems remarkably flexible considering how rigid racial the hierarchy was in Colonial America. What accounts for these differences?	21
How big of an impact did germ theory and hospitals have on maternal/infant mortality? How long before we saw an impact?	21
"Good Vibrations" or "good vibes" are a couple of common phrases I hear today in regards to sending well wishes or creating a positive environment. Am I wrong for assuming that immense popularity of the Beach Boys song Good Vibrations had a part in this? Was it used a lot prior to the song?	21
I’m listening to Svetlana Alexievich’s oral history of the Second World War and one of her interview subjects mentions how German doctors would forcibly take blood from young Russian children cause they thought it had special healing powers. Is this really true??	21
In 1927, the Bath School Disaster, led to the deaths of over 38 people, including the shooter/bomber, and his wife, but most of the victims were elementary school children. How did the American public react to this? Was it equivalent to the reaction to Colombine or Sandy Hook?	21
Poll tax laws in the Reconstruction Era South, when read up close, show that they were applicable to both poor whites and blacks. Was that the intention in the beginning? Or was it happenstance that poor whites got caught in the net too? What effect did they have on the white vote?	21
Were there miscegenation laws in European colonies?	20
From the 1900's to the 1940's lynchings in the Deep South seemed to have a more "festival" like atmosphere, with men, women and children attending it. This contrasts with the relatively "quiet" work done to boys like Emmett Till. Is there a reason for this shift?	20
George McClellan was reportedly putting in 18 hour days as he attempted to get the Union’s Army of the Potomac into shape for future operations. What did an average 18 hour day look like for him?	20
During the Cultural Revolution, I heard that Red Guards would chase down any house cats they saw and kill them for being symbols of the bourgeoisie. Is that true?!	19

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