askhistorians

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I can partially understand Middle English readings of Chaucer, while Old English sounds entirely foreign to me. How easily would a speaker of Middle English (14th century) be able to understand an Old English reading of Beowulf (9th century)?	103
Hoover was still alive when Kennedy was assassinated, just under 31 years after he left office. How did Hoover's views on his own presidency/legacy change in the years and decades after he left office?	86
Amaranth crops provide yields similar to those of cereal grains, and is generally more nutritious than other grains. Why did Maize, rather than Amaranth, come to dominate Native American agriculture, and then become the staple crop of the United States?	85
The death rate from tropical disease in French Guiana was so high in the 18th century that exile to the colony was widely viewed as a Death Sentence. Why did other French colonists settle there voluntarily?	81
How credible are claims that Roman Emperor Elagabalus was transgender?	80
I am a Black man in the 1950s Southern United States. I really want to try the food at a Whites-Only restaurant. Are there any services for me to hire a white man to bring me take out, or another (preferably legal) means for me to get that food?	71
Its widely understood that the Romance languages descended from Latin, but prior to Modern Linguistics, was it widely understood that German, Norwegian, and English, were related?	45
In 1840, Colombian general and liberal politician Jose Maria Obando sided with conservative rebels against President Jose Ignacio de Marquez, with whom Obando shared--to the best of my knowledge--nearly identical political beliefs, and plunging Colombia into civil war. What led him to do this?	34
Nude, usually physically fit men appear prominently and frequently in early modern artwork. To what extent was this trend influenced by homosexuality within artistic circles?	32
The North American Beaver is extant as far north as Alaska and as far south as Mexico. How much variation was there in Native American interactions with beavers? Did beavers play a particularly significant role in the cuisine, religion, or economy, of certain indigenous groups prior to colonization?	22

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