/u/squibblededoo's posts in /r/askhistorians

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In the book Moby Dick, Ishmael uses “shillings” “pence” and “pounds” to buy things while in Massachusetts. Is it accurate that Americans would still have been using British money in the 1820s? If so, why?

405 upvotes

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I have heard that it was common for sailors (particularly pirates) in the age of sail to wear gold jewelry in order to pay their funeral expenses if they died at sea. How likely was that to be honored if a body bearing valuable jewelry washed up? What would an “unknown sailor” funeral look like?

25 upvotes

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It is widely accepted today that many Catholic saints derive from precatholic pagan deities that were incorporated into church doctrine to make conversion of pagans easier. How taboo would it be to suggest/acknowledge that in medieval Europe?

24 upvotes

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What did the medieval Islamic rulers of Egypt think of the pyramids / pharaonic antiquities generally?

2 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
In the book Moby Dick, Ishmael uses “shillings” “pence” and “pounds” to buy things while in Massachusetts. Is it accurate that Americans would still have been using British money in the 1820s? If so, why?	405
I have heard that it was common for sailors (particularly pirates) in the age of sail to wear gold jewelry in order to pay their funeral expenses if they died at sea. How likely was that to be honored if a body bearing valuable jewelry washed up? What would an “unknown sailor” funeral look like?	25
It is widely accepted today that many Catholic saints derive from precatholic pagan deities that were incorporated into church doctrine to make conversion of pagans easier. How taboo would it be to suggest/acknowledge that in medieval Europe?	24
What did the medieval Islamic rulers of Egypt think of the pyramids / pharaonic antiquities generally?	2