AskHistorians

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What's the origin story on Santa Claus, and how quickly did he become ubiquitous? How much impact did he have on the commercialization of Christmas, or was this just pushback on a christianized pagan celebration? Is Father Christmas the same or distinct?	21
Cole Porter's lyrics are loaded with what to modern ears is pretty obvious, blatant innuendo. Would he have expected his contemporary listeners to pick up on it? Would critics have?	21
In the early 20th century, the US federal government engaged in trust busting under both Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Given that support for these actions were apparently bipartisan at the time, why does this era stand out so much from the rest of US history?	21
Was the existence of the 'underground railroad' common knowledge? Was there a difference in awareness of it between the north and the south? How did it work?	21
Child labor was common for most of history through post-industrialization, becoming something 'decent' societies frowned upon relatively recently (1st laws child labor laws were passed in 19th century).What triggered the change in how society viewed its children? Was there a landmark moment?	20
Where does the story that Shakespeare died after a drinking contest with Ben Johnson and Michael Drayton come from? Is it credible?	20
How widely accepted is the theory that climate change contributed to the spread of the Black Death? What are the prevailing theories of its causes and spread/why it was so much worse in the 14th century than other deadly epidemics, even previous and subsequent instances of the same disease?	20
Fictional portrayals of J Edgar Hoover suggest he kept extensive files on a vast array of American citizens, and that he had a contentious relationship with the Kennedys, in particular. Does the historical record bear this out? How was his relationship with earlier Presidents?	20
People's personalities are not fully developed until they are around 25, if I understand the science correctly. Do we know if, 100 years ago, before the idea of the 'teenager' was as fully developed as it is today, when most people were married with kids at 25, this was also the case?	20
Was the acquisition of Alaska from Russia considered a natural move for the US in 1867? Why were the Russians looking to sell? Did they consider offering it to Canada first? If not, why not?	20

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