AskHistorians

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As President, Lincoln was routinely subject to shocking ridicule from begrudging 'supporters' ("a baboon","the original gorilla","an idiot","a barbarian", "yahoo", etc.). Was this contempt as widespread as it sounds? Was this vitriol abnormal for the era? How did he overcome it?	1238
Was Prester John made up out of thin air, or were there real christian inroads made in Asia to support the myth?	1225
Was the landslide Labor victory in the 1945 UK general election as shocking as it sounds? Churchill is a legendary figure and his party had won the popular vote in every election since 1906; was the outcome a backlash against his leadership style, burnout, or something else?	1217
Punk is a style of music that also incorporates a socio-political ethos, and it emerged on both sides of the Atlantic around the same time; were both groups responding to the same things in the larger culture? What provoked them? How analogous were 1970s New York City and London?	1214
On Cinemax's 'Spartacus', for punishment, Spartacus is sent to fight in underground, 'no rules' fights where his death is expected as a matter of course. Were there actually less reputable, less honorable fighting pits contemporaneous to gladiator fights in the arena, or was it an invention?	1192
Caesar's march on Rome with a single legion seems like a tactical blunder that absolutely shouldn't have worked; do we know if he had any contingency plans?	1169
The 'fairness doctrine' was abolished in 1987, leading to a transformation of the 'news' marketplace into the creature it is today- what exactly changed, and how? Was the impact felt immediately? What was the rationale for the change? Has it played out the way those that drove the decision hoped?	1122
There were "draft Eisenhower" movements for both the Democratic and Republican nominations for President in 1952, why did he end up choosing to run as a Republican? He was also the only non-Democrat elected President between 1929 and 1968- what did being a Republican stand for at this time?	1113
Christianity in the Roman empire went from its greatest period of persecution, under Diocletian, to legalized status, through the edict of Milan, in less than ten years. How did contemporary non-Christians react to this, and how foreseeable was it that Rome would become a Christian empire?	891
How has Zoroastrianism managed to survive for 3000 years despite not accepting converts?	780

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