askhistorians

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How were the waves of 'tired, poor, huddled masses' of 19th century Europe paying for their voyage to America, typically? What lives were they leaving behind?	118
I've heard arguments both that "Irish need not apply" signs were largely a myth and that they were, in fact, common. Is there a consensus among historians on the issue?	118
Did the Great Depression prompt any serious consideration or public debate of alternatives to capitalism in the United States?	116
Before inauguration day, Franklin Pierce and his wife suffered a tragedy, witnessing the graphic death of their only remaining child, and he entered office deeply distraught. Did this prompt any consideration of how the government should handle a President emotionally unfit for his duties?	115
How was the East India Company able to maintain rule over the massive subcontinent for over 100 years? Was it stable? Was it more than a loose administration? How much indigenous resistance was there? Did this change under direct British rule?	113
Was the 1941 sinking of the HMS Hood in battle a complete shock to the British? The subsequent hunt for, and sinking of, the Bismarck has become a legendary undertaking by the Royal Navy; was British naval supremacy ever really challenged in the second World War, or was it just a lucky punch?	112
In American popular culture, the Pacific theater of the World War II is portrayed as being more brutal (and is mythologized less) than the European theater; did this reflect the reality "on the ground"? Why?	112
From time to time it's suggested that either FDR or the US military knew or intentionally provoked belligerent action from the Japanese prior to Pearl Harbor. Is there anything to these allegations or are they just conspiracy theories? Where do these charges come from?	112
I've heard 'This Land is Your Land' described as a Marxist response to 'God Bless America'; given the economic difficulty in America though the Depression, was the public more sympathetic towards Marxist thought? Was it able to make inroads into American intellectual life?	112
Augustus banished his daughter, his only natural child, for violating public morals. Do we know what she did? Did contemporaries regard him to be a bit of a prude or a hypocrite?	108

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