askhistorians

Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
A Zambian historian told me that prior to colonization, the majority of traditional leadership was held by women and this changed only because the British refused to negotiate with female Chiefs. Is there any truth to his statement?	932
In Zambia a village near mine was named ‘Malaga’. According to the headman, it was named after a battle his grandfather fought in during one of the World Wars. What battle would that have been, and what would life have been like for an African fighting in Europe during one of these wars?	74
What effect did the US/NATO interventions in Bosnia and Kosovo in the 1990s have on perceptions of the United States by populations and governments of Muslim-majority countries? And did these interventions help promote radical Islamic movements within Bosnia and Kosovo?	46
During the passage of the 14th Amendment, what was the understanding regarding 'birthright citizenship'? Did Senators anticipate that it could be used to grant citizenship to children of immigrants? How soon after it's passage was it used to grant citizenship to non-slave immigrant children?	35
A century ago, in the aftermath of WWI and with the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the world had to deal with millions of refugees and mass migration. How did the receiving countries deal with this influx?	24
I've heard people argue that their ancestors came to America legally, so immigrants today should too. What was the process of becoming a citizen like in the 19th and early 20th centuries? Was it as difficult as it is today?	8
What was the staple food of Southern Africa before maize was introduced? How long did it take until maize became ubiquitous?	5
Was Luis Muñoz Marín, the first democratically elected governor of Puerto Rico, really an opium addict being blackmailed by the FBI to reject independence?	2
Why did Luis Muñoz Marín oppose Puerto Rican Independence after running on a pro-independence platform for the President of the Puerto Rican Senate?	1
Did Ben-Gurion call on Israel to give up its conquered territories after the 1967 war?	1

« < > »