askhistorians

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The Sumerian king list contains a single woman as ruler, a former alewife called Kubaba. Do we know how this was interpreted by Ancient Mesopotamian societies? And what significance did an alewife have?	3152
For centuries eels were a major and iconic part of poorer Londoners' diets. What were the contemporary views of eels for eating over that time and what was the reaction to their precipitous decline?	1279
From 1876 to 1916 the two main Spanish political parties alternated terms in offices by agreeing election results in advance. How did the system come about and stay stable? Were they any party differences? How was this enforced at a local voter level?	319
There's a legend that Condorcet was found by the French Revolutionary authorities after ordering a 12 egg omelette like an aristocrat. What is the origin of this story and how big would a 12 egg omelette really be in 1794 France?	122
How were Americo-Liberians able to administrate Liberia and exert control over a massive area and large indigenous population for centuries with such a small population and limited capital and infrastructure?	102
How long have people been claiming "you can't say Christmas any more" in places like the UK and USA? What's the origin of this idea?	102
What were the experiences of the first Black congressmen like in the Reconstruction era? Did they face discrimination and difficulty, both within Congress and while living in Washington DC?	96
Is the Khazar Correspondence generally considered authentic?	84
The 1927 Liberian presidential election supposedly recorded 243k votes for incumbent president Charles D.B. King despite an electorate of only 15k. Obviously if so the election was rigged, but also what on earth was going on there? Is this true?	68
The Zoroastrian religious and social reformer Mazdak of Persia apparently implemented radical social welfare programs and changes with the approval of an emperor and has even been seen by some as proto-socialist. What are the realities of the programs he instituted and what was their social context?	68

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