askhistorians

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When did Sigmund Freud’s ideas lose their authority among the public (at least in the USA)? Intellectuals in the postwar period cited Freud constantly, whereas today, most people remember him mainly for his wackier theories about sex with your mom.	2434
Most Americans learn about the Pilgrims and Plymouth Bay Colony early in elementary school, and only later learn about earlier settlements such as Jamestown. Is this because someone influential explicitly decided to emphasize the Pilgrims over other early American settlers, and if so, why?	900
How long have black African people been caricatured as apes and monkeys? Do these portrayals predate Darwin's theory of human evolution?	646
How did the poodle, an eminently practical hunting dog, get stereotyped as a pet for aristocratic women?	171
Why do Native Americans use English translations of their surnames instead of their indigenous languages? When and how did this custom start?	160
Edith Wharton's novels have several mentions of turtle meat (specifically terrapin), something that I've never seen on modern menus, being a common food at fancy dinner parties. Was eating turtles actually common in Gilded Age high society, and when did it go out of style?	120
Why did French names such as Antoine, Andre, and Monique become common among African-Americans? Wikipedia mentions that they became popular in the 1950s and 60s but doesn't list any causes.	111
Mexican national identity seems heavily based on Aztec culture (e.g. the eagle-snake-cactus emblem on the national flag). Did any of the Aztecs' copious historical enemies object to this? If not, why?	36
I'm a runaway slave in (let's say) 1840 and have just arrived in a free state. What will the next weeks be like? How hard will it be for me to find work or a house? Will anyone help me get settled? Will I be accepted by the established free black community?	35
Scandinavian culture is famously informal and egalitarian, while German culture is famously fastidious about politeness and social hierarchies. Seeing as the two regions have centuries of close economic and cultural ties, how did these differences come about?	35

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