I was listening to Bach's Well Tempered Clavier and I was surprised by its complexity. I had to look at the sheet music while listening to it as well as listen to each fugue multiple times just to comprehend it. I was wondering how people in Bach's day would have reacted to such music, would they have had just as much trouble as I did or would they find it much easier since they were more used to listening to that kind of music?

I know all we can really do is speculate when it comes to this topic, but it's something I find absolutely fascinating. I also hear many different opinions as to how it was actually destroyed at the time, and I can't seem to find much clear information on the topic.

While culture at that point was very uneducated, it would seem to stand to reason that at least a few scholars and physicians would observe that various maladies, such as rashes, sores, leperousy, and food poisoning increased in unclean conditions. It would then follow that sewage might be dumped outside of town, away from the water, spoiled food might be avoided, and bathing may become more routine.

Why wasn't this noticed? If it was, why didn't anyone vie for improving living conditions? What did eventually lead into cleaner living conditions becoming more popular, and was there any people in particular that inspired that change?

Hey everyone! I stumbled upon this subreddit and was wondering if anyone could point me in a possible direction.

Over the last year or so I’ve learned more about my biological father who was never part of my life. Through family and family friends I understand that his family has generations back in Oaxaca. I understand that this region has (or had, I’m not sure if it still does) a big Aztec influence. According to my mom, my biological father was big on his culture and customs. She learned a little from him, but has forgotten most of it as it was over 20 years ago and she battled a drug addiction that impacted a lot of her memory.

Basically, I want to learn more about the Aztec history. The language, the culture, etc etc. I was wondering if anyone had resources or books that they recommend when learning about the history of the empire and whatnot. I understand that things were lost in the Spanish Inquisition, but I really want to get to some roots and understand the culture better.

Any leads, suggestions etc help a lot! I really appreciate it! Thank you all!

Did they assume that they were the gods they themselves worshiped under different names? Or did they think that the we're separate entities altogether?

People who are quite fond of Foucault often tell me that Foucault does not understand himself as doing history and I should not read Foucault as a historian. With that said, how should I read Foucault?

I ask because it seems strange to me. When I read the first chapter of say Discipline and Punish it seems to me that Foucault is making what I would call a historical argument. He is talking about a change in practice from one time to another and then offering an interpretation of that change along with thoughts on what caused the change. That seems to me what historians do. (Albeit it is also what anthropologists and sociologists do.)

Am I misreading Foucault there? Am I being to general? Is there a particular way that I should Foucault rather than reading Foucault as a Historian?

(By the by, I like what I've read of Foucault.)

I've seen a lot of British newspapers, when giving background info on the current Gaza protests, say "during what Palestinians term the Nakba, meaning catastrophe, 700,000 Palestinians fled their homes." I have no particular reason to disbelieve it, or assume it should either be higher or lower. I just wonder where the number comes from, how it was calculated, how reliable it is, and how seriously the number's been questioned (obviously this number is very controversial).

Currently, being involved in the fashion industry in the US is considered somewhat effeminate, often being considered the province of women and gay men. Was this always the case? If not, when did it start? I searched it and only found one unanswered question in the search.

I recently read that it can be seen as a negative vote against the conservatives rather than a positive vote for the liberals but i'm struggling to find a summary of what the conservatives did so badly wrong?

Thanks

Was it because Britain tried and failed to take it or a more diplomatic reason?

For example, if a teacher assigns a 10-page paper on the Civil War, how is it possible to come up with any new information that hasn't previously been discussed/presented? Apologies if this is the wrong subreddit, I've just never been able to answer this question.

In the Hornblower novels, Horatio encounters every imaginable test and obstacle on his journey to full captain, from petty egos to lack of connections to plain bad luck. Meanwhile, he encounters plenty of captains who seem to have shot up through the ranks without a fraction of his qualifications.

Obviously, that's fiction. But in reality, given a reasonable level of skill and intelligence (and, of course, survival), what was the likelihood that a midshipman would make it to captain during his career? What were the usual obstacles he'd have to overcome? Were there hard barriers like wealth or bloodline, or was captain attainable by merit alone?

Nowadays, we don't really have one or two artists who are clearly considered above the rest. Different people love different artists.

But what about those great composers that we, today, consider legendary ? When you lived during the time of, say, Mozart, was he considered a demi-god who was the most important person music-wise, or was he one good composer among others, and happens to have become legendary later ?

I’m looking for a historic photo that I saw in a text book about 20 years ago while taking whichever American history class it is that covers the early 20th century up to the beginning of WWII.

The photo was of a young girl factory worker looking out the window of the factory at the fairway of an adjacent golf course.

I’ve been trying to find it for several years now but that’s pretty much all I know about the photo.

Is there any chance somebody here might happen to know what photo I’m speaking of? If not, can you point in the direction of somewhere I might be able to get advice from?