How did wagons in the 1800's not fall apart over rough terrain?

I'm curious as to how these seemingly rigid, wooden objects made it through bumps, dips, rocks and such. There seems to be no sort of shock absorbers, so how did those solid wood wheels stay together?

2 Answers 2018-02-27

I was given a WWI Grenade. What kind is it?

Hello Historians!

I went to visit my grandfather and he gave me this grenade as a gift. My great-grandfather was in WWI, fighting in Verdun, France when he was 16 (he was German).

I think it's a rifle grenade. It says "The Cotton Powder Co. Ltd. Hayes Patent London. 7 M/M." Why would a German have this grenade?

Also, I don't know if it's safe or if it has been disarmed. How do I know that? I would love not to blow up any time soon. I'm living in Mexico, so I'm sure if it hasn't detonated in ~104 years and on the trip from France>Germany>Mexico, it's not that dangerous.

Thanks a lot for the help!

2 Answers 2018-02-27

How did the Hundred Years' War contribute to the fall of feudalism in England and France?

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1 Answers 2018-02-27

Did medieval towns really have "boards" the way they are depicted in medieval video games such as Dragon Age / The Witcher?

1 Answers 2018-02-27

Has anybody heard about an oil fire in Ireland in the early 1900s?

I'm not sure if this is the right sub for this question but I figured it's worth a shot. My mother's family (i can give those ancestors' surname if it will help) moved to the US from Ireland after they accidentally caused a fire at some point in the late 1800s/early 1900s. We always heard about this "horrific fire" in stories growing up. They came from either Ballyferriter or Dunquin.

As the story goes, they found a barrel of oil washed up on the shore either in or near their home village, presumably from a shipwreck. Feeling generous, they brought it back to their cottage to split it with their neighbors. About half of the small village was in the cottage divvying up the oil when an ember from the fire ignited the barrel, causing a massive fire that killed everybody in the house. The death toll was monumental for the area. When the surviving family members moved to the US, they eventually found out that the fire had been so bad that the story had been printed in some major US newspapers.

Years later, my grandfather found a newspaper clipping of the story somewhere, made a copy, and sent it to my mom, but she lost it. We've been on a search to find out more specific information about this event, which we believe was one of the main driving points in the emigration of that side of my family, but we've been unable to find anything.

If you know any way to find more information, it would be so helpful. if you've read through all of this, thank you so much!! Any help would be beyond appreciated

UPDATE: My Mom found a digital copy of the article she lost, found here. It occurred in 1870. It seems as though my family (it was the Moran lineage referenced here) was involved, but not those who owned the home. Peig has the story (and an actual name of my ancestors!) but this news story seems to be more detailed. Thanks for the help!

1 Answers 2018-02-27

Were virgins ever thrown into volcanoes as sacrificial offerings?

Or, was it ever a practice to toss someone into a volcano due to ritualistic or religious origins? Or for any reason otherwise?

1 Answers 2018-02-27

Did Abraham Lincoln view blacks as more inferior than whites?

1 Answers 2018-02-27

In Tony Kushner's "Angels in America", a homosexual character talks about taking walks in 1985 NYC's Central Park or on "53rd street" - Were there specific locations in New York for young men looking for homosexual hookups?

2 Answers 2018-02-27

Hi! I read somewhere that Cleopatra probably didn’t die from a snake bite, since that would be painful and take a long time to kill her. Is this what most historians think? I realize any of the possible methods of suicide would be conjecture. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

1 Answers 2018-02-27

Why so many Korean language churches? Were missionaries more "successful" there?

I live and work in the DC burbs. Drive all over the area for work.

I see lots of Christian churches for Korean speakers. Every once in a great while I'll see a Chinese language church, and can't really say I've see other Asian language Christian church.

Were Christian missionaries more successful in Korea than other Asian countries? If so why? Or is this a case of confirmation bias and I just notice them?

1 Answers 2018-02-27

How was Italian Fascism different from Liberalism?

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1 Answers 2018-02-27

What did the richest medieval lords eat each night?

How big was the feast each night? Where was the food procured from? What foods would be a part of the dinner? What dining etiquette was there? How many chefs/servants? Was there entertainment? Would the magnitude of the feast differ from day to day or week to week? I’m assuming holidays and other special days would be an even larger spectacle

3 Answers 2018-02-27

Were there Native American tribes living along the coast (Pacific or Atlantic) that specialized in ocean fishing/travel?

Similiar to Hawaii, or possible the Eskimos. Maybe food source was so abundant on land that they left the ocean alone? Canoes seem to take great precedent but have never heard much about ocean hunting or voyage

1 Answers 2018-02-27

What religion was the prophet Mohammed before inventing the Abrahamic religion of Islam?

If he wasn’t Jewish or Christian, how would he have the understanding of those two religions on which to base his new religion? If he was polytheist, how would he know enough about abrahamic religions to create one of his own?

2 Answers 2018-02-27

I was listening to a history documentary (A Distant Mirror) and it went over a group of Peasants, who were nicknamed after their armor, that killed a bunch of nobles but I can't remember what they were called.

It was something like Jack but it was pronounced with that sort of nasally J sound. I was really interested in them but I can't figure out where to look.

1 Answers 2018-02-26

Did Confederate veterans receive any support for their service after the Civil War?

1 Answers 2018-02-26

How was Italian Fascism different from Conservatism?

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1 Answers 2018-02-26

How did American Jews whose ancestors arrived before the great migrations of the fin-du-siècle react to the new Jewish immigrants?

My ancestors, and the ancestors of most Jews that I know in the US, arrived in the late 19th-early 20th century. However, I know that there were a few Jews living in the US before then, largely Sepphardic if I'm not mistaken. What I want to know is how they reacted to the new arrivals, especially as there were more new Jewish immigrants than long-term American Jews. Did they fight to keep any sort of old American Jewish culture, or did they assimilate to the new arrivals? Were there any class differences, or denominational struggles?

1 Answers 2018-02-26

How did Latin names work?

For example, what would “Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus”’s son’s full name be if his name was “Perseus” or something?

1 Answers 2018-02-26

I've heard, anecdotally, that part of the reason behind Japan failing to follow up the Pearl Harbor attack with a strike on the US mainland was a fear of American's widespread ownership of firearms. Is there any truth to that statement, even in the slightest?

Or does it fall into the realm of "believed by many, but unknowable"? In relation, has the second amendment to the US Constitution ever been a consideration in military strategy during war efforts against the US?

2 Answers 2018-02-26

How did people survive lung/airway injuries/surgeries before the invention of machines that make you breathe?

1 Answers 2018-02-26

Conan is the most famous fictional Cimmerian. Who is the most famous non-fictional Cimmerian and why?

1 Answers 2018-02-26

I am a farmer in medieval England. Do any plants accidentally grow in my ‘fallow’ field and are they any use to me or are they just weeds?

2 Answers 2018-02-26

Why did men in the USA stop wearing hats all the time?

2 Answers 2018-02-26

What's the deal with the Celts and the Norse?

This is poorly written, apologies.

What's the historical relationship between these people? Not just Celts and Norse but the people of Britain and Ireland and the people of Scandinavia.

Was the art at Newgrange influential to Nords? Are Nordic standing stones derivative of Stonehenge? The Celtic knot is the most obvious example of influence, Nordic knot work styles are very similar.

I understand there were Viking settlements at Dublin/etc but that was after similarities started to appear. What's the timeline of meetings between the cultures?

EDIT what I meant was not just Celts and Norse but any and all peoples from Ireland, Britain, and Scandinavia at any time, and how did they influence each other artistically culturally etc

2 Answers 2018-02-26

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