Sounds like crap, but a quick google only told me that whiskey brewers started offering tasting glasses around 1700-1800.

Edit: I posted this before seeing Star Wars, and its 3am now. I'll have to read these replies tomorrow, but thank you!

Hello, everyone! I am currently working on a novel taking place during the fin de siècle / Belle Époque period in Europe, and am thus looking for a good bibliography on the subject from a societal perspective (everyday life, social classes, slangs, social relations, etc.). Is there a major historical work that analyses such period as seen by the ordinary people of the time?

I was taught about segregation and civil rights movement of America. I was also taught about the “first black...” points in history. Like first black to go to a white school or first blacks to fight along side whites in war.

So I imaging African Americans being treated like second class citizens and looked down upon. Yet when I listen to songs I like from the 40s - 60s I am shocked at how many popular songs were sung by black artists. Twist, Johnny b Goode, ain’t no sunshine’s, etc. I thought America during those times would of kept the talented African Americans down.

I guess what I am getting at; was 19th century America views about blacks close to how the current world views Muslims? The hate is out there but not everywhere? Because for the long begat time I believed Americans HATED blacks until the 90s.

I've read that Jews were around 1% or 2% of the population of Germany after the 1920's, but that their influence in society was huge. Who were some of the more famous and successful Jews during this time? Is it true that they were hated for their power? Did Germans blame them for economic problems? What about societal problems, like prostitution? Did they also have a big influence on media and film?

It is widely agreed that the invention of writing by Sumerians, some 5800 years ago marked the end of the period that we commonly call prehistory.

If we only consider this as the only factor to mark the end of the aforementioned period, it can be said that there are certain societies that still live in "prehistory" (Sentinelese people and certain isolated tribes in the Amazon and New Guinea are the first that come to my mind).

Obviously, this means certain parts of the world got over this period at different times, some by inventing their own writing systems, and others by getting it imposed by outsiders (Like the Americas, for example). Also, that some civilizations made a "jump" or a "flash forward" of thousands of years by going directly from prehistory to the 1700's, in the case of Australian natives.

So, I wanted to ask what were the main instances in which a civilization came out of prehistory by adopting a writing system, regardless of whether it was foreign or of its own invention, or if it was imposed or adopted voluntarily? I know the discovery and gradual conquest of America and Australia are among the main ones, but what about other parts of the world like Europe or Asia, when did prehistory end in this places?

Also, I'd like to know if there's another element that is used to mark the end of prehistory in an area other than the arrival of writing.

Going in as a junior enlisted fellow, I'm sure some of his fellow soldiers, even his senior NCOs and officers, may have been star-struck by his super celebrity status. I read somewhere that he even purchased quite a bit of TV sets for his unit.

Did this create any situations where he had preferential treatment, whether in bootcamp or at his duty station? Did this affect the operations in his unit in any noticeable way? Was anybody at all concerned of any potential effects he would've had?

The concept of Patron saints in Christianity seems very similar to polytheistic religions with many minor gods and goddesses to me. Are there any examples of perhaps a Greek, Roman, or another western/near east polytheistic god being “christianized” into a patron saint?

From TV and Films, it seems like there were no limits. However, I am interested if there were unwritten rules as to time and place.

I am having some problem with what the people of Mesopotamia actually thought of sorcery. Since in the codex of Hammurabi, there was a death penalty on the use of sorcery. But I am reading An Introduction to Ancient Mesopotamian Religion of Tammi J. Schneider right now and she writes, that sorceresses/magicians were a big part of Mesopotamia religion. So my question is, Was sorcery bad, was it good, or should it only be used for religion use?

I've been watching band of brothers again and noticed that the soldiers have a variety of different weapons. They all seem to have m1 Garands, Carbines or Tommy guns but who gets what weapon seems to be pretty random. The Tommy guns seem to be usually carried by officers while the rifles and Carbines are used by everyone else. Is this just a Hollywood thing or was there a method of deciding who got what weapon in the US army or the army of any other nation, like who got the mp40 in the German army for example? Thanks.

I'm specifically thinking during the American revolutionary period, I've always heard about people getting tarred and feathered, but I've always wondered just how bad it would be in terms of recovery.

Let's say I'm a British spy who has just been outed, and as a result have been tarred and feathered in the public square. What's my next move, and how are my chances of survival/keeping my face?

Despite nearly the entire main landmasses of both nations being contained between 7.5 degrees East and 7.5 degrees West, both France and Spain are offset +1 hour from the UK. What's the historical story behind this?

I’m nothing more than an armchair historian, but Mussolini’s fascism really does seem to parallel Ancient Rome, particularly the empire.

1. He actually created fascism in the image of a new Roman Empire.

2. Fascism of course stems from the Roman “fasces,” a symbol of power through national unity.

3. Rome was incredibly nationalistic, Legions had no problems finding thousands of volunteers even after Hannibal had defeated them in massive battles and had razed the entire countryside. Under the empire it was of course more authoritative than ever previously before.

In terms of Caesar, he seems nothing more than a megalomaniac.

1. He rose to the highest position of power, consul, and used this power to invade Western Europe.

2. His subjects and armies were fiercely loyal to him.

3. His subordinates formed an assassination plot against him.

In early school we were taught that Ancient Rome was the pinnacle of civilization and Julius Caesar was the main reason for it’s triumph. We revered Rome and Caesar because we were never shown the similarities to the ideologies we as Americans have been taught to despise. Am I grasping at straws or do historians share similar views?

It’s my understanding that alcohol and all the drugs like LSD and cannabis were banned under the League of Nations Opium Act, why weren’t cigarettes included?

I know there is debate on whether Atilla's Huns were even a single ethnic group or a coalition. What about these other groups? Were their names just coincidences or did people just call nomadic tribes Huns regardless of their actual origin?

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