Were their units given different tasks and how did their performance compare to regular soldiers? How did their difference in quality compare to conscripted men in Russia, China, the UK, or any other world power?

I've always been a little confused how Parliament could have been created with Magna Carta yet for generations, the Crown still seemed to be calling the shots in Great Britain.

To someone who hasn't studied British history all that much, it seems that the Royal family didn't become symbolic until sometime after the American Revolution.

So, my question is, when did Parliament become more powerful than the Crown and how did this happen?

Thanks.

Hi fellow historians!!

Being born and raised in Israel, I always learned that Israel is a place full of fairytales and perfection, and it’s the land of God’s people and we were destined to have this piece of land for ~4000 years etc.

Recently I’ve heard that the way Israel gained its independence wasn’t really “kosher” and the way the government is treating Arabs isn’t either. I would usually ignore these because I was very biased and pro-Israel, but now I’m looking for the objective truth. It finally came to me when I saw that the only two countries that are against trading with Cuba are the USA and Israel.

Thanks in advance for helping me!

I'm listening to the /r/AskHistorians podcast #98 on the caning of Charles Sumner and it's mentioned that the Fugitive Slave Act was deeply unpopular in the North. Given the population disparity between the North and the South, why did this law pass?

Obviously Congress doesn't necessarily follow the will of the people but one article I found mentioned that only four senators (out of 64) voted against the measure.

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... And then how did they get back? Any guesses on a time table? (Though I'm thinking that last one will be the easiest to figure out on my own.)

I'm having a devil of a time figuring out which way a Salem, Massachusetts black pepper trader would sail to get to Sumatra in 1798/1800. I'm trying to write a novel featuring a fictionalized version of the historic quest for black pepper as the primary plotline, and which cultures and obstacles I present will be dramatically different depending on which damn way the ship goes around the world.

I've looked online and I'm still doing research, but thought I'd ask here first. I'll update if I manage to get one of the deacons at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site on the phone.

Update: Apparently no one at the Salem Maritime museum actually answers the phone, and the voicemail box isn't set up. Gah. I'll try again here in a bit.

How would the life of a merchant in ancient Mongolia have been? Would traders from Venice have traveled all the way to Mongolia, or would it have been too labor intensive? If the Venetians didn’t travel all the way there, what country where the merchants who did from?

Legends like the Black Dog as common in Europe, especially in the British Isles. How did dogs, which would have been seen as helpful or friendly, end up being the subject of demonic folklore? Was there a connotation about dogs which allowed them to be seen as bringers of ill fortune?

Hope this question is okay. I normally just read!

Please put lots of examples and evidence. Thanks! I'm pretty new to this subreddit. :)

During the Migratory period it seems like all of the tribes that settled in previously Roman territory completely adopted the language of the places they settled. Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Lombards and Franks all adopted the latin language within only a couple of generations. I understand this is probably a big question, but why did this happen with these particular tribes as opposed to say the Hungarians or Saxons who obliterated the local dialects during their own migrations?

Sorry if title is too long :I

I've been reading the whole of yesterday about the historicity of the Jewish bible and one of the things that stood out the most to me was that legendary kings like David or Solomon were actually most likely only chiefs of a then quite small hill-top village of Jerusalen, and at most rulers of the sorrounding area.

So, how come they got so much fame and became legendary amongst the Jews? Why did the Kingdom of Israel (Samaria to some, right?) not get as much 'fame'? From what I ubderstand the rulers of Samaria at the time lowered the importance of Jerusalem amongst the Jews and built two shrines instead. So why did Jerusalem still end up becoming the most important place, with Solomon's Temple being so exalted?

If so, can you tell us a little bit more about what kind of precautions were taken and how successful they were?

Thank you!

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