I've done some (minimal) research online and just can't wrap my head around anti-Semitism's prevalence. From Polish and Irish pogroms to the Holocaust to the biblical story of Moses, it seems like the Jewish people can't catch a break. Why is this? Are they historically antagonistic to so many people or are they an easy target or what?
1 Answers 2016-04-29
I have seen several discussions lately on r/swords where a lot of people seem to have entirely different opinions when it comes to the question of swords being used as primary weapons on the medieval battlefield and how common it was.
The usual argument I see against this, is that soldiers would usually rather fight with poleaxes, halberds, pikes etc and then use swords as sidearms instead.
What is correct? I know some soldiers used swords as primary weapons, but was it common at all?
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I read everywhere that the Romans invented the manipular system after fighting Samnites and took them as an example... Do we know more about that ?
It is also written everywhere that this was due to their supperior maneuverability in rough terrains... Do we actually know why the Samnites warbands were so maneuverable and efficient ?
What made them different from other warbands of their time that were easily beaten by phalanxes ?
Thanks.
1 Answers 2016-04-29
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7 Answers 2016-04-29
This is a reiteration of /u/sauceoftherooster's unanswered earlier question, so hopefully this'll get answered second time around.
I've been wondering for awhile after the successful developments in the CRM of the Civil Rights Act 1964 & the Voting Rights Act 1965, why was there a need for groups & organisations & individuals like the Black Panthers, Black Power & Heuy Newton?
I was reading this article on Black Power & it stated the following:
"The progress made by African Americans in the 1950s and early 1960s at achieving their civil rights was compromised by violence. Frankly, many young blacks rejected the courage and patience displayed by Dr. Martin Luther King in his non-violent response to injustice in American society."
Is this statement a true reason for why the civil rights movement took the turn it did between 1964-68?
Obviously, I understand that social adaption to desegregation takes time but surely after the success of 1964/65 (which my old history teachers told me were the CRM's "primary goals") why did events like the Harlem (1964), Watts (1965), Detroit (1967), MLK assassination (1968) & Rodney King (1992) riots occur?
Why did we still see police officers being discriminatory towards blacks during the '80's? As can be seen in quite a few of the NWA's early songs from their Straight Outta Compton (1988) album notably the song "Fuck tha Police" & the poignant Boyz n the Hood (1991)
Was a merely a matter of fact that the developments of 1964/65 weren't all that "successful"?
Thanks for any answers :)
1 Answers 2016-04-29
I see people claiming the Romans had working steam-powered trinkets and that they were close to some industrial revolution, but my line of questioning is tangentially related.
Arguably, the most important technologies to surface were those that dramatically increased food output, such as fertilizer from the industrial revolution, as it would free up more humans to work on not-food without needing as much land at the same time.
Did the Romans make any big leaps into agricultural efficiency over the course of their Empire? (In this case I mean up to the fall of the Western half)
1 Answers 2016-04-29
In a PBS documentary, Steven Ambrose claimed that the Cubans were far from victory at the start of the war, and implied that this justified American involvement. Is there any truth to that statement?
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Migration is often economically motivated, and it seems that Appalachia has been a culturally distinct and historically poor region. I was curious whether the Appalachian people have been a part of any significant "waves" of migration to other parts of the United States analogous to the "Great Migration" of African Americans.
1 Answers 2016-04-29
Further, what impact did these orchestras have on the dissemination of music like Beethoven and all the rest? Did people have a better chance of hearing it? If so, how much better?
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If the answer is yes – what would have to happen? Discovery of more texts and inscriptions? How likely is that?
2 Answers 2016-04-29
Now and then, we like to host 'Floating Features', periodic threads intended to allow for more open discussion that allows a multitude of possible answers from people of all sorts of backgrounds and levels of expertise.
Today, our theme is a dinner party! You have the power to host a small dinner party with your guests plucked from any point in time. Tell us about who you are inviting, how the party goes down, and perhaps most importantly, what you serve them!
As is the case with previous Floating Features, there is relaxed moderation here to allow far more scope for speculation and general chat than there would be in a usual thread! But with that in mind, we of course expect that anyone who wishes to contribute will do so politely and in good faith. Bon appétit!
12 Answers 2016-04-29
Today:
You know the drill: this is the thread for all your history-related outpourings that are not necessarily questions. Minor questions that you feel don't need or merit their own threads are welcome too. Discovered a great new book, documentary, article or blog? Has your Ph.D. application been successful? Have you made an archaeological discovery in your back yard? Did you find an anecdote about the Doge of Venice telling a joke to Michel Foucault? Tell us all about it.
As usual, moderation in this thread will be relatively non-existent -- jokes, anecdotes and light-hearted banter are welcome.
12 Answers 2016-04-29
In Between the World and Me Ta-Nehisi Coates writes:
But race is the child of racism, not the father. ... Difference of hue and hair is old. But the belief in the preeminence of hue and hair, the notion that these factors can correctly organize a society and that they signify deeper attributes, which are indelible--this is the new idea at the heart of these new people who have been brought up hopelessly, tragically, to believe that they are white.
I've seen this sentiment a lot recently, but mostly from non-historians because most of what I read isn't written by historians. I want to verify how true this is and google is woefully inadequate at providing solid academic sources here.
The quote in the title is what google provides for "race is a modern concept," and appears to be from this fact sheet, which has no additional citations.
I've read the FAQ, but it has nothing specifically about the concept of racism and is more "were X racist?"
12 Answers 2016-04-29
And, as an aside, is there such a thing as American monarchists today?
edit: I'm not really asking about Loyalists, rather people who would install a new ''American King'' entirely separate from the British monarchy
6 Answers 2016-04-29
I very vaguely recall learning something about failed Christian evangelization efforts in high school, but I'm very interested in how the story looks from Indian perspectives. I'm especially interested in Cherokee experiences (which are already quite diverse), but would love to hear about other nations as well.
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