1. What is the full scope of this clause? does it just refer to privateering (state sanctioned piracy) on the high seas? Are letters of Marque and letters of Reprisal two different things (and why haven't i heard about the second?) or does it all refer to one thing?

What is the history of the use of these letters? i know they were used in 1812 and the am revolutionary war but i know no specifics. Were they used after this? have they been outlawed by international treaties and across the world when did this process die out?

2 more quick questions: 1. did letters of marque and reprisal come up in the debate over iran contra/would it apply?

2. the internet (quick googling) tells me the us considered issuing letters of Marque during andrew Jackson's presidency. Why? all a quick reddit search got me was a 9 month old question answered with a wikipedia link.

Not trying to approach this as a historian so what is the best to read as a lay person as it were.

What are some definitive books (in english) for information on the Sengoku period? Also, since I'm on a Japanese topic already, what are some good resources for Japanese folklore?

Apologies if this question is too far into "what if" territory.

Looking at the election with our current knowledge, it's clear that Lincoln's election was the final spark that set off the civil war. Did Northern voters realize that a Lincon victory meant likely war?

In Gibbon (yes, I know...) he says that the distinction between clergy and laity only emerged in the early Church - that it had not been a feature of Greek and Roman paganism.

1. How true is this? Is the distinction between laity and clergy really a distinctive feature of early Christianity without classical antecedent? Or is Gibbons oversimplifying or wrong?

2. If it is at least partly true, why was that the case?

On the battlefield I know about drums and such to deliver marching orders, but large armies spread over large areas, like every huge logistical feat relies on communication, I'm interested in that side of things today.

How did armies during Revolutionary France/Napoleonic Wars communicate with allied armies? How would Napoleon know about things happening in Paris when off campaigning with his army? How did a wagon train know where to deliver X amount of food?

I know a little bit about telegraph semaphore's but those have significant drawbacks, but they do show someone was trying to do better than a coded message in a riders satchel. but just how sophisticated was communication at this time?

I'm comparing Napoleon III to Bismark and their influence on Europe leading their respective countries however I'm struggling to think of arguments for Napoleon. I first thought I could argue Napoleon was integral in ultimately unifying Italy due to the Second Italian War of Independence but that argument seems to be weak when you look at the Third Italian War of Independence which was made possible by Prussia. It seems Napoleon played a fairly weak role in Europe been disappointed by not getting any territorial gains in guaranteeing neutrality in the Austro-Prussian and been diplomatically isolated by Bismark. Is there anything notable Napoleon III did in foreign policy that was successful after the Crimean War which was influential in Europe

My understanding is that Bulgarians migrated from Central Asia into what is basically Ukraine, then later they migrated south into modern Bulgaria. Where along this route did they lose their Turkic identity?

There probably was no merchandise sold for Bach concerts when he was still alive, and I suspect Elvis or the Beatles also had no such thing, but by the 1980s they were abundant. So do we know who were the first to do this?

Hey all, I've recently gotten very interested in Swedish history - specifically Sweden's time as a great power, the Northern Wars, Thirty Years War, etc.

I've trawled through several Wikipedia articles during quiet shifts at work (not many people come into the library at night...), but I like to have books. First cos I get eyestrain reading off a screen, and second cos it makes my bookshelves look more impressive.

So I was hoping I could get some suggestions for good books on that general period, but any books (from Vikings to modern day) are of interest too.

Cheers in advance!

As a resident of Utah, it is seems kind of strange how connected the Mormon church is to Polynesia. What's the historical reason for this?

I work in military aviation, so accountability is pretty important whenever there's a failure that results in something fatal or could have resulted in something possibly fatal.

Not gonna lie, Apollo 13 (the movie) was on TV and I finally re-watched it. As inaccurate as it may be, it did get me thinking of the incident.

As far as I can gather from reading, it looks like it was a problem of voltage. Space technology in the US was based on 28VDC (like modern US aviation). For some reason, however, it was decided that space technology in the US should switch to 65VDC. It turns out there were some problems with fuel thermostats in that conversion (which, again, as an aviation guy, I immediately understand).

What I can't find, however, is if they ever narrowed it down to one single fuck-up. The best I can find is that the O2 tank may have been dropped, but tested good.

Any fun tidbits, stories, interviews, etc. about Apollo 13 are welcome, as are any point-outs and gripes of movie inaccuracies. /r/AskHistorians seems to be somewhat more lax in rules lately, and I'm all for encouraging it. If you have something interesting to say about this flight, feel free to say something!

[edit] Bonus points if you have anything to say about the 20amp limit that's stressed in the film.