The United Kingdom recognized Liberia's independence early on, but the United States did not do so until 15 years after the fact. Since Liberia was a former US colony would that have made this independence illegitimate until the US formally recognized it?

It is generally thought that the Jews were at first polytheistic, worshipping a large pantheon of Canaanite gods, with YHVH as the chief god. The general theory about how the Jews turned to monotheism involves the development of monolatrism - the recognition of the existence of other gods but the worship of only one - during the reforms of King Josiah in the 7th century BCE, which evolved into monotheism during the Babylonian Exile in the 6th century BCE.

However, the papyri found in the Jewish Temple at Elephantine in Egypt, dated from the 5th century BCE, describe the worship of not only YHVH, but also other deities. One easy explanation could be that the Jewish community at Elephantine predates King Josiah and the Exile and is thus a relic of First Temple Judaism, yet that community was as I understand it a border garrison established by the Persians, and thus must have been established after the Exile.

How to resolve that contradiction? Is it possible that monotheism was not established yet in the Persian period, or did multiple Judaic religions, polytheistic and monotheistic, coexist at the time?

Or is the claim just popular conjecture?

It seems to me, from my understanding, that European castles began to emerge around 1,000 years ago, and even before then (Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece) the architecture was complex and grand. The Americas during that time did not look like this at all. I know the Inca Empire was beautiful and the Aztecs built wonderful pyramids and temples and water systems, but the design was completely different and more rustic (lack of a better word) than European. Is it due to what the land had to offer? Was the European continent more bountiful in building supplies? I feel like Europe advanced much more quickly than the Americas, and I'm wondering why that is. However, I know China and the Ottoman Empire advanced more quickly architecturally, and everything else in between, than Europe, correct? I suppose I'm just wondering why all of that is. Like, why did Europe look the way it did in 1350 (minus the plague) and the Americas looked the way it did in 1350, is basically what I'm going for. I hope I'm making sense! (I’m on mobile so please forgive me but) Edit: this sounds like I’m saying one is better than the other and I’m not at all. Native Americans built beautiful intricate systems and even apartment complexes and such, but it looks “less advanced” aesthetically than the European countries, like buildings made from sticks and mud and other things like that, ya know? It looks like by 750 AD not much advancement was made, but in Europe there majorly was. Just would like to know why that is.

I've been doing ancestry research for years now and one of the common things I come across is how people change their answers on census's. The most frequent change is Year of Arrival. For example, I have several people who on one census they claim their year of arrival as 1885, the on the next census it becomes 1880 and then on the next census 1890. Any key insights to this puzzle? Did they come toAmerica and then go back to return again?

And if so, when?

Edit: Really just anything that certifies that you are protected from a disease.

Did they actually wear those cool face masks like in the movies or is that entirely fictional? Do we have any records on what gear/armour they had? Did they have clothing that distinguished them from other soldiers? Also did they have better weapons and training than other soldiers of the time?

For example has Rome or Ancient Greece written about their origins, that's not based on myth?

My compiler textbook (dragon book 2e from the 80s) credits Backus et al. For having invented the Fortran compiler. I have heard much about Grace Hopper having invented the first ever compiler, but when I looked her up, wikipedia says she created program linker, which was called a compiler at the time.

So who invented the compiler? What is the program that Gracce Hopper invented in 1952?

Lot of sources say he was actually somewhere between 5'5" and 5'7" (1.65 to 1.7 m)--a normal height for an aristocrat at the time and taller than the average peasant. They claim the confusion is due to the French yardstick being longer than the English one. Interpreting the measurement as English leads to a height of 5'2" (1.57 metres) but interpreting it as French gets him to a more respectable stature. Googling "how tall was Napoleon" returns the value 5'6".

But Wikipedia (at the moment) claims that 5'2" (1.57 metres) is the probable correct figure. The article says Napoleon would have been measured in metres not old French yards at death and this figure--1.57 metres--matches his measured height on St. Helena, a British possession which would therefore have used the British yardstick. The article cites Owen Connelly (2006). Blundering to Glory: Napoleon's Military Campaigns. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-7425-5318-7. Is Wikipedia up to date or behind the times on this claim?

I'm a European who wants to learn about USA history from its beginning until today because I know almost nothing about it. I tried searching in "resources" of this and other subreddits but it seems like all those books focus on rather specific periods and explain those periods in detail. What I want is one book (might be a tv series or not super big series of books) with all US history in this one book just to have general understanding of it.

I ask this because when I was trying to find information about it, most of what came up talked more specifically about trans women [most likely doing Kabuki and such] or just about sexuality, neither of which are what I'm looking for.

Thank you for any answers in advance.

Obviously, I know there is going to be no clear dividing line, but at some point, Christianity started spreading more through conquest and mass conversion of leaders who then forced their subjects to convert, which I would also consider to be violent conversion.

So at what point did the balance tip in favor of violent conversion?

Hello. I am looking for a published volume that includes the full text of the following, and other such key documents of the era in question. Does such a collection exist?

1. Grand Remonstrance
2. Agreement(s) of the People
3. Heads of Proposals
4. transcript of the Putney Debates
5. transcript of the trial of Charles I
6. Instrument of Government
7. Humble Petition and Advice
8. Declaration of Breda

Thank you.

with how many ancient cultures sacrificed animals and sometimes people, what would happen with the bodies when they were finished? How would they know their sacrifices were accepted?
Is there any accounts on what would happen afterward?

It is common for major cities to develop along rivers, especially an area where two rivers meet. For a while in the US, the quickest and safest way to head west was along rivers. The Ohio River offered an accessible rout from the 13 original colonies (Penn and VA) to the Northwest Territory and areas gained through the Louisiana purchase.

A number of major cities developed along the Ohio. Including, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville. Smaller "secondary cities" developed as well, including a number in present day West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana. However, Illinois has no major cities along the Ohio.

The lack of a major city in Illinois is interesting as the Ohio meets the Mississippi in the state. The town of Cairo, Ill is where the confluence is. Today, the town has a population of about 3k. At is peak, it had a population of about 14k. Why didnt it turn into a major metropolitan city?

The Ohio River allows easy access for shipping people and goods to the Mississippi. From the Mississippi, you can head north to the Missouri River (giving you access to the Great Plains) or south to New Orleans (access to the Gulf of Mexico). Cairo, should have been a place for industry, supplies, hotels, and everything else a major transportation hub traditionally has been. The confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi should logically be home to a massive city, like St. Louis. But it isnt. Why?

And on that note, how far were general dietary expectations different across classes, and even genders?

The only information I could find on this outside of home owner management company propaganda was an unsourced website claiming it was a method to keep blacks out of the neighborhood during the rise of redlining. Which sounds plausible but I'd like to get a more thorough understanding!