I assume that the correct answer probably requires acknowledge heterogeneity in opinions among historians. Nonetheless, I would be very interested in either hearing about the various theories of technological change or hearing the reasons why some (or all?) historians shun them.

I've heard (Ken Burns' "Thomas Jefferson") that there's some evidence that, at one point, Jefferson considered a push for abolition but abandoned the idea, in favor of more easily attained objectives and that his later racist writings were a rationalization of his not addressing slavery, personally or politically. What evidence is there and what do historians think of a possible abolitionist Jefferson?

How did they view people in high positions that used said workers (if there is truth to it) and pedophiles in general?

Also, how fast was the rearmament of their conventional forces and how long did it take?

For a long time I've been hearing about this conflict but I have to admit ignorance on the subject. Can someone please provide a brief history of how it all started and what it's all about? Or link me to a previous post if you've seen this question before.

Thank you in advance for your response r/Askhistorians

Bonus points for anyone who can tell me about what it was like for Europeans who were captured and assimilated by the Haudenosaunee.

If you're interested in terrorism (worldwide) from the 19th century through the Great Depression or the secret diplomatic and police campaign that was conducted against it, you're not going to want to miss this AMA. Dr. Jensen is one of the leading historians of political violence in this era and spent about 10 years composing his latest work. He has published several articles (and one book) in public security/terrorism in Italy during the 19th century, as well as several manuals for instruction of history in the modern world.

I'll be with Dr. Jensen to show him the format, and, as always, the AMA will be posted about 1-2 hours early so that our Europeans can have a shot at getting their questions in while there's still time in the day. We are excited to welcome him to /r/AskHistorians, and we sincerely hope that you will join us for the AMA.

Hello,

I am trying to understand how the crusaders, who came from Lotharingia, North of France, South of France and Italy, managed to communicate among them and with the Byzantine Emperor.

Were the vernacular languages close enough? Did some of them speak latin or greek?

Additionally, what languages were spoken in Epirus/Macedonia and Syria/Judea?

Thanks!

During WWII there are many variations of each type of aircraft from each nation.

Did combat pilots report failures which were then adjusted for or were engineers just designing things as newer technology became available?

How could they report such design errors if the errors resulted in them being shot down?

With so many iterations of aircraft how did countries cope with supply lines and training?

I understand from Wikipedia that the final design of the Tiger I was modified after encountering the T-34 in Operation Barbarossa, increasing the weight and gun calibre. Why did the designers not also incorporate sloped armor as seen on the T-34? Sloping the armor would have allowed less armor to be used while retaining the same amount of protection, which would have resulted in a light and therefore more mobile tank (while also using less steel--presumably a valuable resource even at that time).

Specifically in France and England, if a knight was the nephew or second cousin of a small count, what would he do when not at war?

Basically, the Torpedo Officer stands there ready to shoot anyone who breaches protocol in some way.

Was it normal for certain officers to carry guns on nuclear subs? Can you fire a gun on a submarine? And why does this guy get to stand behind the captain with a loaded pistol? Who watches him?

Is this all just Hollywood ballyhoo?

How could a culture that was basically stuck in the stone age make such huge works of art? How could they know what they were making? Were they advanced enough to make a big wooden scaffold to look down at it?

No "Aliens" examples please.

Was he seen as just a brutal conqueror, or did any of the gentry have reason to respect him?

Did they show it live on TV like the western nations and Japan? Was it reported at all? Was it down played? Truthful?