Short Answers to Simple Questions | September 23, 2020

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semprotanbayigonTM

Anyone knows where can I find the list of original & official names of ancient kingdoms and regions?

Egypt is called Misr (Arabic influence) by Egyptian now. What did Egyptians call their region (modern day Egypt) prior to Muslim conquest?

I know during Roman rule it was called Aegyptos in Old/Ancient Greek. What about in Ancient Egyptian or Coptic languages? What about prior to Roman rule? What did Ancient Egyptians call the modern day Egypt?

liamemsa

I'm working on a novel where an insurance investigator from San Francisco has to travel north to a mining town in 1862. I'm getting stuck on coming up with a reasonable mode of transportation given the circumstances. As far as I can tell, the methods at the time were generally:

  1. Ships going up the coast
  2. Horseback
  3. Stagecoach
  4. Riverboats

How likely is it that a "regular person" would be taking a boat out of SF? From what I've read it looks like they were mostly used for freight and such so it would be expensive.

As far as the horseback, what I'm wondering is: Did people just, I dunno, have horses in the city? Was it commonplace? Did people live in urban housing at the time but also have horses somewhere? Or how did that work?

And was it normal at that point for a person "from the city" to actually travel to another town on horseback?

The distance of the town isn't set in stone, so if it's "Yeah and someone would travel 30-40 miles in a day" then I can work with that. Just want to make sure there's some accuracy here. Thanks!

PennyPriddy

When computers still had low enough pixel counts that letters were blocky, how did languages that use intricate characters (like Mandarin or Japanese) get displayed properly?

cosmonaut205

Can I ask a meta question here? I will anyway and if I'm in the wrong place feel free to direct me elsewhere.

With Reddit's poor search functionality in mind, is there a way to sort or search for recently answered questions instead of weeding through the multitude of unanswered ones?

[deleted]

Are all three of David Brion Davis's The Problem of Slavery ... books still relevant and well-regarded works (as in, for a layperson who wants to get as factual of an overview as possible, moreso than an understanding of how the historiography has evolved since the 60's, even though I'm sure that's fascinating. I've just only got so many hours in the day.)?

Bonus question which is probably the more complicated question: is Barbara Fields's explanation for the origin of American racist ideology and practice (the incompatibility of liberal concepts of natural rights with the chattel enslavement of West Africans, as I roughly understand) relegated to materialist history, or is it a theory with legs, and does it have influence outside of Marxist schools of thought?

8cht

Bull Jumping was always something i associated predomiantely with Minoan Crete, yet recently i learned through Cyprian Broodbank's "Making of the Middle Sea" that an almost identical Fresco to that at Knossos was reconstructed at Avaris during Hyksos rule in Egypt.

Is the assumption that there was actual Bull Jumping at Court confirmed, or could this have been a borrowed cultural motif from somewhere else. If so, which place would be most likely?

corn_on_the_cobh

Forgive me! I've been watching too much history channel, but they said something really interesting and I was wondering if it was true: did a US President Jefferson really see a UFO (in the strictest sense) in the early 1800s? They showed a document on the show, but I can't find it anywhere now.

Cooldude971

Is there such a thing as a quaternary source? I know that a primary source is something close to an event (like a speech, letters, contemporaneous news reports), that secondary source analyses the primary sources, and a tertiary source (such as encyclopedia) gives a general overview of the secondary sources. Do the sources go on from there in any field (even a really niche one), or do they cap off after today?

BrandonFlorida

There must have been a moment when most people had heard of telescopes, but they were only affordable by rich people or ship's captains. When did they first become affordable by the general public?

A post which I made asking this question was removed from the main AskHistorians area by the moderators as being too simple, but before I posted there, I researched this question online and after much work, couldn't find a single source which answered the particular question I am asking.

portabledavers

Charles Darwin claims that Edmund Burke believed there were 63 races of people. He also names other thinkers at the time who believed there were similarly wild and large numbers of human races. Out of morbid curiosity, I gotta know, what "races" did Burke and others think there were? Why 63?

Beefgirls

Did nazi germany ever entertain the idea of exterminating the French? I know a popular understanding of german french relations is that they are eternal enemies so I am wondering if that ever led to cries for extermination of the French nation.

ArmandoAlvarezWF

What fuel was used for the Montgolfier brothers' first piloted flight? Wikipedia has an illustration of the first unpiloted flight where they seem to have made a wood fire on the ground to power the balloon, but that wouldn't have worked with a basket with the pilot inside, right?

TheHondoGod

Can Queen Elizabeth II draw a line of descent from the House of Wessex? How about William the Conqueror?

Real_Carl_Ramirez

In the Early 19th Century, various European nations banned slavery. Popular sentiment in Europe was strongly anti-slavery, at least compared to many nations in the Americas.

Fast forward to the 1940s and, the economy of Nazi Germany made extensive use of slave labour. And this was more than 70 years after the USA abandoned slavery.

Was the use of slaves in Nazi Germany merely the result of Nazi ideology? Or did a return of pro-slavery attitudes in Germany feed towards the Nazis' electoral victories and inspire the Nazis to use slave labour?

187ninjuh

How did the local Irish perceive the border reiving families and other settlers that England moved there during the time of the Ulster plantation?

Gwynbbleid

Books on the economy of the British and Spanish or just colonies in general?

willmas0

Where does the Stalin quote ‘artillery is the god of war’ originate from. I’ve heard that it’s form a speech but I can’t seem to find it

[deleted]

In the History of the Peloponnesian War (1.95) Thucydides writes about Ionian states switching allegiance from Sparta to Athens - what does that allegiance switching entail? Not paying tribute? So when the allies were “no longer inclined to concede to [Dorkis and other Lacedaemonian envoys] their supremacy,” were they just refusing to pay tribute? Refusing to receive them? Something else?

yesgirlsusereddit

Why is it that every other subreddit works perfectly fine, but whenever I see a post on this particular subreddit and click on it (in app) even though it says it has loads of comments the only one I can see is the automatically generated one? Have I somehow been blocked from viewing?

ETA: Okay, I understand now, thanks y'all!

BrokenArrowX

Can someone recommend me a good documentary that basically talks about the timeline of human history (from ancient history ~3000 years ago up to today)? I'm looking for something that's similar to this video, but goes much more in-depth into each individual time-period and how life for the average person has changed over the course of the ages. I'm not so much interested in world politics or grand battles/wars that happened but more about how people actually lived in those times.

Anything in that general direction would be awesome. :)

iamgarlic

In medieval Europe, I've heard it was common for nobles to marry very young and have no say but was this the case for an average peasant? Btw I've also posted this question in the free for all to get the highest chance of getting an answer.

ythu_torque

I was once told a (likely apocryphal) story of a historical Queen of England, but I can’t remember which one. In the story, she was insulted by a visitor from another country, thinking she wouldn’t understand—but the queen did understand, and fired back with a rant against said visitor in several languages, including the one he insulted her in. Which queen was this?

EDIT: I looked at my old notes and found out it was Queen Elizabeth, and the visitor was an ambassador.

FractalRobot

How did a Roman Legionnaire identify himself to his peers after Diocletian's reform? Was it cohort/century/squad maybe?

Sparklehammer3025

Did preindustrial people get sunburns? If they did get sunburns, did they have forms of sunscreen?

greenpeartree

In Osprey Men-at-Arms 510 on the Dutch Infantry of the 80 Years' War, the author claims wheellock and snaphaunce firearms were forbidden to the rank-and-file gunners of the army. There is so no source for this claim. My question is two-fold: 1) Can I get a source for that claim, and, if this is indeed true, 2) why were they forbidden?

turquoise8

What are some widely consistent aspects of our era? What would historians in 800 years call our times? I mean, we divide recent history in decades but that would be impossible for historians after some time. So they would probably think our times in more broad terms. What would those terms be?

unintelligentskrua

Does anybody here know if it is known the exact date that Suleiman ordered the walls of Jerusalem to be rebuilt, or do we only know the year(s) it happened?

happyryanjin

What did Henry Viii believe in terms of what leads to salvation? I know that his Anglican Church was initially very much like Roman Catholic, but it later included elements from protestantism such as salvation through scripture alone, but was that belief what Henry VIII committed to initially?

[deleted]

Who is the first person known of by name?

yousefamr2001

What does the sign that says " God is Alive and well in Argentina" refer to?

https://lh6.ggpht.com/5-wyhUIXugv0Iv0iKIqEoXArkf9z7L_9YvDSx5NQ42OBlMdAfik6_AUB7w=x0-y0-z0-nt0TyaiwW9i6tyn18FhuUc_KBGBC6w

I Had to put a link for the pic, this was during the 1968 DNC Protests. The sign is in the upper left corner of the pic

FirstSonofDarkness

I am a foreigner who wants to learn about all the American presidents. What single book is suitable that explains in brief the circumstances that led to the president's election, his tenure and major challenges he had to face during his time in office ?

Axendro

Hi, I'm doing some practices for my degree and I would love to know your recomendations on books about the world wars form a german perspective. Thanks!

Jocomol

TIL that the leader of the Hitler Youth, Martin Axmann, had lost his right arm. How did he or other amputated nazis do the hitler salute?

olliegw

Need help ID'ing a statue https://i.redd.it/a7339rg0p5p51.png i took a picture of a while back, i did lots of travel photography in the last two years so i can't remember exactly where i took it, i found it in a folder called "Hastings" so its likely that

RiaSkies

How and when did the letter 'v' become associated with the cylinder count of an internal combustion engine (e.g. 'V6' or 'V8' engine)?

Grab-Unhappy

what was the position of the orthodox church in russia regarding the Institution of serfdom,on the period such Institution existed?

snappyk9

In the early 20th century, automobiles were becoming more widespread/available, however in colder environments, they didn’t work so well or at all.

Q. How did people travel when they had to put their car away for the winter? Did they keep horses and wagons, did they walk?

Audiowhatsuality

I am looking for help with identifying an author of an entry in the first volume of The Phonogram from January 1891. The author is listed as "C. S. S." bu I have been unable to find any additional information. I know that The Phonogram was the official magazine of the North American Phonograph Co., but not much more. The issue is available here

jsingh21

Best documentry about vietnam war is vietnam Hd a good one?

jsingh21

Best books for greek history spatans, athens, best book about alexander the great. Best book for medival times that cover england and the kings etc. Also best book ww2 and 1. Also usa history.

Ginno_the_Seer

Are there any instances of famous nighttime attacks perpetrated by Christian crusaders?

mymonstersprotectme

Where/how do I look for primary sources? I'm supposed to do a source analysis (on a Southeast Asian nationalist, if that matters) but most of the suggestions we were given for finding things lead me to articles or books, and now I'm worried I completely misunderstood the professor and I was supposed to analyze an article or something.

Dunnersstunner

I’m considering subscribing to the Historyhit.tv streaming service - any opinions or informed critiques of it?

RMcD94

VIII.—His Britannic majesty stipulating for himself and his allies, engages to restore to his most Christian majesty, within the term which shall be hereafter fixed, the colonies, fisheries, factories, and establishments of every kind, which were possessed by France on the 1st of January 1792, in the seas and on the continents of America, Africa, and Asia, with the exception however of the islands of Tobago and St. Lucie, and of the Isle of France and its dependencies, especially Rodrigues and Les Sechelles, which several colonies and possessions his most Christian majesty cedes in full right and sovereignty to his Britannic majesty, and also the portion of St. Domingo ceded to France by the treaty of Basle, and which his most Christian majesty restores in full right and sovereignty to his Catholic majesty.

From the Treaty of Paris 1814. How did they decide what were dependencies of the Isle of France? How come Reunion wasn't a dependency?

How did they decide what islands in the Seychelles counted and what didn't (glorioso islands)?

I can't read French but on their history of reunion page on Wiki:

1815 : par le traité de Paris de 1814, les Britanniques rétrocèdent l'île à la France le 6 avril : c'est la seule île de l'océan Indien rendue à la France. L'île compte alors 68 309 habitants. La culture de la canne à sucre se développe, mais l'île ne peut plus subvenir à ses besoins alimentaires.

Which google translate says was per the treaty but doesn't seem like that to me

In the middle of the 18th century, the atoll became a dependency of the French colony of Réunion, from where expeditions were made for the capture of the Aldabra giant tortoises.[6] As there are no surface freshwater sources on Aldabra, the interests of the explorers (no proof of any explorer's visit prior to 1742) was only to exploit the species of tortoise, turtle and fish, and not to inhabit the atoll.[3] In 1810, with Mauritius, Réunion, the Seychelles and other islands, Aldabra passed into the possession of Great Britain.

For example this says it was a dependency of reunion not of Isle of France so it should not have been returned along with Reunion no?

Poison_Penis

Why was Henry VIII a candidate for the HRE title?

Mortalpuncher

Has there been any actual research into the quote “religion is the number one reason war start(or however it goes)” and where did this originally come from.

Pete_Booty_Judge

How much money did Great Britain owe the US just prior to the US getting directly involved in WW1? Google searches haven’t been the most helpful.

Madviking42

Where do "left-wing" and "right-wing" come from?

thagoat707

Are olmecs African or North American