I was reading Jay Winik's April 1865: The Month That Changed America. It says that Benjamin Franklin made "one crucial edit" to the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence ("we hold these truths to be self-evident...life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness") but doesn't mention what that edit was. What was it?

When a household in the 1800s had staff such as maids, cooks, footmen etc who provided the uniforms? was it the household or did the staff member buy/own their own uniform?

What was the approximate population of the Emirate of Granada? The sources seem frustratingly silent about how many people may have lived in the Emirate of Granada. The Wikipedia article says it was " the largest city of Europe in 1450 in terms of population", so what could be an estimate of the population of the entire Emirate, at any period of its history?

My brother thinks that one man with an automatic rifle can win any battle in history pre 1600AD, is that true?

I vaguely remember reading about a medieval king, possibly English, who was sued because a woman, either a hostage or guest, in his court became pregnant out of wedlock. Does anyone know the name of the woman?

How did carrying a bag become so connected to women when men have also carried saddlebags/briefcases/messenger bags for generations as well?

Is there a single religious relic, from any religious figure and of any religion, that is provably "real"?

This question mostly pertains to Christian relics, which as far as I know are invariably of dubious provenance. But I am curious if there is a single relic out there of any religion which veritably belongs to whom it is purported to belong. Proving would probably require something as concrete as matching a bone's DNA to the rest of the remains. Is there anything that even comes close?

Not sure if this is the right sub to be asking, but I'm trying to find a book written in the 19th century (I think--it was written before the Russian Revolution in any case) that I vaguely remember reading a number of years ago. I'm pretty sure it was a French book that I read in translation.

The book as I remember it was written by a French conservative royalist who travelled to Russia clearly expecting to find an inspiring Autocratopia (sort of like how some 20th century leftists made "pilgrimages" to the USSR, or rightists to Franco's Spain). Instead, the book basically turns into a book-length howl of "not like this!" as the author is confronted again and again with Imperial Russia's corruption, cruelty and backwardness.

Does anyone know the title and author of the book I'm describing?

Not sure how simple of a question this is, but was the Greek Revolution the earliest example of a war to prominently feature "international brigades"? By which I don't mean officers or soldiers sent over as part of formal diplomatic policy (like Lafayette) or mercenaries but rather private citizens choosing to fight in a war to fulfil some sort of ideal.

How was life different for the peasantry during the Anglo-Saxon reign versus under Norman feudalism?

What did Western Europeans call Byzantine Emperors after Charlemagne was crowned “Emperor of the Romans”?

When and where did the formalities when addressing royalty come from? In English we would say "Your Majesty" and "Your Highness"

Was that universal and someone would use the equivalents of those terms to a German monarch or a French one?

Why/when did the dynamic of “men hunt and women stay at home” develop

When was the Invention of the clothes hanger as we know it today? I am writing a book and want a little info. Thanks

On the topic of astronomy, today we have programs that can reasonably simulate what the night sky's stars looked like on the date of Caesar's murder. Were astronomers of the past able to do this kind of simulation? Perhaps in the 1800s, but if you have contextual knowledge for other eras, that would be cool too. I have to imagine they would be able to tell that some constellations would always be in the sky at certain times, but were historical astronomers able to predict the night sky very accurately? Thank you.

How do you actually become a historian? I was not sure if this question could be posted in the main forum according to the rules. If it can be, then I would appreciate knowing that as well. Thanks.

Would a journal article published during the period examined be considered a primary or secondary source? For example a Far Eastern Survey article discussing the Japanese invasion of Manchuria published in 1933.

Please recommend a documentary/podcast/not book that can serve as a quick introduction to the American Revolutionary war for an adult. My foreign friends are going to be visiting and we are planning on checking out some of the historical stuff in Boston. They are interested in history but have never learned anything about American history.

Where does the term "blue bloods" come from?

hat is the earliest in history someone could have gotten a clean haircut? You can define 'clean haircut' however makes the most sense, but something more than chopping at it with a sharp rock or a dull knife. Bonus points for: what came first - scissors or razors?

Did soldiers in WW1 have to fire a certain amount of rounds per day when on the front?

I saw in a (fictional) TV show where a German and British soldier from the First WOrld War were discussing their experiences on the front, and the British soldier mentioned that they had to fire eight rounds a day, whereas the German only had to fire six.

Is there any truth to this? Was there a minimum amount of daily rounds that had to be fired?

Has this ever been part of any military set up? eg crossbow bolts or arrows as part of sieges etc?

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I can see the logic in why it might be down, but it seems like it would make more sense to conserve resources and only fire when neessary/useful?

Were poison pen letters a real phenomenon? They feature heavily in early 20th century crime novels like Agatha Christie but was it something that really happened in communities, or just good for fiction?

What was the Pay like for Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the First World War? I'm especially interested in that of Austria-Hungary, Germany and the Ottomans i.e. the Central Powers as there isn't much in the way for them online.

What are a few of the better books that cover the events of the Christmas Truce?

I'm looking for an examination of what actually happened. I've seen books that are collections of letters sent by soldiers which is nice but I'm looking for a broader look.

Is it true that Dutch were permitted to trade with Japan during Sakoku because they did not try to import Jesus unlike Portuguese?

Anyone already seen the 2 trailers for The Northman and seen if it has any good historical accuracy in terms of clothing, weaponry, boats, etc... Or if it isn't well done?

What was the long term german plans for government for Alsace and Lorraine within the German Empire?

It was annexed as a Reich territory governed from Berlin and slowly got a little local governance over the decades but was it ever going to become a state unto itself? A Hohenzollern principality? A new Duchy of Swabia? A margraviate of Strasbourg?

In the mid 1800s in England: If a middle class family had only 1-3 servants, what would they be called/what would their duties be? There's a lots of information about larger Downton Abbey-type households with armies of maids and footmen but not about small households with only a couple of servants. Would it be, for example, a housekeeper, a maid, and a cook? Would there ever be a male servant in service in a smaller household?

Did greeks have the majority in smyrna in 1919? The same for armenians in eastern anatolia pre genocide.

Does anyone have any recommended reading on the below?

Economics and technology in the US from 1930-1945

Was three hours a pretty typical duration of an execution by crucifixion in the Roman Empire?

Doeas anyone know anything about "amezon" circassian warrior queen?

Did Antonio de Oliviera Salazar hated football and why ?

How tall were the tallest sailing ships?

I've tried googling, but there seems to be a ton of info on length and width of the deck, a bunch of other stats, and then a ton of crappy pages on, like, "worlds top ten ships - number 7 will shock you!" Which don't look accurate, and mostly talk about modern cargo ships.

How tall were these things?

What book would you recommend for cult practices in various Greek city states? Is Lewis Richard Farnell's book reliable even though it's written 100 years ago?

Were the HBC ceintures fléchée used to help keep organs in or something, or did I just make that up?

I feel like I remember hearing that in a French-Canadian history class like ten years ago lol

Were corsicans culturally close to sardinians during the middle-ages ?

Was Jesus a philosopher? Why is he coming out of nowhere and mentioning the concept of "love" when that honestly doesn't seem like a philosophical concept that's legitimately covered at any point in history until recently?

The Doctor Who episode “The Shakespeare Code” has the Doctor exclaim “57 academics just punched the air” after Shakespeare flirts with right after being rebuffed by a woman, Martha. Is there a history of academics Shakespeare was into men and women, or at least men?

Hello! I am now reading "Falsehood in war-time" by Arthur Ponsonby (10th imp., June 1940).

There is the piece: "The fate which overtook at least one of the most popular of them in this country exemplifies the depth of degradation to which a public opinion sinks in a war atmosphere." It is on the page 16.

I would like to know who is this person or what is the event mentioned? And what is "the fate which overtook ..." them? Does anybody know this?

What US federal office holders do historians know the least about? Is there some early or frontier congressman with a vague biography? Or even unelected cabinet members?

How many people did the Nazi government employ in both military and state institutions?

Does anyone have a source talking about this or a breakdown of numbers?

What period would be considered America's "developing nation" period?

When and where was the first time MLK was involved in a civil rights battle?

How historically accurate is Titans: The Rise of Wall Street TV Series2022–

I read online that in the original story of the beauty and the beast(which was published in france back in 1740) after the beast turned to the prince it was revealed that he was actually her cousin,and that was apparently a good thing because since beauty was of"noble birth" this allowed the two to get married and live hapily ever after.

my question is:

why the incest?

was it simply because there have been plenty of cases historically where royal family members inbred?or it was because incest in general wasn't seen as a taboo back in the 1740's france?

Was the boulder Sisyphus pushed uphill ever personified or given a name of its own? I recognize its role as an obstacle that cannot be solved, no matter how hard one tries to solve or subvert it. There are multiple logical and more allegorical interpretations of the myth, but I cannot find any information on this weirdly specific question:

Are there any sources of either Greek or Roman evidence that the boulder itself was given any personification or title in the matter itself, or addressed by any name? Perhaps, a version of the tale where the boulder itself is antagonistic?

Obviously, finding lost oral traditions isn't feasible here. But, I can't find any definitive answers.

In this case I'm inclined to agree that absence of evidence is in fact evidence of absence, but this concept keeps bugging me. Got anything?

I recall once reading an economic theory arguing essentially that most Americans view themselves as both labor and capitalists because they largely don't work for themselves but largely do own a capital investment in the form of their houses, and many are also directly or indirectly invested in the stock market. The theory also argued that this state of affairs, where people's houses became a major capital investment, was predominantly a product of the US government's efforts to combat the stagflation of the 1970s. Unfortunately, I can't remember the author or more details. Does anyone recognize this theory and know where I can read more about it?

Did the nomination of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and his subsequent election have any impact (either positive or negative) on the 1860 US Census?

my friend was telling me about how there's many incidents of father/daughter incest in history, can you tell me about some well known cases in history other than Electra and lot's daughters?

Which general/commander/emperor/warhero has the best romantic story?

Does anyone know or care about middle eastern history here? Because I asked a very important question the other day and it got like 4 upvotes and zero answers

Also are there actual historians here or just fellow internet historians?