Hi. I am an upcoming college freshman planning on studying history at university.

I am nervous, however, that I am falling out of love with the subject. It is not the essay-writing that bothers me (in fact, its my favorite part!) but rather rout memorization of facts within a test-setting. I have a good memory, which has carried me thus far in the subject, but it is not particularly interesting to memorize for tests or in-class essays. I much prefer out-of-class papers where I can present my best work and thoroughly think through my argumentation.

Is undergraduate education much more centric on research/paper writing? Or, is it pure emphasis on gaining as much knowledge as possible.

For how long have the days of the week been continuous? What is the earliest day in history that we are sure that happened on Monday /Tuesday etc? What's such date for Julian calendar? And has the Gregorian calendar remained uninterrupted since 1583 - obviously in countries there wasn't any switch in the used calendars later on?

I have few questions related to Austronesians when they first embarked the pacific.

- What did Austronesians call themselves?

- What did they call the Maritime SEA (especially Indonesia) and the pacific?

- What modern languages are the most closest ones to the "ancient Austronesian language"?

- Austronesians sailed so far away into the middle of pacific. Why did they choose to sail all the way into the middle of pacific without knowing what were there?

- Did they believe there were islands far beyond where they lived? Did they have any myth/belief surrounding "the unknown ocean"?

- Did they have any "civilizations" that controlled the journey into the pacific? Like the conquistadors who reported back to the kingdoms in Europe.

What was Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade the Marquess of? I can't find anything on the Margraviate or Marche of Sade. Apparently some of his ancestors were the Count of Sade? I can't find a County of Sade either. Not even a town or church/monastery named Sade.

Were there any periods in history where life was so difficult that people actually stopped having children, or had less children in general, because life was just too difficult and they didn't want to bring children into that world?

I've read a lot on the Haitian Revolution over the last couple of years and one of things that often implied, if not explicitly stated, is that a certain amount of Haitian military success can be attributed to combat experience that African-born men had accumulated before being forcibly taken to the Caribbean. In fact, I was reading the first chapter of *Haiti: The Aftershocks of History" and saw the quote:

What the masters didn't see was the boats had brought literally thousands of soldiers to their shores. The new arrivals carried in their minds all the tactics and experience required to start - and win - a war.

I realize that this statement is leading me toward further avenues of inquiry that I'd like to pursue.

• Exactly what wars or conflicts might these men have been engaged in prior to being forced into slavery?
• What were the political dynamics that led to these conflicts?
• Where can I read a little further about African military tactics?
• What common experiences would the Kongo, Fula, Ibo, Fon (and other) peoples have had?

I'm certain there's a decent standalone question in here, but I'm having trouble articulating it any further than "I want to know more about 18th century African warfare, where can I learn it?"

How to understand “on the sixth calend of August”?

I just read a history account of the battle of Bouvines, which the first sentence in the account is :

" In the year of our Lord 1214, on the sixth calend of August, something worthy of remembrance occurred at the bridge of Bouvines. "

The phrase "the sixth calend of August" really makes me confused.I can't figure out what the actual date is from this sentence. Is it a narrative way of calendar date in middle ages? Or it is wrong translation from Latin to English?By the way, the battle actually happened on July 23, 1214, from the website.

edit: the battle actually happened on July 27, 1214. I was wrong.

Is it okay to ask for advice on primary sources on this sub? I am seeking great books on Anishinaabe/Chippewa/Ojibwe indigenous peoples culture, history, and spiritualism. Thank you!

Hope this isn't an inappropriate question for the post but is the AskHistorians Weekly Round-Up and Newsletter which is sent out as a message to subscribers still a thing?

The last one I received was on 04/09.

I really enjoy those weekly recaps.

The final two pages (page one, page two) of this early Mad magazine article, a bizarre parody of the old Pogo comic, feature caricatures of several world leaders circa 1955. I have thus far been able to identify all but one of them:

• "Winston Churchmouse" = Winston Churchill (U.K.)
• "Marshland Tito" = (Marshal) Josef Broz Tito (Yugoslavia)
• "Waterhole Nehru" = Jawaharal Nehru (India)
• "Change-Ki-Check" = Chiang Kai-Shek (Taiwan)
• "Chew-An-Play" = Zhou Enlai (China)
• "Georgia Melloncough" = Georgy Malenkov (U.S.S.R.)

I cannot, however, figure out who "Mendup France" is supposed to be.

Any ideas?

A friend of mine claimed that the current war in Ukraine is the first time(since the Russian Civil War) American forces(volunteers) faced against Russian troops. Is this true?

Why were the puritans who settled in Plymouth called Pilgrims even though they weren't on a pilgrimage?

This may be a complicated question, and it's definitely a variation on "what if," but:

Was there any way in the 1400s for Europeans and Native Americans to meet that did not wind up with 90% of indigenous people dying of disease? Or were those people pretty much doomed, even if Europeans had had genuinely good intentions and taken any available precaution at the time?

Were women in steppe societies able to ride a horse and hunt with a bow?

Apologies if this isn’t the correct place to ask, but bloody heck, what happened on that Batman thread?

Why do people regularly use the argument “that’s how it was back in the day” when talking about heroes in US History?

My professor was discussing George Washington saying how he was a slave owner but that because it was “common” back then that you couldn’t really blame him. Just to be clear, my professor wasn’t supporting slavery and says it’s horrible, but he was saying that George Washington shouldn’t be viewed as a “bad person” for slavery because it was common back in the day.

I couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable when my professor said this. I mean, slavery was common yes and sure maybe some kids were raised to dislike blacks and get used to slavery, but I know FOR A FACT that surely there had to be people against slavery or that thought it was wrong right?! It’s like the Ukraine and Russia situation, most Russians are supporting Putin and think it’s right, but there are some Russians that are displeased with their country and wanna leave and don’t support their president anymore.

Slavery is just so disgusting and way worse that surely people knew it was wrong despite it being “common”. Sure our presidents did amazing feats for America, but we can’t ignore the fact that they were slave owners and knew damn well it was wrong, that’s why I admire Abraham Lincoln so much since he finally out his foot down.

Look like it isn't worth a thread son asking here:

I remember learning about various religious schisms during history class in high school. Today I realised that I have no idea if things already went the other way, two different religions or branches of a religion that melted or just went back together. Any examples of that?

"Cleopatra lived closer to today than to the Pyramids", etc etc... are there any observations in this vein made in premodern times?

What paper sizes were in use in the Russian Empire — specifically around 1900 — so before the adoption of ISO 216, its predecessors or derived standards. I am unable to find any information online.

What is the oldest Pharoah's tomb that has been found?

Henry II of England gave Frederick Barbarossa a massive pavilion that the Emperor would go on to use regularly on his campaigns;

do we know what this pavilion looked like? What comforts were in it and how all of that was transported?

I recently read A Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer while trying to put together a project for my Church History class in seminary.
I’ve read a fair few history books, but this was one of the most enjoyable reads, and I found its perspective of really putting the reader into the moment in history was fun and informative.

Does anyone have any recommendations for more history books like this? I want the history to be solid, but when I’m having to read Augustine’s confessions and slog through Plato and write 20 page papers on the same- I’m a bit burned out for deep and difficult reads. I’m interested in all eras and peoples, but would find particular interest in history involving the Byzantine Empire, Pre-Christian Judaism, Early Islam (so anything with the Abrahamic religions, but more focused on the people and their lives than the religion).

Also interested in ancient Greece, having spent a lot of time reading greek philosophy.

But again, interested in it all, just want lighter, easier reads if possible.

Does anyone have source for the life in Ukraine SSR from Stalin death to the end of USSR ?

What type of shoes were worn by Neolithic farmers in the Middle East and Europe?Also are there any type of moccasin/slipper shoes native to Europe? What about the Irish pampootie? Is that descended from new world shoes?

I've recently been attempting a research project in which I've attempted to find state legislators (pre-1865) who may have been indigenous but I can't find anything, does anyone have any information regarding that?

Who would have been the Monarch of Great Britain if George III's sons had been unsuccessful in producing an heir?

I understand that when George III's only granddaughter Charlotte died, he had no legitimate grandchildren despite having 15 children, resulting in his younger sons being married off quickly and the birth of Queen Victoria and her cousin. What if they had been unsuccessful? I was doing my research and I think following male-preference primogeniture it should be Charles II, Duke of Brunswick, the grandson of Princess Augusta, the eldest granddaughter of George II through his eldest son, Frederick (father of George III). All other options predeceased Charlotte.

EDIT: I believe I may be wrong? Would it be Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh? But I believe and his siblings were excluded from the succession regardless because of his parent's marriage.

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.

Can anyone suggest some introductory/survey Japanese history books in Japanese? I read Japanese novels fairly regularly, and I'd like to mix it up with some non-fiction, any suggestions? Bonus points if they're available on Japanese Kindle (Please let me know if this isn't the best place to post this)

Suggestions for good Egyptian, Greek, or philosophical history?

Do we know what the Carthaginians actually called themselves?

Did Bismarck really say

"The love between the turks and the germans is so old that this love bond will never be broken"

I have a hard time believing Bismarck had such a positive view on turks.

Jang Yeong-sil (1390 – after 1442) was a Korean engineer who was born as a slave but whose inventing genius was discovered by the Great King Sejong and became a court engineer. Is there any similar story in the Western/Middle Eastern/etc. history?

What were the typical ranks young patrician soldiers held when first joining the Roman army, during the Late Republic?

What is considered the earliest realistic painting?

I've been looking at cave paintings 65,000 years ago and they look like very simplistic 2D stick man art. I've seen modern artists create much more sophisticated art using the same materials. When did humans get good at realistic art? The earliest I found that actually looks realistic is something like: Ladies making silk, by Emperor Huizong of Song, early 12th century, Chinese. Even that though I could probably paint myself. Did humans lack the dexterity to produce the kind of art we see from renaissance? Or did they just not care to try?

What is the oldest piece of information that we know about?

I’m reading a book called “Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini: Totalitarianism in the twentieth century” and the author claims that late in his life, Hitler concluded that the Slavic Soviets were racially superior to the Germans since they had beaten them in war. The author doesn’t cite a source and I can’t find any further information about this but I am really curious.

Can someone recommend a comprehensive book on the New Deal era? (Preferably not one with a small-government agenda.)

Does anyone know when the Left began to refer to itself as "anti-capitalist"? My intuition is that this framing arises during the New Left, but I'm not sure.

If someone went back and told Lenin that they were an "anti-capitalist" he probably would have looked at them funny—so when did this change occur?

Which non-German athletes did Hitler commend during the Berlin Olympic Games other than Jesse Owens?

Is fried chicken English like this guy argues for?

https://edmundstanding.wordpress.com/2018/05/30/the-english-roots-of-southern-fried-chicken/

It is said that one of the Confucius' disciples (Zilu) was killed and his flesh was made into pickled food and sent to Confucius. Confucius got shocked, fell ill and died soon. Is there a similar story (making human flesh into food and sending it to his beloved one as a punishment) in the West?

• Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhong_You
• According to the Book of Rites, after Zilu's death, his body was choppedinto pieces and pickled. When Confucius learned of his fate, he orderedthat all the pickled goods in his house be thrown away. Overcome withgrief, Confucius could not eat for days. He soon fell ill and died in479 BC
  • One of the most cruel psychological tortures I've heard. Is there a similar story (making human flesh into food and sending it to hisbeloved one as a punishment) in the West or other regions in the world?

Hi, i don't know if I should ask this here but, I'm trying to find a specific russian speech I heard in a song (Anastasia, A Rumor in Saint Petersburg), I believe it's Lenin's, but I can't figure out which one, please help me out!

here's the song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh7sIrvdnwc

How close to the frontline did German royalty get to in the First World War? I know by the end of the war Wilhelm was in Spa and Crown Prince Wilhelm led an army group at one point. But what would this command have been like in practice.

I have just finished The Pope and Mussolini by David Kertzer, and reading around afterwards have found some criticisms of his representation of some episodes within the book (notably Robert Maryks). My question is: despite potential questions about overly-dramatic/narrativised moments, can the book be said to provide a roughly accurate account of relationship between the Vatican and the facist government?

Hi! How would you pronounce "Astyages," king of Media?

Are there any moccasin/slipper style shoes native to Europe?

I am writing a research paper on Maya misrepresentation in media. I need a third example of it and can’t find one - any suggestions?

I have Apocalypto the film and Maya and The Three the television show.

what is the origin of field/ice hockey?

How many American generals have died in combat after the end of the US Civil War?

How did napoleon make the third coalition think his army was weak and make them turn to fight him at the battle of Austerlitz?

Does anyone know of a website or a book that contains a list of ancient gaulic names? been looking only finding scraps here and there would like a place that has most if not all names.

I've recently been researching the history of affirmative action and was curious to know what colleges had active diversity quotas in place before SCOTUS shut it down in 1978(outside of Davis School Of Medicine and University of Washington College Of Law)? I literally can't find anything about the admissions process during this interesting period of American History(1960s-1970s).

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.

Was it true that there was a black Scottish King?

Did Columbus think he was in India?

Were the Crusaders Orthodox?

What are some good books solely focused on medieval Ethiopia? Thank you beforehand.

The French "Lords of Coucy" built an absolutely massive castle. The thing looks like a medieval WWII flak tower.

How did they afford the construction? Apparently their 'real' feudal rank was a baron; was it common for feudal lords to makeup unique titles for themselves?

What are some prominent military formations/units/tactics from antiquity (broadly defined) that aren't as well-known as the Roman legion or hoplite/pike phalanx?

I was watching a program about WW2 and it mentioned the proposed plot to give Hitler estrogen. Supposedly, it wouldn't have been hard to put things in his food, but poisoning him was out due to food tasters. So the logic behind the estrogen plot was that it was tasteless and slow acting.

Now the plot never went live but surely there are many other things they could have potentially used. My first thought was parasite eggs. Did they really have the capacity to give Hitler something like this, yet didn't actually use it?

Were there american spies in the soviet union? i only found CIA external intelligence rather than the soviet style double agents and elements within the goverment

Random specific question: In feudal England, if a landed but non-royal noble were to lose his land, what was he then addressed as? Like say we have a dude named Henry Noble, Earl of Nobleland. He gets deposed in a war and now has no land, but is still of a noble family. Presumably before he was Lord Nobleland; what is he now? Lord Noble? Lord Henry? Sir Henry? Or just... Henry?

What is the origin of the Prince Albert slipper? Is it based on Amerindian or East Asian shoes?

In sieges, when sappers used tunnels to try and collapse walls, how would the walls be repaired if they hadn’t collapsed but were sagging? Would they try to prop them up and restore the foundations, or just tear them down and start over?

Can someone give a me a link to the Lewis Affair document that was signed by 69 US historians? (it is the document were historians deny to call the events of 1915 as genocide)