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Posted by /u/Old_Temperature_5667

Is there a survivorship bias affecting the understanding of the lethality of "tarring and feathering," in Colonial America?

Help me settle a debate about the potential lethality of "tarring and feathering" in Colonial America. Because the science doesn't seem to match the records. I'm discussing (read: getting into an argument regarding) the "tarring and feathering" scene in the miniseries "John Adam…

Posted by /u/labarge3

AMA about the history of goblins from their folkloric origins in the Middle Ages all the way to the Covid-19-era phenomenon of going “goblin mode”

Hi all – my name is Matt King. I am an associate professor of history at the University of South Florida, and my latest book is A History of Goblins, which was published by Palgrave Macmillan this May. It considers the history of these fascinating creatures (and their many deriv…

Posted by /u/PneumaticFizz

If someone died in 1905 at 65 of 'exhaustion,' is that diagnosis likely accurate? Or is it potentially a euphemism or a misdiagnosis?

I have an ancestor who died under the title's circumstances and was curious if this was an antiquated term. There was a great deal of stress and generational trauma in his life, so it seems entirely plausible that he died from exhaustion, but was curious if there was any precede…

Posted by /u/Impressive_Jello_909

When was 'Space' first called 'Space ', and what was it called before?

Who actually coined the term 'Space'? I find it weird to think that there was a time when people looked at the sky and would call it something other than space. I assume that in different cultures it was called different things, but when did it become more universally known as '…

Posted by /u/ShotFromGuns

What do we know about how enslaved people in the U.S. dealt with hot weather?

As I'm sitting here during yet another 90°F+ heatwave, it occurs to me that if it sucks this much to be doing white-collar work in a dark room with fans, cold water, and the knowledge I can go somewhere air conditioned at any time, it must have been unimaginably worse for people…

Posted by /u/Zeuvembie

When does a Boston marriage become a lesbian relationship, historiographically?

This is kind of a weird question since it's more about the practice of history than a question about what happened in history. Basically, is there an agreed-upon methodology or pedagogy about how historians interpret relationships that present as homosocial to the public, but wh…

Posted by /u/corpsmoderne

"We've seceded, now what?"

With this tongue in cheek question I have in fact several questions around the same topic: what were the southern elites really expecting seceding will achieve when they decided to do it (or in the months following it)? were they surprised that the Union rejected their secession…

Posted by /u/screwyoushadowban

The idea of Catholic politicians being controlled by the Pope has long been a favorite conspiracy theory of Protestants well into the 20th century. How much did the heads of state of Catholic-majority countries from 1850-1950 *actually* ca…

This is a period of time where the Papal States are being (or about to be) gobbled up by Italian Nationalism and Europe is hurtling into modernity. So a long ways away from the heydey of Papal influence it seems. How much did secular leaders of Catholic countries, especially if…

Posted by /u/GaeasSon

The words have changed?

I was raised Catholic in the 1970s and 80s. I drifted away for a while, but now I'm attending services once again. I've noticed some small and mostly inconsequential changes. In the Nicaean creed where I recall "One in being with the Father..." Now I hear "Consubstantial with th…

Posted by /u/sciguy11

During the partition of India, many Muslims opted to remain Indians. For the non-wealthy ones, what were their reasons?

Common views are that the very poor remained (as they couldn't afford to make the journey), as well as some of the elite (who had land and other assets). Were there any other perspectives on staying in India?

Posted by /u/Yoy_the_Inquirer

"If you need the threat of eternal damnation to be a good person then you aren't a good person, just a psychopath on a leash." Does this actually hold any water or is it a strawman?

Posted by /u/abel-the-baby-333

Do priests ever need therapy after hearing confessions?

Basically what the title says - do priests ever need therapy or some sort of counseling after hearing any confessions? I’m sure the majority of what they hear is “I told a lie” or “I cheated on my wife”, but I wonder if someone were to confess something awful, how do priests dea…

Posted by /u/NewMaleperduis

How did one-room schoolhouses work?

I know one-room schoolhouses (where one teacher taught multiple grades at once) were the norm in many rural areas for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries. But as a city slicker, I can't imagine how that would actually work since the teacher can only do one thing at a time.…

Posted by /u/CalendarAncient4230

Does Trump have an heir to take over MAGA when he's gone?

Do you think Trump has an heir apparent, or is it one of those things where no one in Washington dares talk about it for fear of reminding Trump of his mortality/term limits? I know the obvious answer is Vance, but Vance does not wield the same kind of fear and influence that Tr…