query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
It’s April of 1968, and American troops in Vietnam have learned of the assassination of MLK. What do we know of the reactions to this amongst the rank-and-file or military leadership at the time? | [
"Did the troops in Vietnam have reliable access to news?"
] | [
"The Iraq War did not achieve the same level of protest and opposition as the Vietnam War. This is largely down to the fact that the draft was in effect during Vietnam. Any young man coming out of high school was in danger of being sent to Vietnam if he didn't get into college. During the Iraq War, there was no dra... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Neil Ferguson's Civilization? | [
"[We don't take kindly to his type around these here parts](_URL_0_). If you would like a good \"big\" history book that does a good job of explaining how we got from there to here, try Ian Morris' *Why the West Rules, For Now*. He is a very well respected classical archaeologist and is able to apply that skill set... | [
"The Art of War in the Western World - Archer Jones"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Education:"
} |
In this scene from "The Most Dangerous Game", what is the instrument being used to pour alcohol? | [
"That is a glass decanter. Basically a wide bottomed glass bottle with a glass stopper and a pouring lip. It is commonly used for fortified wines like port or sherry which do not oxidise quickly in an open bottle. The decanter is filled from the original bottle and kept on the table or sideboard. The host may s... | [
"If you mean the police showing up, it's the same police who showed up at the corpse of a man one of the main characters killed. If you're talking about the organ music in place of the end credits, no idea."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Which is the history of the beginning of this sub | [
"As it happens, one of the mods, /u/agentdcf, wrote a paper about the beginnings of the sub - [You can read it here.](_URL_1_) I'm also trying to find a post that's an interview by the Reddit admins of our subreddit's founder, /u/artrw, not long after the sub was created. The hunt continues... edit: well.. I've se... | [
"What do you mean by downfall? This is still a dominant part of current culture."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How do you devise an original research topic, fellow historians? | [
"I find that sometimes you just need a lot of luck. It's incredibly hard for an undergraduate piece of work to be totally original. It was by pure chance that I discovered a peculiar phenomenon during the British Civil Wars and there was a very recent article discussing it. I took this as a starting point and just ... | [
"What are some of the primary sources that you have found? This sounds interesting. Would you recommend any books for a fun read?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Do we actually know what Einstein's IQ was? | [
"As far as we known today, Albert Einstein has never done any IQ test. Thus his IQ is unknown! In the 1920'ies scientists had tried to estimate the IQ of deceased personalities such as Mozart (1756-1791) and Goethe (1749-1832) by means of biographic data; thus they wanted to estimate Albert Einstein’s IQ, too. The ... | [
"It does not. Einstein made some extremely important contributions to physics, but predicting the Big Bang was not among them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How accurate th "Viking" tv series is? | [
"I have never seen it, but I read up on it a bit recently for my answer in a thread about [Viking group sex](_URL_0_) (far less interesting than you're expecting). Looking at images of it, I have to say the costuming immediately put me off. It looks like a combination between Game of Thrones and traditional stereo... | [
"I would recommend \"The World at War\" for an excellent documentary on WW2."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about movie accuracy:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about movie accuracy:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:"
} |
How much would it have cost to purchase a brand new de Havilland vampire in 1955? What is the modern equivalent for how much it would have cost to produce? | [
"Using the charts in Kieth Hartley's *The Political Economy of Aerospace Industries*, the British government paid somewhere between 29,000 and 6,000 pounds per aircraft in 1946, depending on how you calculate the amortization of the development, and because per-unit costs go down substantially for larger production... | [
"In 1912 a Ford Model T cost $575. Today a low end car costs in the $10-15,000 range, and average in the $25-35,000 range. So in an equivalent time frame in the future it is conceivable that the average car could cost 1.5 million or so. You just get used to the numbers being bigger."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Putting Rosemary Kennedy's Lobotomy & What Followed in Context. | [
"The lobotomy in Rosemary's time was a \"miracle cure\". It was new, having been developed in the mid-thirties, and it seemed like an easy surgical cure-all for deviant/rebellious personalities or people who were considered \"slow\". So there are a lot of reasons why Rosemary might've been given a lobotomy, althoug... | [
"Being Black Does Actually Have (Relatively Minor) Health Consequences, It's Just That They're Obviated By Modern Life. There's An Energy Cost To Have Extra Melanin, Even A Small One, So If You Don't Need It It Won't Be Selected For. Melanin Reduces Vitamin-D Uptake From The Sun If Sunlight Is Lower Than You're Ada... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What are the early texts that talk about anal sex? | [
"Tablet 104 of the Babylonian _Summa Alu_, a divination text, wrote that \"If a man copulates with his equal from the rear, he becomes the leader among his peers and brothers.\" but also gives prophecies for sex with other statuses, e.g. \"If a man copulates with a house-born slave, a hard destiny will befall him.\... | [
"It has a few different meanings in different contexts. What setting are we talking about?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about finance:"
} |
Who is 'the citizen' in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen? | [
"The Man in there is of all men, it isn't specific to just the French. At the time, the French had thrown off the King and there was an interest in exporting Revolution, thus the Declaration would serve all men, not just Frenchmen. I wish there was more to say but perhaps the food is getting to me."
] | [
"Starting with the French Revolution and continuing through the 19th Century, the French populace on the whole was weary of the church as a whole, which includes monasteries and convents. This distrust and weariness of the church stems from the church being seen as an oppressor in France. Contributing evidence to t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How did the Sphinx lose its nose? | [
"The idea that Napoleon's troops shot the nose off as target practice or, as is more recently put forth, because they wanted to hide the fact that the head had a distinctively sub-Saharan African physiognomy rests on no evidence and has been debunked numerous times. Drawings from 1737 shows that the nose was alread... | [
"Why were they sealed in the first place?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Have we always used the 7-day week cycle? | [
"No, we have not always used the 7-day weekly cycle. This is descended from Babylonian timekeeping, through Jewish timekeeping, to Christian/European timekeeping. However, other times and places have used other cycles. For example, Republican Rome used a cycle of eight days, where every eighth day was a market day.... | [
"Because there isn't a neat way to divide 365 days into 12 equal units. You can thank the traditions of the Ancient Romans for the solution."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
As a historian, what in your opinion is the most accurate period piece film of all time? I am considering dialect, attire, setting etc. | [
"I think you will find an abundance of good responses in these posts from the \"popular questions\" page: _URL_0_"
] | [
"Haha, this is a fun and difficult question. There are thousands to choose from. Let me ask a few follow up questions: What time period (medieval, modern, etc.)? What type of history? Do you simply want a political history that discusses how the structure of the kingdom changed form monarch to monarch, or do you wa... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why did the proliferation of dreadnoughts end during the interwar period? | [
"If I understand it correctly, Dreadnoughts were less a new type of ship as much as a class of battleship based on the HMS Dreadnought that came to be the predominate type of battleship. As to why there were so many fewer in the interwar period that mostly has to do with the five-power treaty which limited the batt... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How significant was the sacking of MacArthur in 1951? | [
"The significance of the actual event--not the counterfactual--is that Truman asserted civilian control over the military. A core tenet of the U.S. government is that the military is professionalized (non-political) and subordinate to elected civil authorities. MacArthur was blatantly defying orders from Truman, wh... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Say a pagan Greek or Roman fellow is caught buggering the neighbor's livestock. Would swearing he thought that bull was Zeus have likely gotten him off the hook? | [
"I can at least speak to the legal side. In Athens you could really bring a _dike_ suit (a private suit most likely resulting in a fine) for just about anything you wanted, you just had to be convincing that the action committed is worthy of a guilty vote from the jury. On the flip side, a jury would let a guy get ... | [
"It's a religion thing. The gods favored the combatants, or the cause for which they fought. So if you have two dudes trying to murder each other to prove their innocence or the other guy's guilt, then god would pick the correct one to win."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
In many war games (e.g., Diplomacy), capturing enemy territory increases your production and ability to support an army. How accurate is this mechanic for wars fought since the 19th century? | [
"I can say that some of the realism-based overhaul mods for Rome: Total War emphasize this. It can be agonizing developing a city after capture. It's definitely a drawn-out, expensive affair and really makes you reconsider just sacking cities in a blitzkrieg."
] | [
"In terms of economics, Japan had spent roughly 30 years industrializing since the Meiji Restoration. An industrial economy has a huge edge over a rural economy during war time, as seen during the Civil War. Corruption had little to do with it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about history:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post about history:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Are any of the "he survived" theories supported by a significant amount of historians? | [
"One verified account of a (relatively minor) public figure who DID fake his own death was that of the British Member of Parliament, and former government minister John Stonehouse. Stonehouse was a rather corrupt right-wing Labour Party MP who had gotten into financial trouble and so to escape his debts, one day i... | [
"Can they? I'm not certain this is anything more than wishful mythery. Can you link to a study or offer some sort of evidence that suggests this is true?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What are some examples of significant intelligence failures throughout history? | [
"I would suggest \"The Tet Offensive: Intelligence Failure in War\" by Wirtz. The Tet Offensive, launched in early 1968, took US forces largely, I say largely because there is always someone in the intelligence chain who predicted it but was ignored, by surprise. From a military intelligence standpoint, a drop in c... | [
"What are the must read books about the American revolution published within the last five years? What are the current arguments being discussed by historians who study the era?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Literature:"
} |
Any historian podcast out there? | [
"You'll probably be interested in the r/askhistorians podcast, a new episode of which comes out every few weeks and involves a discussion between flaired users about their specialist subjects. You might also like the BBC's In Our Time podcast, which has a new episode every week and consists of the host discussing t... | [
"That...sounds like you want us to do your homework for you. Chances are that no-one here will, but you're in luck, because research is fun! What sources are you looking at, or thinking of using?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Did Henry Ford actually pay his automobile employees a relatively higher wage than normal? If so could they afford to buy the cars they were making? Did they actually do that or did they spend their money on other things? | [
"I highly recommend reading Fordlandia: _URL_1_ Really good historical analysis that answers exactly the question you're asking. Effectively, Ford paid higher than average wages but also demanded incredible productivity and prescribed a particular lifestyle for his workers in exchange for the pay. There was also ve... | [
"Without a place for the rich to invest their money, what would they do with it? Hoard it? Buy a million mansions? The stock market is one of the most beneficial things a rich person can use their money for, building successful companies that have investments to be able to hire the common people and pay them a wage... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Need context for this photo of the 1943 Detroit Race Riot | [
"> What happened to them afterward? So I cannot find the original source or original photographer, but I've found what is claimed to be [a picture taken mere minutes after this original](_URL_0_). It wasn't in the official Time Magazine gallery of the 1943 Detroit riot and I cannot find the photographer."
] | [
"For those wondering, this was a topic from 1993 until late 1994, putting it right at the edge of the 20 year rule."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Wednesday What's New in History | March 23, 2016 | [
"Human history in Ireland shown to start at least 2,500 years earlier than previously thought: _URL_0_ (Also, prehistoric Irishmen fought bears, and more importantly from my side of things, *ate* bears. \"What was in the Irish diet before the potato?\" \"Bears.\")"
] | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of M... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Did paving the LA River with concrete have any negative effects? | [
"You might consider asking this question over in /r/askscience as well, since someone there could probably answer questions regarding the impact on hydrology and biodiversity, and overall effects on ecosystem health. Here's a pdf [link](_URL_0_) to the US Army Corps of Engineers 'Los Angeles River Ecosystem Restora... | [
"The planned location right over the country's largest river probably has something to do with it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Wednesday What's New in History | August 31, 2016 | [
"Chilis and papayas in Florida, 2000 years ago! This is more \"new to me\" since I missed out on the papers that discussed this a few years ago. Luckily I plundered into a casual reference to it last week. It's good evidence for early interactions between people in the Caribbean (who came up from South America) and... | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of M... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
A pro-USSR communist bar near my place has a countdown clock to September 12th, 2016. Is September 12th a significant date for USSR/Russia? | [
"Anniversary of making it to the moon first. \"September 12th, 1959, the Soviet Union launched Luna 2, the first spacecraft to successfully reach the Moon.\" _URL_0_"
] | [
"Just the US as far as I know. To the rest of the world he was just another dictator. Possibly something to do with the proximity of communism to the US."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What makes one polity a civilization and another a state? | [
"There isn't really a perfectly defined rule here. A \"polity\" is just a political unite, used when other, more specific terms (empire, state, city-state) may be misleading. An empire is usually thought of as a polity that encompasses multiple ethno-cultural areas, usually gained through conquest. A \"state\" is e... | [
"Why didn't Europe do that? Or Asia? Or Africa? Geographic separation, social differentiation, conflicts, etc all resulted in them remaining unique."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Where was Xi Jinping during Tiananmen Square? What was he doing? | [
"Follow up question: is OP's claim of 'human pie' historically verifiable or is it the product of speculation?"
] | [
"1989 was a crazy year. There were huge demonstrations in Hungary (part of Soviet bloc at the time) for democracy and the Soviets started withdrawing their troops. Students in China began protesting for democratic reforms, the crowds kept growing for over a month. Some students went on hunger strike The Chinese gov... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
In ancient Sparta, if twins were born; was that considered an affliction, normal, or an omen? | [
"While I'm not sure if it would be considered a miraculous thing but it wouldn't be considered a bad thing. According to Lacedaemonian mythology, the twin kingship of Sparta was founded by a pair of twins, the heroes Eurysthenes and Procles, through whom the Eurypontid dynasty (the dynasty of Sparta's golden age, d... | [
"Hiccups have never been an indication of impending death, a sneeze has, though. There was a time when plagues and diseases were ravaging whole countries and killing millions. A sneeze was not only an indication of possible sickness but even death. God bless you really does go back that far."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What are "traditional free houses" and "public houses" you see all over England, besides another name for the pub? | [
"The word \"pub\" is simply short for \"public house\". A free house is a pub that isn't owned by one of the major brewery companies."
] | [
"They had paintings of things to indicate their name or what they sold. Or a symbol, like the red and white striped poles that indicated a barber. You'll see today lots of pubs keep up this tradition. Like a classic old pub, The Eagle and Child, that dates from the 17th century in Oxford. It has a painting of an ea... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Need some help from historians! | [
"Have you tried looking at denominational newspapers? I did a project on Presbyterian schism in the Southern United States around that period some years ago and found a number of Presbyterian magazines and newsletters to be helpful. I imagine other denominations were publishing similar material. Since so many churc... | [
"What do you want to know about them exactly?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
If you were a Spanish Conquistador heading to the Americas during the 16th Centur, what skills or traits would you look for in a crew? Who do you recruit? | [
"If I may ask a related question, how were those Conquistadors treated back home? Were they hailed as heroes and adventurers, or were they seen along the lines of soldiers and sailors? I am hoping to get a general sense of how they were seen in Spain."
] | [
"The main thing is that Poland immigrants going to North America went to the United States. Greek immigrants going to North America went to the United States. Irish immigrants going to North America went to the United States. Spanish immigrants going to North America went to Mexico, because it was a Spanish colony ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about History:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about History:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
We're spitoons (sp?) actually commonplace in the Old West? Why was everyone spitting so much? | [
"Chewing tobacco and dipping tobacco were much more common place BC (before cigarettes). So much so that the Supreme Court even had (still has but are used as waste baskets) spitoons. Spitting fell out of favor in the late 1800's/early 1900's as spitting began to be associated with spreading disease."
] | [
"Fuck it I say go with the ladybugs. Ladybugs are pretty awesome."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
School on Christmas Eve? | [
"In 1954 and 1965, for example, Christmas fell on a Saturday. School districts that allowed the customary two weeks could stick to a strict Saturday to Sunday period, with school held on Friday, off two weeks, and then resuming on Monday, so in years when Christmas fell on a Saturday, it was be possible for school ... | [
"The restaurant just rents out the area from the store. Source: Walmart Sales Associate"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What are the roots of Denver's liberalism? | [
"What states are you considering “Midwest”? I’ve never seen a definition of the Midwest that included Colorado."
] | [
"The main reason is because of the religious background of the United States."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
With regards to the KKK, how accurate are the claims about Gen. Forrest in the interviews in this video? | [
"Its hard to say what the exact truth on the matter is since the KKK has always been a \"private club\" and all the details about their inner workings are not totally public knowledge. My understanding of Nathan Bedford Forrest's involvement in the Klan was that he was Grand Wizard for a short time but then left th... | [
"Out of curiosity, was this post prompted by the \"Amazing Story\" video on the front page?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
My grandmother recently told us that her father was a high ranking member of the KKK in a Midwestern state (missouri?) In the early 20th century. How likely is it my great grandfather killed people or ordered others to do so? | [
"The Ku Klux Klan was very active in Missouri in the early 20th century but was generally more of a social group (granted it was a racist social group) than a lynch mob. Harry Truman was briefly a member of the Ku Klux Klan in Missouri for political reasons. He seems to have not been active and may have had disagre... | [
"This photograph looks to be staged. It is possible that this photo was created as a form of commentary, and does not capture an image of something that literally was happening. Do you know where it came from? While I have never heard of children in the United States being sold in large numbers during the Great De... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How is a nation's age determined? In other words why is France considered older than the USA? | [
"France as a political entity has existed since the establishment of the Kingdom of France in 843AD. From that time until the present day the nation of France has undergone many changes of government and bureaucratic structure, but those changes in government form do not mean that 'France' ever ceased to exist as a... | [
"A follow-up and related question: how about young people in other parts of the world in this time period? I.e. South Asia, China, West Africa, South America?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
What are some incidences of historical destruction and why? | [
"As in intentionally destroying historical records? This is not exactly a rare occurrence. So as to avoid a bunch of anecdotal answers, is there any time or place you're interested in?"
] | [
"I'd like to hijack this and ask a follow up question: What sort of laws did the Romans have regarding treatment of slaves as opposed to the USA?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
why were the Army-McCarthy trials so damaging to McCarthy? | [
"Take this with a grain of salt as I'm no expert but how I understood it was that while McCarthyism was supported by some pre-trials but the actual identity of the perpetrators was very nebulous and people didn't have faces or personalities to associate with the people. The televising of the trials seriously damage... | [
"I just did a quick google search and found this: _URL_0_ F. Glenn Abney and Larry B. Hill, \"Natural Disasters as a Political Variable: The Effect of a Hurricane on an Urban Election\", *The American Political Science Review*, Vol. 60, No. 4, 1966, pp. 974-981. Apparently, Hurricane Betsy flooded New Orleans prett... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Was their any significant international Coverage of The Saskatchewan Cooperative Commonwealth Federation's Victory in 1944? | [
"The Pittsburgh Post Gazette does have a one paragraph news bite about that election, on page three of its June 16th 1944 edition. The invasion of Saipan happened the same day. D-Day occured only nine days earlier. News about World War II overshadowed the election in Saskatchewan in Pittsburgh PA in June of 1944. P... | [
"According to my edition of \"On Liberty\" it is William Nathaniel Massey. He was MP for Salford and Undersecretary of State for the Home Department. The source for the speech is The Times of 14 November 1857."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Should I read "The Gallic Wars" by Julius Caesar, or read a modern book about the topic instead? | [
"You can sort-of compromise by reading [the Landmark edition](_URL_1_) This includes maps etc. which might help you follow the action. They also published a [bunch of appendices/annexes/essays online](_URL_2_) (previous books just included these in the print version, but by making them online a side-effect is they'... | [
"You should check out the reading in the side bar, which can be found here: _URL_0_ Though honestly for a general overview of Rome from start to finish, Mary Beard's \"SPQR\" is fantastic. It's aimed at the general public rather than history students, which has its pros and cons. It's not free, but it's worth every... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
The Great Northern War was fought at the beginning of the 1700s. This was not a recent event -- why does it still seem to be a very heated topic? | [
"Could you provide an example of a heated exchange regarding the Great Northern War? I had no idea it was controversial and I'd like to see what everyone was \"tearing at each other's throats\" about."
] | [
"A couple issues: * The war technically never ended - the cease fire occurred as the two sides were at roughly the same borders the war started at, and so there was no decisive victory or defeat to remember it by * The war was overshadowed by World War 2 which had ended just 5 years earlier and it wasn't as drawn o... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What's the deal with the "thumbs up" gesture? | [
"It is now [commonly believed](_URL_0_) that \"thumbs up\" meant \"stab him in the heart\" - with the thumb representing the gladius, the short stabby sword used by Roman gladiators and soldiers. To this day, \"thumbs up\" is used [as an insult](_URL_1_) in Italian culture. It's hypothesized that another symbol was... | [
"Would it be against the rules for me to ask for clarification on the term \"realignment elections?\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
"don't button your chin strap" - David Kenyon Webster (WW2) - Why did he say this? | [
"Nice little image: _URL_1_ A good explanation: _URL_2_ TL:DR version: It was believed that if a soldier were close enough to a blast the shockwave would catch the helmet like a sail and the chinstrap could snap their neck or even remove their head entirely. A new helmet was introduced in the later stages of WWII w... | [
"General: Why are you requesting 100,000 pairs of green tights!? Acquisitions Officer: It's for Operation Peter Pan sir, and it's top secret. General: I like the cut of your jib sergeant... Approved!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Is it true that Montezuma believed Hernan Cortes was Quetzalcoatl reincarnated? | [
"[Here is a particularly in depth answer](_URL_0_) by /u/Phefeon from a previous post with a similar question."
] | [
"Columbus didn't communicate with the Aztecs. He never met them. Hernan Cortes was the man responsible for destroying the Aztec empire. When Cortes first landed in the Yucatan he met Geronimo de Aguilar, a Spanish Franciscan priest who had survived a shipwreck followed by a period in captivity with the Maya. This... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Wednesday What's New in History | November 01, 2017 | [
"*New Scientist* recently had a rather [grim re-imagining of the origin of city-states](_URL_0_). Not so much to do with the rise of agriculture as humans being unpleasant to one another: > Scott describes the creation, from around 4000 BC, of what he calls “late-Neolithic multispecies resettlement camps”. Faced w... | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of M... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What are some examples of "gunboat" diplomacy? | [
"The \"shortest war\" is a classical example. More formally the Anglo-Zanzibar War of 27 August 1896, it lasted 38 minutes. After an ultimatum at 09:00 expired English cruisers and gunships did start bombarding the Palace. After a while the flag was lowered, and the sultan did escape to the German Embassy. The Brit... | [
"They are more about prohibition than anti-drunk driving these days."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How far back does the tradition of fire-breathing dragons go? | [
"I am uncertain of the consensus on the date of writing for Job but Leviathan was mentioned as breathing fire (Job 41:19) and bears a resemblance to dragons."
] | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Are there any eye-witness reports of fire-breathing dragons, fictitious or exaggerated? | [
"Kinda. In Serbian folklore, bolides were described as fiery dragons, that fly across the sky with fire pouring from their bodies. You may find eyewitness accounts of fiery dragons in Nenad Đ. Janković: Астрономија у предањима, обичајима и умотворинама Срба, Belgrade 1951, pp. 130-134. Apparently there is even a co... | [
"Maybe a more appropriate question: what was the view at the time of the existence of these sort of sea monsters? Were they dismissed by most as fictional stories? Did scientists attempt to prove their existence, or were they already considered fact or fiction in the scientific community? Were sailors and/or explor... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What was Prohibition's effect on American microbreweries? | [
"Devastating. It's one of the major reasons the US beer market is as it is today, with huge corporations controlling the vast vast majority of the market - they had the money to survive, cannibalising smaller breweries, removing competition and increasing their own production simultaneously. The few breweries that... | [
"Prohibition failed due to cultural backlash. The ban eliminated an American staple. Alcohol was part of American daily life, where as marijuana and refined hard drugs such as opium were not. Simply put, families did not pass a roach when they came together for dinner, they enjoyed a pitcher of beer or a carafe of ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Probably not the correct subreddit for this, but I need help finding primary sources or paintings involving Native Americans. | [
"I suggest looking up the diaries of James Cook's around-the-world voyage. They are public domain and should be scattered around the Internet."
] | [
"I want to say it also has something to do with other labeling, as well."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What are the best history books you have read in 2015? | [
"I'm not sure if it's a strictly history book, but I particularly enjoyed Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking."
] | [
"I'm looking for recommendations for books to read if I want an overview of the history of the LGBT+ movement in the United States but don't have any previous background knowledge in the subject."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Literature:",
"pos": "Represent the comment about Literature:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Literature:"
} |
Origin of the Upper and Lower naming | [
"The names are older than the convention of putting north at the top of maps (~1500s). The convention is that the 'upper' places were higher up and/or farther up a river (which is generally the same thing as rivers don't go uphill). The alps are in the south and rivers flow north in Germany. For instance the Rhine ... | [
"Only if the federal government let it. See: American Civil War"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Is House Lancaster still around? | [
"Yes, for one, the only known descendants of Henry IV still alive today is through his son Humphrey of Glouchester's legitimized bastard daughter Antigone Plantagenet. Interestingly enough her son fought on the Yorkist side during the War of the Roses. If you count the house of Beaufort, which was an branch of the... | [
"Has someone been reading A Song of Ice and Fire?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How accurate is the references for Band of Brothers Episode 9? Specifically the photographer at 7:26? My grandfather was a Sgt. Hausman in the Army Signal Corps. As an OSS operative his exploits have never been conveyed even to his family all the way to the grave. Any information is appreciated | [
"Can you explain the scene? Everyone may not have access to easily view it"
] | [
"The two soldiers names were Paul G Bennett and Charles Khul. Both survived the war. Paul G Bennett continued to serve in the Army and also fought in the Korean War. He ended up as a SFC and he died in 1973. He is buried in South Carolina _URL_0_ As for Charles Kuhl he also survived the war and died in 1971 after ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What was it like for a Russian living in the USA during the Cold War? | [
"As with most things, this depends on exactly when you mean. Prior to the construction of the Berlin Wall while it wasn't easy to cross from the Soviet Block to the West, it was easier. After that, your options for crossing the Iron curtain amounted to being well connected, cultural ambassadors, and defecting mili... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about history:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about history:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why did fountains have peeing babies/angels as the spout? | [
"You are probably thinking of the [one in Brussels](_URL_0_), which is probably the most famous one. It was based on a well-known legend where a little boy either peed on a burning fuse and prevented an explosion or some other form of destruction to the city."
] | [
"A lot of it has to do with the corpora cavernosa, the spongy tissue in your junk. Have you seen those little pills that you put in the bathtub and they become big dinosaur sponges? They expand more than the sponge that you use to wash dishes. The grower is the dinosaur sponge. The shower is the kitchen sponge."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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} |
[Meta] If the premise of a question is flawed, are we allowed to use contemporary sources (less than 20 years ago) to prove it? | [
"Yes, of course. We have no prohibition against using *sources* less than 20 years old. We prohibit discussing *events* less than 20 years old."
] | [
"> Edit: why was that comment removed? It sounded like a good explanation. It *sounding* like a good explanation does not always mean that it *was* a good explanation. Questions that are based entirely on conjecture or speculation or unsourced opinions will be removed. We have a minimum standard of quality for top-... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Wednesday What's New in History | January 18, 2017 | [
"The CIA opened up their declassified documents archive to the online public. You can access their reading room [here](_URL_21_)."
] | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of M... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How did the United States repay the French for intervening in the American revolution? | [
"No the US did not repay them. The French government that helped the United States fell shortly after. When France called on the US to aide them in the Napoleonic Wars the US basically said that since their treaty was with a government which no longer existed they were under no obligation to join the war. This resu... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
A relative brought this bust from Russia when he worked there in the 60/70s. Anyone know who it is? | [
"Looks like [Maxim Gorky](_URL_2_) to me.... Also see [his photo here](_URL_1_), where he is older and even has a similar hat on him. Edit: yep that's him, I've found the exact bust as you have at an auction here: _URL_0_"
] | [
"Do you have any more info that could be helpful? Where did you find it? Is it a family heirloom, and if so, where-ish do you think your ancestors were 100ish years ago? Anything that could help steer people in the right direction would be great."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Help identifying this Parish Seal from Germany? | [
"Siglum parochiae borsumensis = sigil of the parish of Borsum. Borsum is a small village 10miles away from Hildesheim. If you need help translating the letter let me know. Part of my studies is learning to read/transcribe 18th century letters."
] | [
"Did you mean in the USA, or in Japan?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What is the most far away Viking raid we know off? | [
"Well, in the East Coast of Canada we have the L'Anse aux Meadows archaeological site in Newfoundland. It dates to around the year 1000. Unfortunately, I haven't ever seen any written records of raids from the native communities of Eastern Canada since the native groups there did not keep written records; but enoug... | [
"Are you talking about the Vinland sagas? These are stories about a guy \"Erik the Red\" who was thrown out of Norway for being a murderer. He settled in Iceland for a while and got into more trouble, which encourages him to seek new land to settle. The two books you want are: \"Saga of the Greenlanders\" and \"sa... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about history:"
} |
Mafia code of ethics? | [
"It's not so much a code as the options people had were limited. Once the government/law enforcement agencies started witness protection programs and worked out deals, it gave them a way out. Before that there was no way to leave that life. Much like gangs today believe it or not."
] | [
"Bitch grade or non bitch grade, Poseidon decides."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Looking for a video of a Nazi soldier in a firing squad having a change of heart and leaving his side to go stand with those he was about to kill. | [
"Hi /u/friendships4everyone, Your post has been removed as it breaks our rules on appropriate submissions. > Also, if you're looking for any sort of debate. What do you think of this man's actions? Did they do anything when he inevitably died a few second later? Were his actions meaningful? /r/AskHistorians is not ... | [
"Hanging is how common criminals were executed whereas soldiers would have be thrown up against a wall and shot by other fellow soldiers. By instead being given the noose they would be seen as nothing but a common criminal not worthy of a soldier's death."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Does appeasement have a history of failure or is its bad reputation entirely based on that one time it didn't work with Hitler? | [
"This submission has been removed because it violates the [rule on poll-type questions](_URL_1_). These questions do not lend themselves to answers with a firm foundation in sources and research, and the resulting threads usually turn into monsters with enormous speculation and little focussed discussion. Questions... | [
"I have a question: given the absolute horrors and sheer destruction involved in WWI, is it not understandable that Chamberlain would have done absolutely everything to avoid a war with Hitler by giving him his demands? It's entirely too easy for people to look in hindsight and eviscerate Chamberlain's legacy by sa... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Did Horses actually help miners strike gold? | [
"I have studied the history of mining for a long time, and I have never run into this assertion. There are stories that link a prospector's discovery of gold or silver to the wandering of a burrow, and the prospector having to chase the creature, which leads to the accidental discovery of an ore body. But I never h... | [
"The best way to call with a dangerous snake, stay calm. Sudden movements will initiate a strike. Source: used to wrangle rattlers on the dairy to protect animals and myself."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Was a blade poisoning a thing ? | [
"_URL_0_ This older thread was the closest I could find that might partially answer your question and mostly focuses on whether poison arrows - not blades - were a thing, the consensus seeming to be that they were."
] | [
"Is it possible that that poop is in fact from the previous meal?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Were there cold weather pirates? | [
"not discouraging anyone from contributing on this, but there are a couple of mentions of pirates in the North Sea in this fantastic thread: [Wednesday AMA - Piracy from Antiquity to the Present.](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Followup Question, were the allies doing the same thing?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Has there ever been a prohibition that worked in any point in history? | [
"Mao's [prohibition of opium in China](_URL_0_) after 1949 worked extremely effectively. China had an *enormous* problem with opium addiction at the time (one source says as many as 70 million addicts); after Mao's campaign, opium addiction was practically unknown. Of course, given that the method used was summary ... | [
"They are. Abandoning a child is a criminal offense in every state in the US and in every other Western nation that I'm aware of."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How accurately could European metal workers consistently recreate specific metal alloys in 500-1600? | [
"You're going to need to narrow down your time frame here, keep in mind you're asking about a time frame of 1000 years over a very, very large area of land with vastly different cultures. You'll be more likely to receive an answer if you narrow the question down to a more specific time."
] | [
"The hour (1/12 of a night, 1/12 of a day) dates back to 2000BCE and the Egyptians. The minute, seconds, thirds (1/60 second), fourths (1/60 third, 1/3600 of a second), and a couple more divisions down were used by Babylonian astronomers circa 300BCE."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
John Gray of the Revolutionary War | [
"Hi, you may get help here, but do also consider x-posting to /r/genealogy: researching family history is their specialty"
] | [
"The Art of War in the Western World - Archer Jones"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument about Education:"
} |
Has any single person ever received the reward money for an FBI's 10 most wanted fugitive? | [
"Whitey Bulger was on the FBI's Most Wanted list for 12 years, his reward was second only to that offered for tips regarding Osama bin Laden's whereabouts. When Bulger was arrested, the FBI paid out a $2.1 million reward to the person who tipped them off. That person? Miss Iceland of 1974."
] | [
"No, they don't put a death warrant out on the person. What the FBI is offering is that if you can show information that is suspect is dead, the reward will be paid to the person showing the proof. Not that you are supposed to kill the suspect and bring his head into the FBI office."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
My father went to Vietnam in 1965 at the age of 18. He was, among other things, an MP and a sergeant in change of escorting convoys. Can you recommend a book to me that would best paint an accurate picture of what life would have been like for him? | [
"The Things They Carried by Tim O'brien is a great read that talks about what it was like to be a young man being drafted and sent to Vietnam from his own perspective. He continues the story in 2 more books called Going After Cacciato and If I Die In A Combat Zone."
] | [
"Platoon is a caricature of Vietnam. Drug and alcohol use wasn't nearly as prominent as the film makes out--that was mostly done, if at all, in rear units and not by the actual troops in the field with their lives on the line. In a book that was written by someone who served with my uncle in the war (in 1969) it me... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Yesterday I heard someone say that Andrew Jackson's motives behind the Trail of Tears were at least in part to protect the Native Americans from the violence of encroaching white settlers and speculators. How much truth is in this statement? | [
"Hi there -- while you wait for more comprehensive answers, you may be interested in [this thread](_URL_0_), where u/snapshot52 goes into detail about the genocides committed against native Americans, including their removals from their land (e.g. the various groups removed in the Trail of Tears)."
] | [
"Did the US ever attempt the systematic genocide of Native American people? No. Did the US: * Make treaties with tribes and then dishonor them and end up forcing the natives onto reservations where they would have no economic opportunity? * consistently make war with tribes in the US' relentless push Westward? * In... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Any Pre-Columbian America Books? | [
"A really interesting summary of life before Columbus arrived is [1491](_URL_0_), about what the Americas were like in the years just before Columbus arrived. The same author wrote another book about what happened in the decades (and centuries) after Columbus arrived called—surprise!—[1493](_URL_1_). These are both... | [
"Are there any good introduction books to historiography in general? JFK in particular? Thank you"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is Arnold Toynbee Not Respected by Historians? | [
"I haven't read it, but, in general, universal histories, from any time period, tend not to age well. No one can be expert on that many subjects in any meaningful sense, and as a result such a work will inevitably turn into a tertiary-source-esque encyclopaedia. It may actually be worse insofar as specialist encycl... | [
"1. The First Salute by Barbara Tuchman 2. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown 3. The Civil War by Shelby Foote 4. Reconstruction by Eric Foner 5. The Proud Tower by Barbara Tuchman 6. Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch 7. Brute Force: Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War by John Ellis 8. The... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How modern is the concept of retirement? | [
"The concept of average citizens earning enough to save an excess over subsistence is a fairly modern concept. Life expectancies, even if one made it past childhood, were in the 50's to 60's for most of human history. So a \"retirement\" phase of life was not something to consider. In China, (and other countries)... | [
"There is no such thing as guilt by association in the USA."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Law and Entertainment:"
} |
I've never seen these Heer collar patches before can anyone tell me what division they represent? | [
"They're not Heer, but Luftwaffe collar patches for enlisted ranks, here for a *Gefreiter*, a private."
] | [
"Honestly, I've never seen this uniform with the two black spots before and I tend to be knowledgeable about WW2 uniforms. However, it may have to do with with them being locked up and/or a tradition in the division or company. I'm not entirely sure and I will get back to you with a better answer. Edit: Found the ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How did long distance overland travellers (e.g. Marco Polo) fund themselves over the months and years their journeys took? | [
"A follow up questions: 1. If they did carry all this money around for the entire trip, what prevented dishonest rulers, warlords or chiefs from simply robbing the travelers. 2. To the best of my knowledge most explorers were traders looking to make a fortune and/or were commissioned by a noble or high ranking cle... | [
"Africa was very well mapped because those trade routes were important. Navigating by ship from western Europe around Africa and into India was extremely important and significantly easier compared than hauling cargo by land. Cartographers didn't completely map North America right away because it wasn't important f... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Currently reading Antony Beevor's "The Second World War" and there are no sources whatsoever either referenced in text or in a bibliography at the end of the book, is this normal? | [
"Are you sure there aren't any in your copy? I ask, because I opened up my copy, and pages 788 through 833 are devoted to endnotes, listing a wide variety of sources, examples: > p. 723 'The Germans just don't seem to understand':GBP, 2/4/45 'It is the fear of Russia': Blumenson (ed.), *The Patton Papers,* vol. ii... | [
"I've asked this before but I will again. Peter Hagendorf was a soldier in the Thirty Years' War who kept a famous diary of his service that seems very unique but I'm completely unable to find any English translation of it anywhere either online or in print. Do any Thirty Years' War experts know where I could find ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about Literature:"
} |
Wondering if you fellow historians could provide some info on a flag I found. | [
"Sounds like a [German Afrika Corps Fahrzeugerkennungszeichen](_URL_0_). You described it very well. It's questionable whether the Germans used this on flags as it was used more on vehicles, etc. In the 1970s, a company started creating flags with this emblem on them."
] | [
"There was a comparison of soldier's inventories here _URL_4_ Not sure of the historical accuracy of all of those, but would be curious to know that also."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
What animal did the embassy from Khotan present to the Chinese emperor in 717 AD? | [
"According to Baidu dictionary, it is an animal in the monkey family. It says that ancient books described its form as being like a fur seal, with the pattern of a leopard and two feet. Opinion is that it was a tiger or some kind of monkey."
] | [
"It's 5775 in the Hebrew calendar this year (counting from the beginning of the universe as told in the Book of Genesis. In Japan it's Heisei year 27--the number of years since the current Emperor took the throne. In North Korea it's Juche year 104--counting from Kim Il-Sung's birthday. In Islam, it's Hijri year 1... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
My grandfather sent my grandma a postcard from a Soviet POW camp. Are there any experts here that can help me find out where he wrote it from? | [
"[This page](_URL_0_) says it was near Moscow, I'll see what else I can find about it, it could've been moved during the later stages of the war, when the number of PoWs increased. Upd: yep, near Moscow: _URL_1_ Upd2: have you tried to contact _URL_2_ ? They might've more info, being German Red Cross."
] | [
"Do you have any more info that could be helpful? Where did you find it? Is it a family heirloom, and if so, where-ish do you think your ancestors were 100ish years ago? Anything that could help steer people in the right direction would be great."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about history:",
"pos": "Represent the post about history:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How did the economy of Medieval Empires of Vijayanagara function? How advanced was the bureaucratic administration? | [
"Follow up question how do you even say Vijayanagara? I heard some Englishmen say it vagina-gara. How do you pronounce it properly?"
] | [
"> ancient China Define ancient China. What specific periods of Chinese history are you looking at? Social mobility in China varied greatly depending on the time period, with greater social mobility during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States era."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
why is a "Cockpit" on a airplane called that? | [
"According to the OED the word predates aircraft significantly as it's actually a sailing term. _URL_0_ > Late 16th century (in sense 2): from cock1 + pit1. sense 1 dates from the early 20th century and derives from an early 18th-cent. nautical term denoting an area in the aft lower deck of a man-of-war where the ... | [
"I dont exactly know what your talking about do you have a photo of a reference of this ?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Did people throughout history know that smoking/chewing tobbaco was bad for them? | [
"In *Silas Marner* written by George Elliot in 1861, the protagonist is advised to take up pipe smoking for his health, which suggests converse."
] | [
"Tobacco isn't used to smoke food and cigarettes aren't made from wood. A lot of things we use and consume may contain carcinogens. But they are all used and or consumed in different ways. It doesn't matter of its smoked. salty, spicy and sugary foods can be carcinogenic too."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
To what extent are the events of the film "Victoria and Abdul" historically accurate? | [
"For those of us who haven't seen it, could you give some specific examples of what in the plot/story you want to know the accuracy of?"
] | [
"Don't consider this a full and proper answer, but it seems relevant to point out that the movie in question was largely based on a book about Lincoln's cabinet and political work during the Civil War, also touching on his election and position within the Republican Party. Check out Doris Kearns Goodwin's *Team of ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
In "Peaky Blinders", an Irish teetotaler in Birmingham, England a few years after WWI is offered a water and cordial at a pub, and he accepts. What is he served? Was this commonly offered at pubs? What effects were expected? | [
"I can't speak for whether this was common at the time but cordial is a non-alcoholic flavoured syrup common in the UK that is diluted in water, like grenadine or squash. Traditional flavours include lime, elderflower and ginger. The expected effects would be nothing, as it's non-alcoholic."
] | [
"In contrast to a \"hard\" drink, which contains alcohol. It first became popular during prohibition, so it was clear that the beverage being served did not contain alcohol."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why weren't muscle cars popular in the UK like they were in North America, and Australia? | [
"Gasoline prices are much higher in the UK. The UK also charges a tax, based on the displacement of your engine. For a big V-8 engine, the tax is very steep."
] | [
"I think it is because most countries don't care about it too much. Europe, most of Asia, most of Africa don't play it too much. The major countries who do play are the US, Japan and a couple of South and Central American countries."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
The Virginia Colony 1650-1750 | [
"In 1718 the Governor of Virginia, Alexander Spotswood, was fed up with Pirates. They were living in nearby North Carolina and the Governor of North Carolina did nothing about them. Alexander arrested the former quartermaster of the Queen Anne's Revenge to learn the location of Edward Teach AKA Blackbeard. He organ... | [
"Because expenditure was less than revenue which is the definition of budget surplus. 1,721,728 1,652,458 69,270 1,827,452 1,701,842 125,610 2,025,191 1,788,950 236,241 1,991,082 1,862,846 128,236"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
In East Germany, how easy would it have been to get a boat and sail to Denmark or Sweden and defect? | [
"[Here](_URL_0_) is an article (in Danish) from Statens Arkiver (Danish State Archives). According to the article, approximately 7000 East Germans attempted to flee across the Baltic by boat, and at least 174 of them were killed. More than 4500 were apprehended by East German authorities, while 1000-2000 made it to... | [
"Berlin was not on the border between East Germany an West Germany. West Berlin was completely surrounded by East Germany. If people in East Berlin went a little north or south, there would be no border to cross."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Does the documentation for the trial of Mary Read and Anne Bonny still exist? | [
"Paging /u/davidaop, our pirate expert, to help with this one."
] | [
"I'd like to question the premise of the post. Is there any evidence that the said book was actually banned? The author of the linked article didn't seem to provide any source."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Is it true that the VOC (Dutch East Indian Company) was the most valuable company ever? | [
"Follow up question: The same but for the French Mississippi Company, worth 6 trillion dollars, which is even more ridiculous as Louisiana was empty at this time, it would be as if each French has on average 300 000$ of share of this company... Is it just an artificial value due to speculative bubble ?"
] | [
"'Crown Corporations' are the original corporations, dating back to the early colonial days. The idea would be that money would be set aside by the government to achieve a task, and people would be hired and paid to do that thing. Most colonial projects were crown corporations - you're probably familiar with the Ea... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What's the etemology of the word "legion"? | [
"It's from the Latin noun *legio, legionis*, itself a derivative of the verb *lego, legere* 'choose, collect'. The word *league* is actually from *ligo, ligare* 'tie, bind'. The two words descend from different PIE roots, the first from \\*leǵ- 'bind' and the second from \\*leyǵ- 'gather'."
] | [
"You may want to look up the Wikipedia article on the Fertile Crescent. ...um...Wikibot, I invoke thee!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How do the Japanese today view Truman? | [
"Well, the vast majority of Japanese people today have no idea who Truman is, and certainly not of any of his policies. Those who do know the name would likely just know him as \"the American president during the end of WWII.\" Honestly, they don't have much of an opinion. If you explained who this Truman character... | [
"What do you want to know about them exactly?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
HELP! Was cleaning out parents basement and found these... | [
"The small knife is for placing in the hose (the top of the sock), and it is called a [sgian dubh](_URL_1_) or black knife. The larger blade is a dirk and is worn on the right side of the belt. It includes implements for eating meals. The \"something else\" is a practice chanter for learning to play the pipes. It i... | [
"I believe this problem has been erradicated with the installation of, the bathroom sink, in which to wash your hands afterwards."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about Question about public women's toilets:"
} |
When did historical accuracy become important? | [
"[Leopold von Ranke](_URL_0_), in the mid-late 1800s, is usually credited with approaching history from a positivist, scientific perspective for the first time. He also was the first to introduce the seminar as an aspect of historical research and investigation. He emphasized the importance of sources and sought to... | [
"What do you mean by downfall? This is still a dominant part of current culture."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
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