query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
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|---|---|---|---|---|
What exactly was Winston Churchill referring to when he made the "we are entering a period of consequences" speech? | [
"Start of WWII. He was trying to get support for increasing the build up of war materiel, training, weapons, manpower, etc. Chamberlain's government was playing the part of the appeaser at this time and Churchill did not like it."
] | [
"This is a classic question for many exams because it requires that the answerer historicize the situation completely without any presentist memory. It's obviously quite easy to say that signing treaties with Hitler was a stupid thing to do; heck, just look at how it turned out, right? What's quite difficult is to... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How restricted was hunting by ordinary citizens in the Soviet Union? | [
"People living in the countryside could legally own hunting rifles, particularly after the Civil War. It wasn't necessarily easy to get a permit and you basically had to prove that it was a necessary part of your work/livelihood. It was highly regulated, and there were times (right after the Revolution and later un... | [
"They were made in chronological order from when the state became part of the US."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Books about "The Last Kingdom" and The Great Heathen Army? | [
"Well first off I can honestly say that Bernard Cornwell's historical fiction series (which the tv series is named after) is not only *vastly* superior to the show, but also includes some significant research on Cornwell's part to find useful and interesting material. Actually those books (especially the first 3) w... | [
"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 answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
When choosing a site for the atomic bombings, did the US factor in Japanese Cultural Resources e.i. art and sculptors? | [
"The closest you have to the Americans caring about cultural resources is the non-targeting of Kyoto, which was justified as it being a cultural center. [I have written about Kyoto here](_URL_0_). I am not sure it really counts quite the same as the European example — it was literally the insistence of one person (... | [
"Because of the strategic and tactical advantages of killing Japanese civilians and combatants over risking American lives. Also to demonstrate to the world, specifically the USSR, the power of the new Atomic bombs."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
How clear were the goals of the Boston Tea Party compared to modern movements and protests? | [
"Hi there -- your submission is fine here, but I wanted to drop in a note to let people know that, as always, we do not allow discussion of [modern politics](_URL_0_) on this subreddit. So folks who are thinking about responding, you can compare and contrast up to 1997, but no further. Thanks!"
] | [
"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:"
} |
Did Native American populations know that the world is round before the arrival of Europeans? | [
"You may be interested in some of the past answers to questions in our FAQ section on [Pre-Columbian Trade and Contact](_URL_0_)."
] | [
"There has been trade between Europe and Africa, directly or indirectly, for thousands of years. Africa, Europe, and Asia are all connected by land or very short ocean distances. Diseases had already been shared between Europe and Africa long before Europeans began colonizing Africa. Africa was not 'discovered' in ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about History:"
} |
How Accurate was the concept of drowing suspected witches, if they died they where innocent if they floated they where guilty. It seems incredibly flawed logic even for older times | [
"Here is a [link](_URL_0_) to a thread with some info I wrote on the history and practice of \"trials by water\" during the Medieval period, namely that the purpose was not to kill the accused, and that during the period of its accepted use as a legal practice it was not specifically related to witchcraft accusatio... | [
"Medieval Britain. The pox come down your street? Perhaps your cattle were slaughtered by wolves. Or a child disfigured by an unfortunate accident. This happened a couple of times in a short space of time or geographic spacing? No such thing as a coincidence, and God wouldn't do this. Must be a witch in town. Going... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How true was the story of Gavrilo Princip killing Franz Ferdinand by chance after having a sandwich | [
"It's likely that Princip was *outside* Schiller's Deli, but he probably did not have a sandwich. Sandwich-eating is not a local custom (I mean, there are sandwiches to be had in Sarajevo, but most Serbs do not have sandwiches for lunch). It seems that the origin of the sandwich story might lie in a burlesque novel... | [
"> how much of an impact do you think the man himself, and his co conspirators actually had in the grand scheme of things? Aside from giving the Austro-Hungarians an excuse to start a war with Serbia, their impact in the grand scheme of things was not great. Berchtold and Hotzendorff, the Foreign Minister and Chief... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How might the southern states have won the war? | [
"It seems that one of the largest reasons the Confederate states found themselves losing the war may be attributable to the fact that they lacked the industrialization that the North had. The South's economy was historically a crop culture (indigo, rice, cotton, etc…), and when the war hit, not much changed. Thus, ... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Was King Ælle blood eagled in real life, like in the show vikings? | [
"The evidence for the reality of this form of execution is actually extremely scanty, [as I discussed in this earlier thread](_URL_0_), referencing an earlier essay on the subject that I wrote a few years back for the Smithsonian. That for the carving of the blood eagle on King Ælla boils down to how you interpret ... | [
"Well first off I can honestly say that Bernard Cornwell's historical fiction series (which the tv series is named after) is not only *vastly* superior to the show, but also includes some significant research on Cornwell's part to find useful and interesting material. Actually those books (especially the first 3) w... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How accurate are these "period specific" Disney princess costumes from the front page? | [
"[Here's the original source](_URL_1_) with brief explanation for each one. [Here's /r/fashion 's critique of the historical accuracy](_URL_0_). The biggest criticism is there's no way Pocahontas would have worn something that skimpy. In addition a lot of the styles are still so generalized that it's no more accura... | [
"How detailed and accurate does it have to be? Also are you going to make the costumes or find them piece by piece? Budget? I can give you some suggestions depending on how much resources you have on hand. Edit: also what are the scenes you would appear in? Are you working the entire time?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
In 1533, the Incan emperor Atahualpa was sentenced to death by Francisco Pizarro. Given how contentious the matter of executing a monarch was, how was the reaction of contemporary monarchs/clergies/nobilities to Pizarro's actions? | [
"Emperor Charles V sent a letter to Pizarro: > We have been displeased by the death of Atahualpa since he was a monarch and particularly as it was done in the name of justice. Pizarro took one of Atahualpa's wives, Cuxirimay Ocllo (later baptized as Angelina Yupanqui), as his concubine and had 2 children: Juan Fra... | [
"The Pizarro brothers read as much about Cortez as they could. They went into the Inka empire on their second voyage to Peru, with a pre-concieved plan of capturing the Inka emperor, and using him the same way Cortez used Montezuma. On their first trip, they landed at Tumbez, in northwest Peru, and found a prosper... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I've seen a number of conspiracy theorists and Neo-Nazis quote these alleged confessions by Winston Churchill that Britain was the aggressor in WWII. Where do they actually originate? | [
"The quote regarding forcing Hitler into war appears in They Didn't Listen, They Didn't Know How by Olwen Davies pg 682 published 2013 maybe worth asking the author for a Citation. Be warned he's a total nut. It's harder to figure out the source of a lie than the truth the nuts all quote one another. A nearly ide... | [
"There's a quote that stuck strongly with me: \"The people who claim that the holocaust didn't happen are usually the same people that wish that it did.\" If you're unashamedly an anti-semite, you wouldn't want to be reminded that anti-semitism was what caused the death of millions. So, in an ends-justify-means man... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
The Universality of the Minute and Hour | [
"Funny you should ask. Roni Jacobson wrote an article that covers a lot of what you ask in this Tuesday's *New York Times*: [\"60: Behind Every Second, Millenniums of History\"] (_URL_0_)."
] | [
"Sleep - Shake Unconscious - Splash Coma - Wait and Hope Vegetative State - Wait and Bury"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Is "Appalachia" a Native American word/name? If so, how was it pronounced by the Native Americans who coined it? | [
"We aren't positive if the word came form Apalachee *abalahci* or Hitchiti *apalwahči*. Either way, I'll tell you how it was probably pronounced. * Apalachee is extinct but we know it was closely related to Alabalama. The word was likely pronounced as /'abala:htʃI/ (ah-ba-LAHH-chih) Make sure the 'h' in abala**h**c... | [
"The words that linguists use for this are exonym (a name we give to a foreign place or people group, e.g. \"Japan\" and \"Japanese people\") and endonym (the name they give themselves, e.g. \"Nippon\" and \"Nipponjin\"). Sometimes European cities have an \"English\" name (exonym) because the English have known abo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Teacher says that the Earth being flat is one of the fears of sailors during the early Age of Exploration, Internet says otherwise. | [
"I haven't personally read accounts of fear of a flat earth, which doesn't mean they don't exist, but this is much more likely to be a later invention. You can read more about what people (including common people) thought about the sphericity of the earth here: _URL_0_ _URL_2_ _URL_1_ Tl;dr: people knew the earth ... | [
"They were. Syphilis was unknown to the rest if the world until it was brought back from the New World. Im sure there were more, but I cant think of any off the top of my head."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about History:"
} |
Modern Britain - recommendations of general narratives, specialized works, historiography, etc. | [
"I second all of /u/agentdcf's recommendations, but would like to add David Cannadine's *Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy* in addition to *Ornamentalism*. The title is self-explanatory."
] | [
"Just finished *What is Microhistory? Theory and Practice* by Magnusson and Szijarto. I was really intrigued about the discussions on the impact of postmodernism and poststructuralism on different histiographical methods. Anyone have other books that go into that on fields other than microhistory?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Literature:"
} |
How did other states react to the collapse of the Ming dynasty and the rise of the Qing? | [
"The first state reacted before the fall of the Ming; Joseon saw the writing on the wall after the Manchu invasion of Korea and started sending tribute to the Qing instead of the Ming. The Japanese were highly isolationist at the time, so they didn't offer tribute to the Qing, but not out of any preference for the ... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What did the Great Plains settlers do for water? | [
"First, it's incorrect to think that the Plains are nothing but dirt and grass. There are relatively few major rivers, true, but tons of smaller rivers/streams. (All the rainwater has to find a way to the major rivers, after all.) In the upper plains (Dakotas, for example) there are also tons of small lakes or pond... | [
"Who's gonna do it? And who's gonna feed those who do it? Some organizations do plant trees to better the ecosystem, but they need to get money one way or the other."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Thursday Reading & Recommendations | June 13, 2019 | [
"Few days ago I asked a question [*\"Looking for a book that looks at how Soviet Russia and later Soviet Union implemented a new political system in Russia in 1920s & 1930s\"*](_URL_5_)*.* Nobody replied there so perhaps someone will see it here. Any suggestions about political history of Soviet Union in 1920s and ... | [
"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 title about Literature:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Literature:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
William the Bastard's coronation; Christmas Day 1066. Does anyone actually believe the Official Story? | [
"Soapboxing is [expressly forbidden](_URL_0_.) in our subreddit rules. Please familiarize yourself with our rules thoroughly before posting here again. Further violations will result in a ban."
] | [
"Edwardian when Edward was king Victorian when Victoria was queen"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What is the logic behind the statue of Boudica opposite the Houses of Parliament? Its symbolism seems completely out of place. | [
"Boudica was British, not Irish, so they were commemorating British patriotism when they raised the statue. Your Boudica = pre-Roman = Celtic = Irish connection is quite tenuous and rests on modern notions of pan-Celtic nationalism that were not all that popular at the time. It's true that the contemporary British ... | [
"Also a black figure would look odd and distract the viewer from what is actually going on in the picture."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
In "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby mentions that because he fought in WW1 the British let him study at an English University (Oxford) for free, or low cost. Did this actually happen for American troops in WW1? | [
"Just an add-on question, how hard was it (during the time of the Indian struggle for Independence) to get into colleges like Oxford, Cambridge and UCL? Was it as hard as it is today or comparatively easier? (Gandhi attended UCL, if I'm not mistaken.)"
] | [
"Also, would her military experience be any useful in finding a job? Did women serve in the British military during World War 1 and if so, did they go back into the workforce afterwards?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Hi reddit, please help me interpret this quote by Paulus Orosius! | [
"Orosius himself explains in the preceding sentence: > hostes binis castris atque ingenti praeda potiti **noua quadam atque insolita exsecratione** cuncta quae ceperant pessum dederunt So presumably it happened for religious reasons but even then was a highly unusual thing to do. I guess the main question is wheth... | [
"Could you post where that quote came from? Thanks"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
The Space Shuttle was intended to fly 26 missions a year, a flight every 2 weeks. When did NASA officially give up on this goal and who made the decision? | [
"Pinging /u/IrishWaterPolo who specialises in the space race. Follow-up question, come the early-mid '70's why did public interest in the space race seemingly dwindle? When only 6 years previous the moon landings had received mass media attention."
] | [
"During the Apollo program, we used a type of spacecraft designed to land on the moon and return to the earth safely. After that program concluded, we moved to the shuttle program which had no landing module and was really just a spacecraft capable of low orbit and easy re-entry into earth. Since that's been decomm... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
A question about the splitting of Korea? | [
"The creation of the Juche philosophy was highly nationalistic by nature and some of the historical events that occurred such as the Korean War helped to cement this concept of us vs. the United States mentality. So combined with that past history of being invaded (although North Korea started it) and that highly n... | [
"Just a follow-up question to the original question - what about the reverse. What was Napoleon's view of the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Looking for a FBI Historian to help me if my found collection of documents is worth anything, historically and/or monetarily. | [
"Everything /u/Borimi says is correct. Let me add: you might want to talk to a lawyer. Chances are, the U.S. Government was the original owner of those documents, and however they got into your hands, someone didn't follow proper procedure for archiving those documents. I have no idea what the applicable laws or re... | [
"I have done a little research paper last year about the Blount Conspiracy that took place in the late 1790's. I know that it is some years after the Revolution but it was in the wake of it. The continental expansion of the US was (or could have been) greatly changed if the conspiracy had went through. Right now I... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Archiving:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Archiving:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Are colonies who negotiated with their former colonial power for independence better off than those Colonies who won independence through a liberation war? | [
"Is there any reason the mods keep shadow deleting all the comments? one or two were quite helpful"
] | [
"The British were resettling these places with their own people. When the U.S. became independent, they were taken seriously be the Europeans, they understand European diplomacy, and how to navigate European politics, and how to utilize European technology. Spanish colonies kept the native populations, and just had... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
To what extent was there romantic and/or sexual intermingling between the British and their Indian subjects? | [
"Not a historian, but I'm an Indian. This was definitely a \"thing\". There still exists a small and shrinking population of \"Anglo-Indians\" in India. The history and culture of Anglo-Indians in India is a fascinating one. Members of this community would usually be located in towns with British-run Cantonments, ... | [
"A related question were there public figures at the time who were apologists that tried to justify for the actions of the Japanese military at Pearl Harbor?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why was the Brasilian slave trade so much worse than the others? | [
"Slaves in Brazil were growing sugar, for one. Sugarcane is very difficult ti grow, and harvesting it is quite dangerous. You have to cut the stalk and the remaining pieces are sharp enough to cleanly impale a person if they fall on it. In addition to the working conditions, the Brazilian slaves also had to contend... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
WWII and Reinforced Units. | [
"You are correct that reinforced units had extra assets attached, before making an attack on an important target. In the US Army, every Corps and Army had a pool of independent Armor, Artillery, Engineer, Recon and Tank Destroyer battalions. These battalions could be plugged into a division making a major objective... | [
"British Empire -- > Post-WW2 / Cold War America -- > British and American pop culture -- > Silicon Valley."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What happened when one nation puts in an order for battleships and at the outbreak of war, the nation that builds these battleships decides to keep them for itself? | [
"I couldn't tell you about the incident in your example, but there was a similar problem more recently where a small squadron of missile boats were built by the French in Cherbourg for the Israeli navy in the 1960's. While the boats were still under construction relations soured and Charles de Gaulle ordered an arm... | [
"World War II. Every other industrial power in the world got huge amounts of their infrastructure destroyed; apart from an attack on Hawaii and some minor Alaskan islands, the US itself was untouched by the war. The USSR managed to recover fast enough to oppose the US during the Cold War, but that just encouraged t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about World Affairs:"
} |
Did the Japanese use the same pigments as Europeans for their paintings? (in particular, expensive lapis lazuli for the colour blue?) | [
"Many blues were made from copper. Malachite and Azurite were used at different times. There is a source for natural pigments and their use in history, here. _URL_0_"
] | [
"Pigments, which come from a variety of sources. The cochineal is a popular one for red color."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
[x-post to r/scotland] What were negotiations like for the former British empire countries who gained independence? | [
"The ones that spring to mind are India and Pakistan and their negotiations were carried on in the very early days of WWII. India had gained a certain level of autonomy and a legislative council formed under the Government of India Act 1919. Israel was formed post WWII as was Jordan. The \"White Dominions\" were ... | [
"No, it wouldn't be a good place. I'd suggest you look at Scottish websites from many years back as it grew in popularity. For eli5, The Scottish want independence in a similar way the USA did, for better personal representation and choice of spending money. They already have some control but not all, it is still a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
when John Snow got them to remove the Broad Street pump handle (the water was infected with cholera, in 1854) did many/any people in that part of london complain about it? | [
"Here's a great article from UCLA's dept. of epidemiology regarding contemporary opinions. _URL_0_ Snow wasn't widely believed at the time of his initial request to shut down the pump, but the governing body, local officials, friends, and physicians agreed to remove the pump handle out of caution. This (famously) ... | [
"It's not the water that will kill you, it's the shit in the water. No seriously the shit in the water. Cholera was the leading cause of death on the Oregon Trail, dysentery was up there as well. The answer is, it did make them sick. Edit: another thing to think about is that some naturally occurring waterborne pa... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Have past futurologists accurately predicted any of the technological advances of the late 20th to early 21st centuries? | [
"Yes, past futurologists and science fiction writers have predicted things that have come to pass. The problem is that these same people also predicted many things that did not come to pass. They predicted so many things that some were bound to come true if they were at least in the ballpark. Take Jules Verne's [*P... | [
"Steampunk uses aesthetics and technology from the Victorian era (mid to late 19th century), when steam power was prominent, while dieselpunk uses aesthetics and technology from between WWI and WWII (early to mid 20th century), when internal combustion engines were prominent."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why did only the greeks and romans do plays and not say the vikings? | [
"Your timeline is a bit off. The Vikings were active starting in the 8th century CE. The Roman Empire in the west fell in the 5th century CE. The Vikings would not have had contact with classical Greece or Rome or if they did, it would have been indirect, through Germanic or Slavic tribes, though this would have ma... | [
"Incas lived in the Andes mountains in South America Mayans lived on the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico Aztecs lived in Central Mexico It's like asking \"whats the difference between the babylonians, the byzantines, and the nazis?\" Theres a lot of differences. They're all totally different. *edit*: I'm not implying t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What were the beliefs,teachings, and tenants of moloch worshipers? All I know of them is that they sacrifice children. | [
"You may be interested in this past answer: [In 'Punic Nightmares', Dan Carlin suggests that at one point the Carthaginians might have practiced child sacrifice; is this claim credible, or likely to be Roman propaganda?](_URL_0_) by /u/yodatsracist It makes the point that \"Moloch\" wasn't a deity so much as a type... | [
"Mythology is part of religion. Zeus himself is not considered a myth, but a God. He still referred as a Greek God. However, the rituals (like animal sacrifice and festivals) are not considered part of the mythology, but part of the ancient Greek religion. Mythology is pretty much just the story parts. For example:... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
In the HBO show Deadwood, they drink shots of whisky very rapidly. Was whisky or other alcoholic drinks in during the Wild West not as strong as it is today? | [
"[This](_URL_0_) thread with answers by the excellent u/itsallfolklore has a lot of information on old west drinking which may be of interest to you"
] | [
"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 post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
What Archaeological digs are going on right now that i should be paying attention to? | [
"hi! I actually think just subscribing to /r/Archaeology would do the trick. As you say, they're not all that active, but that's more in terms of membership/discussion: they post articles all the time, which I think would be useful to you. As for this sub, there are a few archaeologists and interested parties here... | [
"Hi there! There are 20+ countries that were part of the British Commonwealth and it will immensly help any expert attempting an answer here to narrow it down a bit. Thank you!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Did JFK 'steal the election' as is often claimed? | [
"This was discussed extensively ten days ago in [this thread.](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"There definitely was a reason to suspect and fear the infiltration of communists in high levels government in the 40's and 50's. One need look no further than the Verona Project and the case of Harry Dexter White for example. _URL_0_ Although it was never near as widespread as Sen. McCarthy made it out to be."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Ancient Sumeria/Akkadia: What did reed workers use flattening stones for? | [
"The five lines around that were mutilated in the original texts used for translating the Epic, so this is definitely something that's been added to more recent translations either with research or with new corroborating evidence. It's an interesting question, I would suggest that the reed flattening is to do with ... | [
"Simple, anywhere where there are rivers. After all, the word Mesopotamia is Greek for \"the land between two rivers,\" specifically the Tigris–Euphrates. Also, the Nile was so important to the Egyptians, it became a major part of their religion A short summary of how of humanity developed by river systems: Nomads ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Are there any examples of kings that suffered from schizophrenia, dementia, bi-polar, or were otherwise "crazy"? | [
"Sorry, we don't allow [throughout history questions](_URL_1_). These tend to produce threads which are collections of trivia, not the in-depth discussions about a particular topic we're looking for. If you have a specific question about a historical event or period or person, please feel free to re-compose your qu... | [
"Neither Down Syndrome or Autism are mental illnesses. Could you clarify what you mean by this question? Do you mean disorders such as Down Syndrome or Autism, or mental illnesses, more along the lines of depression or schizophrenia?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Does the Chinese Communist Party hold the Mandate of Heaven in the traditional Chinese model of history? | [
"As well as what /u/portabledavers said, it's important to note that the mandate of heaven was often a post-hoc explanation to justify passage of power from one leader to another. The kind of disruption that normally precipitated a major power shift (massive droughts/famines) or were part of one (rebellions/uprisin... | [
"Can anyone suggest respected works that deal, on a theoretical level, with the concept of elites? Specifically from the standpoint of history."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
On October 31st, 1941, USS Reuben James was sunk near Iceland by German Submarine U-552, whilst neither nation was at war with the other. What was the response from the American Public, and why was there seemingly such a lack of public outcry? | [
"There was some outcry. Woody Guthrie even wrote a song about it. But the Rueben James was escorting a convoy from a belligerent country to another belligerent country. The torpedo was actually meant for a merchant ship. It wasn’t widely seen as an attack on the United States - and Americans at this point staunchly... | [
"It was a preventative action by the Japanese to stop the US from interfering with Japanese activities in south-east Asian waters. FDR had implemented a trade ban on Japanese exports such as oil, steel and iron. By bombing Pearl Harbour, Japan largely eliminated any effective naval response from the US. This enabl... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Were there any die-hard supporters of the Articles of Confederation who tried to keep it alive, any fanatical "hold-outs" after the Constitution replaced it? | [
"Rhode Island initially refused to ratify the Constitution well past every other state. A combination of internal pressure from towns who threatened to secede from the state and join neighboring states coupled with threats of Federal economic pressure finally convinced Rhode Island to ratify the constitution. Edit... | [
"The Gadsden flag dates back to the Revolutionary War. The idea of a snake representing the US comes from a political cartoon Benjamin Franklin drew. It showed a snake cut up into pieces, each piece identified by the initials of the colonies. And it was captioned \"Unite or die\" to encourage all the American colon... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Has any peaceful protest been successful where there was not some violent (but separate) entity working in the same interest? | [
"You question lacks specificity. Are you asking if there has ever been an example of a peaceful protest movement that has toppled a regime/government? Moreover, how are we defining \"violent protest?\" Is it merely bloodshed? Or would the destruction of symbols (e.g., statues, religious icons, monuments) also be co... | [
"Two things: First, you're assuming rioters have a coordinated goal. Some, maybe even most people involved have might have a principled political message to get across, but others are along as opportunists who don't care about that message. Second, even with the chaotic anarchy, there is still a message being trans... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Best books on military tactics? | [
"I'd recommend the Memoirs of William Tecumseh Sherman as a good book on tactics. I believe Erwin Rommel put some of what he used from those memoirs to good use."
] | [
"Reddit as the new opiate of the masses?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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} |
How does a battle happen? | [
"I actually want to link to this great post by iSurvivedRuffneck in [this thread.](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"How are you going to change the filter?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How many times in the U.S. has a state constitution been written before the state was admitted by Congress? | [
"Every time, since the territory needs to draft a constitution and submit it to Congress in order to get Congressional approval for statehood. For each of the 50 individual stories, see Benjamin Shearer, ed., *The Uniting States*."
] | [
"If you’re not referring to the US Constitution at all, please disregard this entire post. If you mean “Who has the authority to amend the US Constitution,” then it can be done by either a convention of the states, requiring three fourths of the states to vote in favor of the amendment, or by three quarters approva... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Help with identifying patch | [
"You might have more responses in r/whatisthisthing, which is astonishingly good at it."
] | [
"There is its called florescent lighting. Edit: typo"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about Technology:"
} |
How did the concept of claiming "Sanctuary" come about? And more to the point, when did it die out? | [
"The origin is Biblical. [The Old Testament](_URL_1_) and the Talmud describe sanctuary cities where a murderer may flee to and live in exile. You may be interested in [*Sanctuary and crime in the Middle Ages](_URL_0_)."
] | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How historically accurate is Colleen McCullough's "Masters of Rome" series? | [
"It is decent for broad outlines, but the characterization heavily reflects her own bias'. Particularly with Caesar: he was not, in fact, a baby genius and we have little reliable information on the size of his penis. Beyond that, McCollough will invent episodes for the sake of narrative and characterization (see: ... | [
"I'm currently reading the *Dead Zone* by Stephen King, which is pretty good, but I'm planning on reading something more historical soon. For the past couple of years I've made a habit of reading one long presidential biography a year, and this year my in-laws gave me a crap ton of them, so I have to choose which o... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about Literature:"
} |
Did the Caesars really have a slave behind them, to remind them that they weren't gods when they were celebrating a Triumph? | [
"Not just the Caesars but anyone having a triumph. It's a holdover from the republic, discouraging anyone from attempting to seize power. The exact words that were said changed based on the person and time period. It's discussed here: _URL_0_"
] | [
"The Romans had a formal process by which the deified worthy persons. Augustus, for example, and many of his successors. But only the simple folk actually believed such people were gods. As Gibbon wrote, “ The plebeian believed that all religions were equally true, the philosopher, that they were equally false, and... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What was the most unwieldy currency? Would people not accept it despite being the coin of the realm? | [
"[Rai stones](_URL_1_) are limestone 'coins' from Palau, used by the people of the island of Yap. They were used as a form of currency and apparently still are on rare occassions. They vary greatly in size, with the largest around 12 feet across and weigh up to 4 tons. [Here is an article about them](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"That often is done, but coming up with a new currency, printing it, and handling all the logistics of getting that money to banks so people can trade in their old currency for new currency is not cheap and takes quite some time. Also, if you haven't handled the issues that caused the hyperinflation in the first pl... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
What was the democratic evolution of Sweden after joining the UN? | [
"The UN membership did not really change the state of democracy in Sweden. Sweden approved universal and equal suffrage for men and women 1917 and enacted it in the first election 1921. Sweden was part of the Legue of Nation pre-war and continued to be a democracy troughout ww2. Tage Erlander was the leader of the ... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Was the cause of admittance in asylums in the early 1900's really this extreme? Can someone please confirm? | [
"When I was doing some archival research at a former state hospital, the thing that made is tricky is that these sorts of claims are based on notes such as ‘reason for admittance’. For example, one person was listed as ‘kicked in the head by a horse’. Obviously, they weren’t admitted because they were kicked by a h... | [
"It is considered a physical defect and therefore ugly so it is considered an insult, just like calling someone's entire body fat is an insult. It was a common insult in from the late 1800s till around 1940."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How much would it cost for an english medieval knight to be fully kitted out in armour, weapons and a horse at the time of the mid 13th century. (1230-1260) | [
"_URL_0_ Here's an answer from a slightly later time period. It might be of interest, although metallurgy techniques and trade changed a bit between the periods. Edit: also, it's from /u/waritter"
] | [
"Not an answer but a question for OP, are you asking about the different in feasting tables of England in 1048 Anglo-Saxon England vs 1103 Norman England? Or a feasting table in Anglo-Saxon England in 1048 vs a feasting table in Normandy in 1103?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How was it that the United Nations forces fought in the Korean war with the Soviet Union on the Security Council? | [
"Basically the Soviets were boycotting the Security Council at the time so when Resolution 84 was voted on they were not there to Veto it. The Soviets had been ordered to not go to meetings by Stalin after a series of disagreements, most notably the PRC/ROC issue of who should hold the seat. After that every Securi... | [
"China, before Mao (before and during WWII), were allies to the US, since Mao's death relations have been improve with them. The UN and the US went to war with North Korea, a significant war. At the time, Korea was supported by Moaist Chinese. 100s of million of people died as a result of communists and their conqu... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What would £24 from 1664 be in today's money? | [
"I used the Measuring Worth calculator from [this](_URL_2_) website and got the results: In 2013, the relative value of £24 from 1664 ranges from £3,212.00 to £5,600.00. *A general guide is that in the early 17th century 1 English pence was roughly the equivalent of one English pound 400 years later. This means ... | [
"Someone is willing to pay $50,000 for it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Where does the idea of hell come from? | [
"I don't knew where it originally started, but Christianity inherited it from Judaism, which acquired it during the Jewish exile in Babylon in the 6th century B.C. Before that, the Jewish idea of the afterlife was like that of most ancient cultures: that it was a grey boring eventless place where dead souls drifted... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
I read an article about a hairdresser researching & experimenting with Greek and Roman hairstyles and publishing her findings. Are there other examples of non-historians bringing their subject matter expertise to historical questions? | [
"Dogfish Head, a microbrewery based in Delaware, has brewed a number of \"ancient ales\", which try to recreate beers from the past. Check out [the full list here](_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 post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
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} |
When did it first begin to dawn on people that the Second World War had exceeded the First in size, scope etc? | [
"In many countries in Europe the first world war is still referred to as 'the great war', la grande guerre. In France for example there was barely any fighting most of the war, quick occupation and no renewed fighting until D-Day, while the first war saw years of continuous fighting on French soil. The difference ... | [
"War. Man. Good God y'all. What is it good for? By which I mean, how do you as a historian handle war? As we know, there is a certain degree of inhumanity about it, and it is important to keep in mind the pain and hardship it involves, but to take too critical of a reading risks distorting the societies involved, a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
If you were to defend Louis 16 against his charge of treason, what would you say to defend him? | [
"I think that it would have been impossible to defend Louis whilst keeping your own head. France was scared at this time and lashing out at anyone that was even tagently connected to royalists, so defending Louis would be impossible since the prosecution wanted him dead. It must be noted that Louis wasn't a terribl... | [
"A related question were there public figures at the time who were apologists that tried to justify for the actions of the Japanese military at Pearl Harbor?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why was Florida the only southern state to benefit from sunbelt migration? | [
"While Florida experienced tremendous growth after World War II, it wasn't the only southern Sunbelt state to experience substantial migration. While the region had experienced considerable out-migration from 1930-1950 due to the poor economic opportunities resulting from a stagnant agricultural economy, the region... | [
"For clarification purposes, are you asking whether Southern Hospitality is the result of the South losing the Civil War, and their subsequent occupation by the North -- necessitating the boarding of Northern soldiers in Southern homes?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Monday Methods | Fictional Depictions | [
"I've given advice for a book before, the author wanting a general idea of where to start to begin her own research. I think that can be a very important part of it, not just handing out information to be used as is, but the person looking for a path to improve. The book isn't finished yet, so we'll see how that go... | [
"High Crime + Dwindling Population + Crumbling Infrastructure + Diminishing Jobs = Perceived Shithole."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Did Gilles de Rais actually kill all those children, or was he a scapegoat? | [
"_URL_0_ There absolutely was a trial. It is part of why his history is so well known, as much of what is known about him comes from the trial. How you define \"fairness\" is a matter of debate, but there was significant evidence. Many cases at the time had much shakier evidence for their rulings. It wasn't that \"... | [
"Baphomet never existed. It was a wholesale construct (except perhaps the name) of King Philip IV of France, a man who in the 1300s, owed a lot of money to the Knights Templar. Rather than pay them, or let them hold influence over him, he concocted false charges that they worshipped some demonic entity called Bapho... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Who was the Marcus Aurelius mentioned in the preface of Vitruvius' De Architectura? | [
"We don't know, but the *gens Aurelia* was very populous in this time period and had several important branches. There would have been many \"Marcī Aureliī\" running around in Rome, and Vitruvius does not give us the *cognomen* (the third name) to help us identify the one he means. Some notable branches of the fami... | [
"Because the phrase is from his book *Principia philosophiae* (Principles of Philosophy) which was written in Latin."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Why do many of the old Norse letters look similiar to latin letters? | [
"The runic alphabet was not an independent invention. It was inspired by the Roman alphabet, but it was adapted to Northern European languages. This called for the introduction of a few new characters. Its sharp angular lines were apparently part of an adaptation for carving in wood, ivory/bone, and stone."
] | [
"What language would you write the name in? If you can only read English, the flags of several Asian nations would look very similiar. Same for other similiar languages."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What are those pieces of cloth doing in a bar from 1800-something? | [
"These are what are called \"bar towels.\" I Googled the question \"what is a bar towel?\" just to see what would happen, and it surfaced with a definition as well as a mention under \"types of towels\" in [this Wiki article](_URL_0_). Some nineteenth-century bars had small towels readily available for spills and f... | [
"Never mind, really high. Just realized the video is from 1995"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How rich was Crassus? | [
"This is a surprisingly common question. [Here](_URL_1_) is my answer from another thread on the same subject. The short version? Not really that rich. Crassus, although Plutarch evaluates him at 200 million sesterces, simply didn't have access to the big money-makers of Roman society--tribute and a province. 200 m... | [
"Because for a while in Medieval Europe, rhyming nicknames were popular. William > Willy > Billy. Richard > Rick > Dick."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I'm a slave in Roman society, but I'm trying to escape my slavery and am dishonest about my citizenship to avoid going back. What are the penalties if I get caught being dishonest? | [
"Runaway slaves, if caught, were typically branded on the forehead with the letters 'FUG' (*fugitivus*) and then subject to whatever other punishment their masters wanted to inflict on them, which usually involved scourging and some bone-breaking. Slaves had no rights whatsoever and were frequently mutilated and ki... | [
"If the woman is free, then the child is free. Same happens if a freed female slave had a child. Since the mother has no owner, neither does the child. The only thing I am not sure of, is if hypothetically the mother is evil or crazy, and wanted to sell her child into slavery. I don't know would would be the legal... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
My grandfather yestersay said that he "speaks American". Is there any particular reason that some of the "baby boomers" would refuse to call the English language by its name. | [
"So I guess I should clarify, he literally thinks that the language is called \"American\" and that is a wholely different language than that of English, whether he was shortening the name from \"American English\" or not, I can not say."
] | [
"It's difficult to work toward for a couple reason. 1.) It would require alot of people to learn different languages that they would not use in their daily life. For example in Afghanistan it is not uncommon for people to be illiterate and speak 3 different languages, none of which are English. 2.) Languages change... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Looking for some recommendations for these specific topics... | [
"Can you clarify what type of policymaking you're wanting to get into? While I can give you some suggestions for, say, foreign policy, I won't be of much help if you're interested in, for example, urban redevelopment. I wouldn't suggest you read Said's *Orientalism*. While it's an important work, there's no need to... | [
"Not sure if this kind of comment is allowed, but in the i terest of starting discussion, whats the context of this? Perfume, wine, etc?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Literature:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about Literature:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Did the driver of Archduke Ferndinand of Austria detour ONTO the road of 3 assassins for a lunch break? | [
"Not to discourage further posts which might help answer your question, but Top Quality Contributor /u/mikedash wrote an [excellent article in the Smithsonian magazine in 2011](_URL_0_) which suggested that the idea that Gavrilo Princip was eating a sandwich comes from a 2001 novel and/or a 2003 BBC documentary, an... | [
"IF he was trying to flee, he would have taken a different car, or disabled his GPS Nav system, and from that point he would stay off the grid. | They do use it for the domestic good, remember the Boston Marathon manhunt?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why is this cathedral in a recent r/pics post still standing with the surrounding buildings all destroyed? | [
"The picture you see is not the Frauenkirche (I see you updated your post?), but [Cologne Cathedral](_URL_0_). According to the German language wiki, the cathedral was hit by up to 70 bombs, which caused several arches to collapse. But the top construction is made from steel (it was completed only in 1880!), and fi... | [
"I was reading about a massive fire that burned afterwards. But if the city was built of stone, what exactly was burning?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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} |
How could exotic Easterners come to be in a Medieval English Court? | [
"Of course they did; Europe is really small, and trade routes to the east were exceptionally common. The Romans were trading with the Chinese in the 3rd Century ([and the Chinese thought they were amusingly small-scale](_URL_2_)), there [were black people in the UK in the 5th century](_URL_3_), [Scandinavia was tra... | [
"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 passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Has an armed group ever defeated the US government (Feds, SWAT, National Guard etc)? | [
"Here's a few big one's that might interest you. I don't know of any academic sources, so you have to do digging for those. Waco, TX Siege - The initial law enforcement personnel sent to the complex were repulsed. Due to possible bias, I shouldn't say more than that without giving you sources, but you should look i... | [
"Ok this might get a bit complicated so I hope I can make it simple. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, CIA, NSA, DIA are part of the Department of Defense. Homeland Security is it's own Department it also contains the TSA, Border Patrol and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). FBI, ATF, Marshals, DEA are part... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How did spies make microdot documents? | [
"There were (and are) many methods of making microdots, and they didn't necessarily require resources any more unusual than with ordinary photography. The 'British Method' is one simple example; a high-contrast black and white photo of a document would firstly be taken in such a way that the document filled the who... | [
"It photographs the paper and compares it to real bills. Also real money has magnetic ink they can use to double check them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What gave Richard I 'The Lionheart' of England an enduring popular reputation when he barely even spent any time in England? | [
"During his 10 year reign, Richard spent only 6 months in England. However, Richard took the cross and joined the Crusades, forever making his mark as a champion of Christianity. Better yet, he secured England's French territories by persuading King Philip II of France to go with him. On top of that, Richard's mast... | [
"It might help if you provided some examples for us. Are you thinking of the Middle Ages or the modern period? Within my own area, I can only think of four really nasty fights over inheritance - William of Normandy and Harold Godwinson in the 11th century, Stephen and Matilda in the 12th century, Richard II and Hen... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
In the Harry Potter books, students are seperated into houses and compete for points. Aside from the magic hat, is there any historical basis for this type of internal organization for British boarding schools? | [
"Just as an aside, I’m aware of a US public middle school that’s used “houses” since 1957. It would have had the same structure as Hogwarts. We had separate dining halls, separate core classes and separate administration (like house heads in Harry Potter). Shared library and gym etc. No real competitions though. T... | [
"When you go to a university, you want to live on campus. There are groups of people who live under the same roof, they form a \"social group\" known as a Fraternity (men) or sorority (for women). Basically you represent your social group at events, and maintain the rituals etc of the house. I'm sure when you were... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
In the movie Django Unchained a character called Dr King Schultz is portrayed as a Liberal minded German Bounty Hunter who is appalled at American Slavery but while also carrying around an almost Prussian like identity. Is he based on any historical precedent/would a person like him exist in 1858? | [
"Could you clarify what about Schultz you found to be \"Prussian\" as opposed to more generally \"German\"?"
] | [
"The movie is generally speaking taken accurately from the book. Many of the scenes that are added are for sake of time or for Hollywood (the stabbing on the slave ship for instance). The only major change that I disagreed with is in regards to Ford's character. In the movie Solomon reveals to Ford that he is a fre... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
In the immediate end after World War II, it is often stated that all the traditional great powers were in ruin with the sole exception of the United States. How feasible would it have been for the United States to pursue a world empire at that time? | [
"Too much Hearts of Iron. Impossible as US was and is a democracy and declaring war on EVERY country would be unexplainable to public opinion and it would be extremely hard to ignore average Joes who wouldn't be happy being on eternal war. If we assume that US would be an totalitarian autocracy (like Stalin SU or N... | [
"The British Empire was arguably one of the vehicles that enabled the virtual extinction of the slave trade. That must rank fairly high in a list of good things. In India, Suttee and the rigid caste system were broken under British rule, and similar improvements could probably be found for most of the other territo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Hey historians of reddit, i'm a highschooler writing a thesis paper about the war on smoking, but im having trouble finding newspapers on the subject. Are there any archives that provide full newspaper articles back to 1964? | [
"As the commenter above mentioned most of the major newspapers from that era will only be available through a paid database subscription. But you may want to see if your local public library has access to any. Most community colleges and universities will have access as well, but you will have to check with library... | [
"There often actually are very specific collections available, on specific subjects. For example, the place the titanic was built. The biggest local library near there is likely to have gathered a lot of material on that, including newspapers and such. Then theres the good old physical paperwork from back in the d... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage about Education:"
} |
Was reading the synopsis for Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, and it made me think: who determines what you are allowed to say about deceased historical figures? | [
"You can make a movie called *Abe Lincoln:Donkeyfucker*. It would be legal. It might not find an audience though, and you would have difficulty finding funding, actors or shops to sell it or cinemas to screen it, but legally it would be OK (as long as the donkeyfucking is simulated, if not it would only be legal in... | [
"That's a hard question to answer. Should we even consider movies like \"300\" or \"A Knight's Tale\" or \"Inglorious Basterds\", when they are basically Monty Python movies as far as the history goes? I think a better question might be \"what do period films get wrong even when they are trying to get it right?\""
... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
I recently read an article depicting Abraham Lincoln's (president at the time) personal leadership during the capture of Norfolk in 1862 during the Civil War. The article said that he was 2nd President to lead a military exhibition like that. Who was the first? | [
"Perhaps it was referring to Washington during the [Whiskey Rebellion](_URL_0_) in 1794."
] | [
"It's less to do with the substance of his Presidency, and more to do with him winning the Civil War for the United States as a General, and then being elected to the Presidency. When Grant first appeared on a $50 gold certificate in 1913, he'd been dead for nearly 30 years: long enough to forgive some of the bad t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Were there Pearl Harbor 'truthers' like there are 9/11 'truthers' today? | [
"A related question were there public figures at the time who were apologists that tried to justify for the actions of the Japanese military at Pearl Harbor?"
] | [
"These obviously false beliefs are based on *conspiracy theories* that claim a group of powerful people are trying to fool us. You're not alone in asking, and kind strangers have explained: 1. [ELI5:Why are some people so susceptible to believing in conspiracy theories? ](_URL_6_) 1. [ELI5: Why do so many people be... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Can you explain the relationship had between Saladin and Richard the Lionheart? | [
"Not an answer to your question, but if you have an interest in the relationship between Saladin and Richard the Lionheart, and, by extension, the Third Crusade, I would recommend [*The Crusades* by Thomas Asbridge](_URL_0_). It covers the entire history of the crusades, but focuses heavily on the Third Crusade. I ... | [
"A related question were there public figures at the time who were apologists that tried to justify for the actions of the Japanese military at Pearl Harbor?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
AskHistorians Booklist is now also available on Goodreads | [
"I think the most surprising thing here is that there are at least four books about Bhutanese history written in English, and that they are listed here."
] | [
"Chronological: - Ray Harris Jr.- The History of World War 2 - Mike Dunkan - The History of Rome - Robin Pierson - The History of Byzantium (follow up podcast) - Khodadad Rezakhani - Iranologie (History of Iran) - The British History Podcast Other: - The AskHistorians Podcast (Intervies with AskHistorians contribut... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What, or where, can I find primary sources about Tanganyika and Zanzibar before, or shortly after, union into a single country? Specifically the opinions of the 'average' citizen? | [
"You say you have newspaper articles. Are these American/british/Western newspaper articles? Have you looked for Tanganyikan newspapers? [the BU library has some Tanzanian newspapers that would cover 1964](_URL_0_). Even if you can't get it directly through interlibrary loan from BU, you might look for libaries/arc... | [
"I have a question/observation that is mostly addressed to /u/khosikulu and /u/profrhodes. Though if other post-colonial scholars feel moved to answer, I am all ears. In conversations with Ghanaians that I have met, they have strongly positive attitudes toward Kwame Nkrumah, both from those old enough to remember h... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
In Back to the Future, they call Marty Calvin Klein because of the name on his underwear. Did clothing in the 1950s not have brand labels? | [
"What was new and novel in the 1980s was *full personal names* of individual designers on mens clothing. Prior to that, brand names for underwear had primarily been corporate names such as Jockey, Hanes, BVD, Fruit of the Loom, Fieldcrest, Pilgrim (Sears), Signature (Montgomery Ward), etc. Even for mens suits, read... | [
"Because they are a great market. No mortgage, car loans, grocery bills. Most teenagers' money is spent on non-necessities, including music and all the crap branded with band / singer images. When is the last time you saw an adult with a briefcase bearing an image of their favorite singer? Girls' backpacks are all ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
What Happened to Cairo, Illinois? | [
"Cairo is extremely flood-prone, completely surrounded by levees. Its situation certainly did not attract early settlers: it wasn't even founded until 1837, decades after other areas of Southern Illinois and the Ohio Valley, and grew very slowly. Merely being at a confluence of rivers that can handle the same kind ... | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How did a giant, egg dealing, bunny come to be the mascot of a Christian holiday? | [
"Honest follow up,I hope this is allowed: is the Easter bunny supposed to be giant? I'm from Germany where we've also got the Easter bunny but I never had it in my mind as being bigger than a usual rabbit. Edit: hat/had. I know the difference, my phone doesn't I guess."
] | [
"Europe brought the world Mozart, Wagner, Rembrandt, Shakespeare, Voltaire, Kant, Aristotle, Gödel, Händel, Bach, van Gogh, Leonardo and Dumas. America brought the world the Baconator, NASCAR, double stuff Oreos, Ally McBeal, Ben Affleck, Paris Hilton, Jersey Shore, the Five Dollar Fillup at KFC, and the last three... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why did Richard of York live in Ludlow castle? | [
"Ludlow belonged to the de Lacy family in the 11th century. When the last male heir of the family died, it passed down to two daughters of his until it came to the possession of Geoffrey de Geneville. He, in turn, passed it to his son Peter in 1283. Roger Mortimer, who married a daughter of Peter de Geneville, made... | [
"Why were they sealed in the first place?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What was the Internationale? Why does it no longer exist? | [
"There were several internationals, many unrelated to each other. The First International was dissolved after the split between Anarchists and Marxists. The Second International dissolved after World War One, and the Third was dissolved by Stalin as to not anger the United States and Britain during WWII. The ones y... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I've read that Pyrrhus of Epirus served in the hetairoi of Alexander the Great, are there any recordings of what he participated in while serving in his bodyguard? | [
"Who says this? Pyrrhus was born in 319/318, and Alexander died in 323--it's simply impossible for Pyrrhus to have served as a Companion"
] | [
"The Varangrian Guard of the Byzantine Empire are likely the best example of this. From the late 800's A.D. until sometime in the 14th century this unit was the personal bodyguard of the Byzantine Emperor, and also acted as an elite unit of shock troops in many of the wars the empire was involved in. The members of... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What impact did the show 'Albi the Racist Dragon' have on race relations in New Zealand during its original airing in the 1980s? | [
"It helped the once persecuted Albanian minority find acceptance by teaching a generation of schoolchildren that Albanians were no different to the majority White and Polynesian populations. However recent scholars have suggested that a simple cartoon had much less of an effect than the increase in travel to forei... | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Chinese crossbow similar to the Roman Ballista found. Simultaneous invention or result of trade? | [
"Considering how different they actually are when you look at the triggering mechanism (the most tricky part of the design, and one most likely to be copied. ([Chinese](_URL_2_) ([artifact](_URL_0_)), [Roman](_URL_1_)), I would say developed independently."
] | [
"1) Many technologies are invented multiple times independent of each other. This is particularly true of our early technologies. 2) Arrow and spear technology was in use before the Ice Age man entered North America. So they brought it with them from Asia."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about History:"
} |
In 1829, Sam Houston married Eliza Allen, a woman 16 years his junior. She proceeded to leave him with little explanation almost immediately, and afterwards Houston resigned his governorship of Tennessee. What exactly happened here? | [
"Please, no more half-assed answers. Remember [the rules](_URL_1_). As was explained in the excellent recent meta post on [\"What it means to post a good answer in /r/AskHistorians\"](_URL_0_): If you're choosing to answer a question in /r/AskHistorians, there are three questions you should ask yourself first in ... | [
"I imagine there's a more tragic figure somewhere in the world, but: Franklin Pierce, 14th POTUS. Three kids die in childhood, the last of which is in a train accident with Pierce and his wife just weeks after the election. He sees the child decapitated, attempts to hide the body from his wife and fails. She sinks ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I want to learn about the Ottoman Empire between 1500-1700, what are some good resources I can use to help me learn? | [
"For the general history of the Ottoman Empire, the standard textbook is Douglas Howard's *A History of the Ottoman Empire* (2017), so you should start there. Caroline Finkel's *Osman's Dream* (2005) is more detailed with regard to the broad narrative of sultans, wars, and imperial politics and should be your refer... | [
"Hi guys. I hope this is the right place to post this, I'll move it if it isn't. I'm currently writing an essay on the working class in the British Empire and wondered if anyone could give me any good sources relating to the development of the working class and the impact of the Empire on the working class 1870 and... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence about News:"
} |
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