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====[[Why are there so many Monuments to the Confederacy across the United States?]]====
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As one travels across the southern United States, it is not unusual to find monuments and memorials to the Confederate dead in many small towns. In fact, these sculptural pieces, often composed of the same statues and plinths from the Monumental Bronze Co. of Bridgeport, Conn., can be found as far north as Pennsylvania and New York. A study in 2016 found some 1,500 monuments still standing. While in recent years these monuments have become a new source of political conversation their very erection was a movement by Confederate women. {{Read more|Why are there so many Monuments to the Confederacy across the United States?}}
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====[[Alexander the Great Top Ten Booklist]]====
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Creating a top ten list for books on Alexander the Great is not easy, since few ancient historical figures have been written about as much. Everything from his complex personality and his sexual life to his military and logistical tactics have been analyzed by historians. Alexander, simply put, stands out as unique among ancient historical figures for having so much detailed assessment made on his life and times.{{Read more|Alexander the Great Top Ten Booklist}}
 
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====Articles====
 
====Articles====
Here are some of our most recently created and edited articles.
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Here are some of our most recent articles.
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====[[History of God Top Ten Booklist]]====
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The concept of God and his historical development is an extraordinarily complex topic and it is not easily addressed in ten books. These books seek attempt to explain  a complex story on how the concept of God developed in different cultures, places, and across time. The history of the idea of God is long and has its roots from prehistoric to early historic periods in the ancient Near East. Later cultures developed concepts that derive from ancient Iran, Greece, Egypt, and perhaps other regions.{{Read more|History of God Top Ten Booklist}}
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====[[Gender in Early America Top Ten Booklist]]====
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Most of us are familiar with a narrative of colonial America that focuses on the actions of our "Founding Fathers." But what of our "Founding Mothers"? This booklist compiles ten works that explore gender in colonial North America and provide an important lens through which we can view some of the formative events in our shared history. {{Read more|Gender in Early America Top Ten Booklist}}
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====Booklists====
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{{#dpl:category=Booklists|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=12}}
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====[[How Was the Lighthouse of Alexandria Destroyed?]]====
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Of all the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, only the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt still remain. War, neglect, and natural disasters have wiped them from the face of the earth with only descriptions left by ancient historians and geographers, or perhaps an occasional coin or painting, as tokens of their greatness. {{Read more|How Was the Lighthouse of Alexandria Destroyed?}}
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====Book Reviews====
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Here are some of our most recent book reviews.
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{{#dpl:category=Book Review|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=8}}
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====[[Great Gifts for History Lovers 2017]]====
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It can sometimes be difficult to find the right gift for your history loving friend or spouse. Hopefully, we can help. This is our 2017 list of great gifts for history lovers. If in doubt, get a book. History lovers adore books. Some our recommendations are less academic then some of the books that appear on our other booklists, but they do represent outstanding recent books that most history lovers should enjoy. {{Read more|Great Gifts for History Lovers 2017}}
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====Historically Accurate====
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{{#dpl:category=Historically Accurate|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=10}}
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====[[How accurate is Stanley Kubrick's 'Spartacus'?]]====
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The historical epic Spartacus (1960) is one of the best-known movies in cinema history. It caused a sensation on its release and was one of the most successful pictures of the 1960s. The movie was not only a commercial success it was a critical success and it received several Academy Awards. Spartacus was directed by the cinematic genius Stanley Kubrick. {{Read more|How accurate is Stanley Kubrick's 'Spartacus'?}}
 
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====[[How historically accurate is Braveheart?]]====
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====[[How Historically Accurate is Season 2 of Last Kingdom?]]====
Braveheart was a popular movie released in 1995 that won 5 Oscars and featured Mel Gibson as William Wallace. Wallace was a Scottish knight who became a hero in the Scottish rebellions against the English in the late 13th and early 14th century. The movie helped to inspire Scottish national pride while also, to some, represent an early, Medieval warrior who fought for freedom for himself and his people. While much of the story depicted did occur, including the English occupation of Scotland during the time of Edward I, king of England, the depiction of the revolt against the English and other events do not correspond well to historical accounts.{{Read more|How historically accurate is Braveheart?}}
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Season 2 is divided into two novels from the Saxon Tales series written by Bernard Cornwell, namely books 3 and 4 (Season 1 was books 1-2). The novels span roughly between 878-886 (Figure 1). The main focus for Season 2 in the first four episodes is Uhtred's quest to go north from Wessex into Northumbria, a less tamed area of England that is ruled more by Danes but their hold is somewhat less clear. Uhtred seeks his ancestral home in Bebbanburg (Bamburgh Castle) and also wants revenge against Kjartan, who killed is adopted Danish father. {{Read more|How Historically Accurate is Season 2 of Last Kingdom?}}
 
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====[[Thomas Jefferson, the Founding Fathers and Christianity: Interview with Sam Haselby]]====
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====[[Why are there so many Monuments to the Confederacy across the United States?]]====
The Oxford University Press has released Sam Haselby's book <i>The Origins of American Religious Nationalism</i> in a new affordable paperback version. This is a fantastic book that has been getting praise from prominent historians since it was originally released. Gordon Wood described his book in the New York Review of Books as an "impressive and powerfully argued book - that ....it was American Protestantism and not any sort of classical republicanism that was most important in shaping the development of American nationalism."{{Read more|Thomas Jefferson, the Founding Fathers and Christianity: Interview with Sam Haselby}}
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As one travels across the southern United States, it is not unusual to find monuments and memorials to the Confederate dead in many small towns. In fact, these sculptural pieces, often composed of the same statues and plinths from the Monumental Bronze Co. of Bridgeport, Conn., can be found as far north as Pennsylvania and New York. A study in 2016 found some 1,500 monuments still standing. While in recent years these monuments have become a new source of political conversation their very erection was a movement by Confederate women. {{Read more|Why are there so many Monuments to the Confederacy across the United States?}}
 
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====[[What was lynching?]]====
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Lynching is often described as a form of extralegal, vigilante violence or justice; however, its meaning has evolved over time—from the tarring and feathering of individuals in the Colonial period to the lethal, racial violence that proliferated in the South. According to Digital History, "Lynching received its name from Judge Charles Lynch, a Virginia farmer who punished outlaws and Tories with "rough" justice during the American Revolution." The United States has a long history of vigilance committees whose purposes were to protect the community. According to Linda Gordon, “vigilantism generally means bypassing the legal procedures of the state and substituting direct, usually punitive and coercive action by self-appointed groups of citizens".{{Read more|What was lynching?}}
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====[[What Was the Importance of Bill Mauldin to WWII Infantrymen?]]====
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Bill Mauldin once said that the infantryman “gives more and gets less than anybody else.” He knew this from his experience on the front lines with K Company, 180th Infantry Regiment, of the 45th Division. Mauldin went through basic training as an infantryman and stayed with his regiment throughout the invasion of Sicily and the Allied campaign up the boot of Italy. The talented cartoonist succeeded in ruffling the feathers of the “brass” all the way up to General George Patton.{{Read more|What Was the Importance of Bill Mauldin to WWII Infantrymen?}}
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====[[What Was the Importance of Alcohol Consumption in Ancient Egypt?]]====
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There is a common misconception today that life in ancient Egypt was a dreary one for anyone not in the nobility. This image is probably at least partially derived from pop culture where scenes are common in movies that depict Egyptian peasants being worked to the death to make tombs and temples for their gods and kings. The reality is that although the ancient Egyptian social system was quite different from that of the modern world, and they had few of today’s modern conveniences, Egyptians from all social classes enjoyed a leisure culture that was not much different than today’s. {{Read more|What Was the Importance of Alcohol Consumption in Ancient Egypt?}}
 
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====[[Primed for Violence in Interwar Poland: Interview with Paul Brykczynski]]====
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Paul Brykczynski's new book Primed for Violence: Murder, Antisemitism, and Democratic Politics in Interwar Poland published by the University of Wisconsin Press explores the tragic efforts of the Polish people to create a new democratic state after electing their first President, Gabriel Narutowicz.{{Read more|Primed for Violence in Interwar Poland: Interview with Paul Brykczynski}}
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====[[How Did Public Aquariums Develop?]]====
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Large public aquariums have become fixtures in most major urban regions. In some places, they have become among the leading attractions for city tourism, where many aquariums have also expanded into conservation efforts and applied research along with being tourist destinations. The history of such aquariums is not completely modern, although the form in which we know aquariums today is mostly a recent development. {{Read more|How Did Public Aquariums Develop?}}
 
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====[[How did the game of golf emerge?]]====
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The game of golf today is globally popular and watched by millions on television. The origins of the sport may go back to ancient periods, but most historians trace the definitive beginning of the sport to Medieval Scotland and/or the Netherlands. However, it was in the 19th century that the sport emerged as both a modern one and started to become a global phenomenon. {{Read more|How did the game of golf emerge?}}
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====[[Why did Charles XII of Sweden fail to conquer Russia in 1708?]]====
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The failed invasion of Russia by Hitler and Napoleon are well known. Less well-known is invasion of Russia by the Swedes under their most famous king, Charles XII. Sweden in 1700 was the greatest Northern European power and this provoked the jealousy of its neighbors. This led to the Great Northern War. The culmination of this war was the Swedish monarch’s invasion of Russia and his subsequent defeat by Tsar Peter the Great at Poltava (1709).{{Read more|Why did Charles XII of Sweden fail to conquer Russia in 1708?}}
 
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====[[Who integrated the NBA?]]====
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====[[How have Historians' perceptions of Native Americans changed?]]====
Sports, like American society, was segregated well into the 20th century. In many ways professional sports was the face of race in the cultural fabric. African-American athletes competed in their own separate, but unequal, professional leagues and little was done to challenge the status quo. Branch Rickey, who was the general manager of baseball’s Brooklyn Dodgers, was the first to step up and end segregation in American sports. {{Read more|Who integrated the NBA?}}
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In 1997, Kerwin Lee Klein, among others, observed that a wholesale change had occurred in how historians portrayed Native American history. Previously, historians and ethnographers had focused on “the tragedy of the vanishing Indian.”[1] Many Americans, even those sympathetic to Native Americans, argued that Indians ultimately faced extinction. Even though this argument was undermined by the continued survival of Native Americans, scholars were slow to reject it. The Native American rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s emphasized the persistence of Native Americans. {{Read more|How have Historians' perceptions of Native Americans changed?}}
 
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====[[American Civil War Biographies Top Ten Booklist]]====
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The library of texts pertaining to the Civil War Era ranges from scholarly research to pure fiction. Some of the most informative works come in the biography genre. The countless memoirs and autobiographies are essential to professional researchers and historians and have proved indispensable to the modern biographer. {{Read more|American Civil War Biographies Top Ten Booklist}}
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====[[The Abraham Lincoln Brigade: the Historiography of the American soldiers in the Spanish American War]]====
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During the Spanish Civil War, approximately 2,800 American men and women answered the call from the Communist party to defend the Spanish republic from fascist aggression. These men and women served in the Fifteenth International Brigade and formed the Abraham Lincoln, Washington and MacKenzie-Papineau Battalions. These soldiers’ stories have been controversial, because 80 percent of these volunteers were Communists. {{Read more|The Abraham Lincoln Brigade: the Historiography of the American soldiers in the Spanish American War}}
 
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====[[How did Public Sanitation Develop?]]====
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====[[American Girls in Red Russia: Interview with Julia Mickenberg]]====
With the beginning of settled life, a new problem arose as people began to live in one place throughout the year. That problem was public sanitation. With increased population, the need to adequately remove human waste and maintain relatively clean water supplies became an increasing challenge.By prehistory, this challenge was addressed in societies, with increasing sophistication as cities grew and became more complex. {{Read more|How did Public Sanitation Develop?}}
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Julia L. Mickenberg's new book American Girls in Russia: Chasing the Soviet Dream published by the University of Chicago Press explores the history of the American women who went to Russia looking for adventure, freedom, revolution, work and new life. After they moved to Russia they found challenges and hardships. Many were disturbed by both the conditions of the country and the treatment of people by the new government. {{Read more|American Girls in Red Russia: Interview with Julia Mickenberg}}
 
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====[[Why Did American Colonists Become United Against England?]]====
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Colonial Americans enjoyed relative independence from England until 1763, which marked the cessation of the Seven Years’ War. Prior to that time, the British government had paid little attention to the domestic affairs conducted by their American colonists. The war was costly; however, and England deemed it appropriate that American colonies contribute to the war debt and the costs associated with stationing British troops on American soil. {{Read more|Why Did American Colonists Become United Against England?}}
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====[[What Were the Causes of Germany's Hyperinflation of 1921-1923?]]====
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Among the defining features of early twentieth century Europe and one of the contributing factors to World War II, was the economic maelstrom known as “hyperinflation” that ravaged Germany from 1921 until 1923. Although the short period is often overlooked in popular histories of the period, there is no denying the impacts that the process had on Germany, Europe, and the world. {{Read more|What Were the Causes of Germany's Hyperinflation of 1921-1923?}}
 
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====[[Why was the worship of Mithra so popular?]]====
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====[[When did abortion become legal in the United States?]]====
Today the god Mithra or Mithras is not recognized by many in the West. Mithra is often seen as just one of the many gods that was once worshiped in Europe, the Near East, and South Asia. However, in the early centuries of Christianity, one can argue the worship of Mithras rivaled influence and importance of Christianity. {{Read more|Why was the worship of Mithra so popular?}}
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In colonial America, abortion was dealt with in a manner according to English common law. Abortion was typically only frowned upon, or penalized, when it occurred after “quickening,”—when a woman felt fetal movement—because it suggested that the fetus had manifested into its own separate being. Quickening could vary from women to woman, and sometimes as late as four months. {{Read more|When did abortion become legal in the United States?}}
 
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====[[How did Medicine develop in the Ancient World?]]====
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====[[What Was the Importance of Ziggurats in Ancient Mesopotamia?]]====
Early medicine developed in a number of societies, both in the New and Old Worlds, as populations around the world were able to quickly learn that plants that grew around them often have natural healing qualities and health benefits. Several regions around the world, which had early complex societies, have left us evidence or documents that describe some of the relatively sophisticated medical techniques or practices that developed at early dates.
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The people of ancient Mesopotamia practiced a religion that modern scholars are only just now beginning to understand and the physical focal point of their religion were the monumental, triangular structures known as ziggurats. {{Read more|What Was the Importance of Ziggurats in Ancient Mesopotamia?}}
{{Read more|How did Medicine develop in the Ancient World?}}
 
 
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====[[American Legal History Top Ten Booklist]]====
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====[[Working Toward Whiteness by David Roediger]]====
These are our Top Ten legal history books.  Why do we like these books?  Besides being awesome, we believe that these are some of the most exciting legal history books we have read. These books helped us think about legal history in new ways.  
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David Roediger’s book <i>Working Toward Whiteness: How America’s Immigrants Became White: The Strange Journey from Ellis Island to the Suburbs</i> continues his provocative exploration of whiteness studies by examining how southern and eastern European immigrants became white during the first half of the twentieth century. Roediger argues that “the long, circuitous process by which ‘new immigrants’ became ‘white ethnics’” matters. {{Read more|Working Toward Whiteness by David Roediger}}
{{Read more|American Legal History Top Ten Booklist}}
 
 
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====[[Why did the Italian Renaissance End?]]====
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The Italian Renaissance was one of the most exciting periods in human civilisation. It witnessed a great flourishing of the arts, literature, philosophy, architecture and politics. Many of the greatest figures in World Civilisation appeared during the Renaissance in Italy, including Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Machiavelli and Raphael.
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====[[What Is the History of Ice Cream?]]====
{{Read more|Why did the Italian Renaissance End?}}
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Ice cream has been a popular treat that many see today as having developed relatively recently, as ice cream usually requires a form of refrigeration. While the modern form of ice cream is relatively more recent, the idea of ice cream has been present for millennia. Ice treats, which eventually gave us ice cream, were refreshing snacks usually reserved for elites or those who can obtain ice in times of warm or hot weather. {{Read more|What Is the History of Ice Cream?}}
 
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====[[American Surveillance: Interview with Anthony Gregory]]====
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====[[What was the impact of Spartacus' uprising on Rome? ]]====
The United States has been conducting surveillance of its citizens since it was created, but the ability of any government to spy on its citizens has dramatically improved in the digital age. How should United States balance national security and personal privacy? Does the Constitution provide adequate protection against unrestricted government surveillance? What can advocates do to strengthen personal privacy rights? These concerns will only intensify in the years to come.
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Spartacus was a Thracian and he had once fought with the Romans. According to Plutarch, he was enslaved by them after he had deserted. Due to his strength and military skills he was trained as a gladiator. In 73BC, he plotted to escape from his gladiatorial school, near Capua in southern Italy and was joined in the conspiracy by up to 100 other gladiators.{{Read more|What was the impact of Spartacus' uprising on Rome?}}
{{Read more|American Surveillance: Interview with Anthony Gregory}}
 
 
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====[[How did the marathon emerge?]]====
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====[[How Did Croesus Become the Wealthiest Man in the Ancient World?]]====
The marathon is seen today as grueling long-distance, usually over 26 mile race. The battle of Marathon, fought between the Greek and Persian armies, and the resulting run by a Greek warrior to tell the victory is usually cited as the origin of this sport. While there is truth in this story, the history of the marathon is complex and its presence in many major world cities shows it still stands as one of the great events that tests human will and skill.
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According the fifth century BC Greek historian Herodotus, who has often been called the “father of history,the Lydian King Croesus (ruled ca. 560-540s BC) was the world’s wealthiest king who ruled the world’s wealthiest kingdom. When Salon, the legendary Athenian law giver, came to Lydia see the king’s wealth personally, Croesus immediately had his servants “take him on a tour of the royal treasuries” in order to “point out the richness and magnificence of everything.{{Read more|How Did Croesus Become the Wealthiest Man in the Ancient World?}}
{{Read more|How did the marathon emerge?}}
 
 
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====[[Civil War Battles Top Ten Booklist]]====
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A DailyHistory.org top ten booklist focusing on best book on the battles of the American Civil War. The books on this list explore the battles of Antietam, Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, and many others. The list includes the works of several of the most prominent historians on this topic including James McPherson, Gordon Rhea, Stephen Sears and Craig Symonds. Take a look at our list.{{Read more|Civil War Battles Top Ten Booklist}}
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====[[What if the Vikings Never Invaded England?]]====
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The Viking, or more accurately Danish and Norsemen, invasions of England in the 9th century CE (865) helped lead to what ultimately would become the united country of England. Before 865, England was divided into four or sometimes more countries, populated by Angles and Saxons (or Anglo-Saxons).{{Read more|What if the Vikings Never Invaded England?}}
 
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====[[What were the Root Causes of the Spanish Civil War?]]====
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====[[Did Theodore Roosevelt really save Football?]]====
Spain was a very divided, unstable and weak country in the 19th century. Once a great power, Spain lost almost the last of its colonies after it defeat in the Spanish-American war.[1] It was technically a monarchy, but power had frequently been in the hands of military dictators. The country was bitterly divided. The acute poverty of the Spanish people meant that many were drawn to Communism, Anarchism and Socialism.
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In 1905, American football faced an crisis. Far to many young men were being killed while playing football and no one was taking any serious actions to reduce the risks. The headline at the top of the right hand column in ''The Chicago Sunday Tribune'' on November 26, 1905 screamed, "Football Year's Death Harvest - Record Shows That Nineteen Players Have Been Killed; One Hundred Thirty-seven Hurt - Two Are Slain Saturday."{{Read more|Did Theodore Roosevelt really save Football?}}
{{Read more|What were the Root Causes of the Spanish Civil War?}}
 
 
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====[[Privateering during the War of 1812: Interview with Faye M. Kert]]====
 
====[[Privateering during the War of 1812: Interview with Faye M. Kert]]====
 
During the War 1812, US and Canadian privateers fought most of the naval battles between the United States and Great Britain. These privateers were comprised of captains who were motivated by the promise of profit to fight for their countries. There was a strong legal framework in both the United States and Great Britain that normalized piracy. Canadian and American ship owners and investors took advantage of it and funded privateering outfits during the war. Needless to say, privateers were incredibly risky investments.{{Read more|Privateering during the War of 1812: Interview with Faye M. Kert}}
 
During the War 1812, US and Canadian privateers fought most of the naval battles between the United States and Great Britain. These privateers were comprised of captains who were motivated by the promise of profit to fight for their countries. There was a strong legal framework in both the United States and Great Britain that normalized piracy. Canadian and American ship owners and investors took advantage of it and funded privateering outfits during the war. Needless to say, privateers were incredibly risky investments.{{Read more|Privateering during the War of 1812: Interview with Faye M. Kert}}
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[[File:Cayleff.jpg|thumbnail|left|150px]]
 
====[[Nature's Path: Interview with Susan E. Cayleff]]====
 
====[[Nature's Path: Interview with Susan E. Cayleff]]====
 
At the very end of the 19th Century, a new system called naturopathy was created by Benedict and Louisa Stroebel Lust. Unlike many of the 19th Century medical systems created, naturopathy has persevered to this day. Naturopathic healing was founded and based on number of influences including botanics, hydrotherapy, eclecticism, temperance and vegetarianism. {{Read more|Nature's Path: Interview with Susan E. Cayleff}}
 
At the very end of the 19th Century, a new system called naturopathy was created by Benedict and Louisa Stroebel Lust. Unlike many of the 19th Century medical systems created, naturopathy has persevered to this day. Naturopathic healing was founded and based on number of influences including botanics, hydrotherapy, eclecticism, temperance and vegetarianism. {{Read more|Nature's Path: Interview with Susan E. Cayleff}}
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[[File:British_Lancers.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
====[[Why did the Congress of Vienna fail to stop future European wars?]]====
+
====[[Why did the Battle of the Somme largely fail to achieve its objectives?]]====
The Congress of Vienna was a gathering of representatives of European kingdoms that was presided over by the Austrian Chancellor Klemens Von Metternich. The Congress was held in Vienna from 1814 to 1815. The goals of the Congress were to secure peace and stability in Europe and to ensure that revolutions did not destabilize the Continent. {{Read more|Why did the Congress of Vienna fail to stop future European wars?}}
+
The Battle of the Somme or the Somme Offensive was a series of battles that occurred during the Summer and Autumn of 1916. It involved British and French forces launching a massive assault on the German lines in an effort to break the stalemate on the Western Front. The Battle was primarily a battle between the Germans and the British. The offensive achieved very little and both sides suffered heavy casualties. The British only advanced a few miles and the German lines held. The stalemate was not broken by the offensive. {{Read more|Why did the Battle of the Somme largely fail to achieve its objectives?}}
 
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[[File:652px-First_Oil_Well.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
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[[File:French_soldiers.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
====[[How did Edwin Drake create the World's first oil well?]]====
+
====[[Origins of World War One - Top Ten Booklist]]====
Even though there was no one "first discover" of oil. Oil was known in antiquity when it was used to heal wounds. But by the middle of the 19th century methods for collecting oil from the ground had not changed for thousands of years. Edwin Drake's oil fundamentally changed this process and dramatically increased oil production around the world. {{Read more|How did Edwin Drake create the World's first oil well?}}
+
The First World War was an incredibly destructive and wide ranging catastrophe. Not only did it dramatically change the map of Europe and the world and it led to further instability. The First World War was one of the most important wars in human history. There has long been a debate about the exact cause of the First World War. The assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand triggered the war but its ultimate causes were far more complex. {{Read more|Origins of World War One - Top Ten Booklist}}
 
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+
[[File:Queen_Anne's_Lace_(25468119510).jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
====[[Fate of the Revolution: Interview with Lorri Glover]]====
+
====[[What was used for birth control in medieval Europe?]]====
Starting in 1787, states began to ratify the newly drafted federal Constitution which would determine the fate of the new American Republic. In order for the Constitution to go in effect, nine of the states needed to agree to the document. While five states quickly ratified the Constitution between December 1787 and January 1788, the country's eyes stayed on Virginia. Virginia was the most populated and largest state and it was critical for the state to ratify the Constitution to legitimize the process. {{Read more|Fate of the Revolution: Interview with Lorri Glover}}
+
Birth is a universal experience for humanity and therefore, so is conception. This makes the issue of contraception one which stretched back into antiquity. While this topic is frequently in modern news, the historic practices of contraception and the specific methods utilized are rarely touched upon. {{Read more|What was used for birth control in medieval Europe?}}
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[[File:GW-painting.jpg|thumbnail|left|180px]]
 +
====[[What was George Washington's military experience before the American Revolution?]]====
 +
The Second Continental Congress voted unanimously to put George Washington in charge of the Continental Army in 1775. Washington was only 43 years old at the time, a gentleman planter and local Virginian politician.  {{Read more|What was George Washington's military experience before the American Revolution?}}
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[[File:512px-Filip II Macedonia.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
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 +
====[[How did Phillip II of Macedon change Ancient Greek history?]]====
 +
Alexander the Great is one of the most famous men in history. However, it is generally recognized that Alexander’s achievements would have been impossible without his father, Philip II of Macedon, who reigned from 359 to 336 B.C. He is not as well-known as his son but he laid the foundations for the great Empire of Alexander.{{Read more|How did Phillip II of Macedon change Ancient Greek history?}}
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[[File:Egyptian kitchen Berlin 1.jpg|thumbnail|left|220px]]
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=====[[How did kitchens develop?]]=====
 +
Few places in a home are as important or symbolic for our social bonds than the kitchen. In almost every culture, the kitchen serves not only as the place where food is prepared, but serves as a social hub for families and friends. Humans develop deep social bonds with family and friends in their kitchen. The kitchen does not simply provide for our daily nutrition but also helps to reinforce our social character. Whether humans are cooking around a fire or chopping vegetables on a granite counter-top, they are also interacting with one another. {{Read more|How did kitchens develop?}}
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[[File:Christiaan_Barnard_(1968).jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
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====[[When did the First Heart Transplant take place?]]====
 +
When Christiaan Barnard performed the first heart transplant in 1967, it was initially seen as remarkable scientific achievement, but overtime both the medical community and the general public were forced to re-evaluate heart transplants. The medical community quickly realized that the first transplants were little more than dangerous and unpredictable experiments.{{Read more|When did the First Heart Transplant take place?}}
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[[File:Keller.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
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====[[Why Did Helen Keller Become a Socialist?]]====
 +
Helen Keller (1880–1967) is best known for her triumph over blindness, deafness, and muteness. Rescued from the isolation of her afflictions as a young girl by the Perkins Institute for the Blind teacher Anne Sullivan, Keller learned to understand a basic form of sign language and learned to “feel” and imitate the sound of the human voice.  {{Read more|Why Did Helen Keller Become a Socialist?}}
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[[File:Anthophyllite_asbestos_SEM.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
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====[[When was Mesothelioma First Diagnosed?]]====
 +
The history of Mesothelioma is complicated. Medicine struggled to establish its existence and understand what caused it. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that forms on the "tissues that cover the lungs and abdomen." Mesothelioma is typically tied to the exposure of people to asbestos in either their environment or workplace.{{Read more|When was Mesothelioma First Diagnosed?}}
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[[File:Rabbbi's_Atheist_.jpeg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
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 +
====[[The Rabbi's Atheist Daughter: Interview with Bonnie S. Anderson]]====
 +
History is fickle. During the 19th Century, Ernestine Rose was one of the most important and famous international advocates for feminism, free thought and anti-slavery. She worked closely with renowned figures in this movement such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Despite her contributions to feminism, atheism, and anti-slavery, since her death she has slowly been erased from history.  {{Read more|The Rabbi's Atheist Daughter: Interview with Bonnie S. Anderson}}
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[[File:Skythian_archer_plate_BM_E135_by_Epiktetos.jpg|thumbnail|200px|left]]
 +
====[[When did Men Start Wearing Pants?]]====
 +
Why did humans start wearing pants? To answer this question it’s important to understand two things - first, what were the earliest forms of clothing and how did they evolve into pants and secondly, why did a need for pants develop? It is also helpful to define what is meant by pants - specifically a bifurcated garment for the bottom half of the body which covers from waist to the lower leg. It is also helpful to define what is meant by pants - specifically a bifurcated garment for the bottom half of the body which covers from waist to the lower leg. {{Read more|When did Men Start Wearing Pants?}}
 
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[[File:Into_the_Jaws_of_Death_23-0455M_edit for my series headline photo.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
====[[Why was Epicurus and his philosophy so important?]]====
+
 
Epicurus is often associated as one of the Greek philosophers more interested in pleasure or its pursuit than other ideals. While at times this led to a negative view of his philosophy, the reality is his thinking was very advanced and developed, leading to his ideas becoming highly influential in modern thought in many regions of the world today. He was one of the first Greek philosophers to develop a strong tradition that avoid superstition as a core ideal.{{Read more|Why was Epicurus and his philosophy so important?}}
+
====[[What Mistakes did the Allies make during Operation Overlord on D-Day?]]====
 +
June 6, 1944 was arguably the most pivotal day of World War II. Operation Overlord was set to be launched and if successful, was to open a second front in Europe so as to attack Germany from all sides. Stalin’s Soviet Army had been battling the German Army since late 1942 in Stalingrad, Leningrad, and Moscow. {{Read more|What Mistakes did the Allies make during Operation Overlord on D-Day?}}
 
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[[File:Almost_a_Miracle.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
+
====[[Book Review: "The Assassin's Accomplice."]]====
====[[American Revolution Top Ten Booklist]]====
+
[[File:Assassins_accomplice.jpg|left|thumb|150px]]
On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed by the Continental Congress. This act was only the first step towards the creation of the United States. The United States then fought a seven year war to cement its independence from England. The successful fight for independence has had a remarkable impact on world history over the past 200 years. The United States gradually transformed itself from a former colony into a superpower. The impact of this revolution cannot be ignored. {{Read more|American Revolution Top Ten Booklist}}
+
Kate Clifford Larson's book The Assassin’s Accomplice: Mary Surratt and the Plot to Kill Abraham Lincoln is a well-researched narrative exploring the prosecution of Mary Surratt. The Assassin’s Accomplice details the events that revolved around Mrs. Surratt in the days and weeks leading up to the assassination of President Lincoln.{{Read more|Book Review: "The Assassin's Accomplice."}}
 
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<div class="portal">
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+
====[[How Did Black Pepper Spread in Popularity?]]====
====[[What was Plato's academy and why did it influence Western thought?]]====
+
[[File:Black pepper (By R.Boroujerdi).jpeg|left|thumb|205px]]
The Academy, founded by the philosopher Plato in the early 4th century BCE, was perhaps one of the earliest institutions of higher learning. While it was not like a university where people would enroll and obtain advanced degrees, it functioned as one of the first places for dedicated research into scientific and philosophical questions, at least in Europe, took place by gathered scholars. Its main function was to teach Plato's philosophical understanding, but it also challenged its scholars to develop a new understanding of our universe. {{Read more|What was Plato's academy and why did it influence Western thought?}}
+
Visiting a restaurant in the Western world or even a home often means finding salt and black pepper as common condiments on the table used to give taste to our dishes. Salt has been native to many regions and is commonly found; however, black pepper was a far more limited plant (Piper nigrum) that natively grew in South and Southeast Asia.{{Read more|How Did Black Pepper Spread in Popularity?}}
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[[File:Almost_a_Miracle.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
 +
====[[American Revolution Top Ten Booklist]]====
 +
On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed by the Continental Congress. This act was only the first step towards the creation of the United States. The impact of this revolution cannot be ignored. {{Read more|American Revolution Top Ten Booklist}}
 
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[[File:The_Alien_and_Sedition_Acts_of_1789.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
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[[File:Pinkertons.jpg|thumbnail|200px|left]]
====[[The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798: Interview with Terri Halperin]]====
+
====[[Inventing the Pinkertons: Interview with Paul O'Hara]]====
The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 were four laws that were passed by the predominantly Federalist Congress and signed by John Adams to strengthen the national security of the United States. These acts not only restricted the ability of an immigrant to become a citizen, but made it easier to deport non-citizens who were either deemed dangerous or were citizens of hostile countries. {{Read more|The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798: Interview with Terri Halperin}}
+
In 1850, Allan Pinkerton founded a detective agency that would grow into the Pinkerton's National Detective Agency. Pinkerton's agency is easily the most famous and infamous security guard and detective agency in United States history. Pinkerton originally created the agency to help railroad companies investigate their employees and catch train robbers. But over time, the Pinkertons developed an intimate relationship with the federal government and as these partnerships grew the Pinkertons' role increased dramatically. {{Read more|Inventing the Pinkertons: Interview with Paul O'Hara}}
 
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[[File:652px-First_Oil_Well.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
====[[How did the Bubonic Plague make the Italian Renaissance possible?]]====
+
====[[How did Edwin Drake create the World's first oil well?]]====
The Black Death (1347-1350) was a pandemic that devastated the populations of Europe and Asia. The plague was an unprecedented human tragedy in Italy. It not only shook Italian society, but transformed it. The Black Death marked an end of an era in Italy, its impact was profound and it resulted in wide-ranging social, economic, cultural and religious changes.{{Read more|How did the Bubonic Plague make the Italian Renaissance possible?}}
+
Even though there was no one "first discover" of oil. Oil was known in antiquity when it was used to heal wounds. But by the middle of the 19th century methods for collecting oil from the ground had not changed for thousands of years. Edwin Drake's oil fundamentally changed this process and dramatically increased oil production around the world. {{Read more|How did Edwin Drake create the World's first oil well?}}
 
</div>
 
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<div class="portal">
 
<div class="portal">
[[File:Stalingrad three.jpg|thumbnail|left|250px]]
+
====[[Gilded Age/Progressive Era History Top Ten Booklist]]====
====[[Why did Germany lose the Battle of Stalingrad?]]====
+
[[File:American_Colossus.jpeg|left|thumb|125px]]
Hitler saw the war in terms of his personal rivalry with Stalin and he decided to attack the city, because of its symbolic value. However, the original aim of the offensive in Southern Russian was to secure the oil fields in the Caucasus. The oil was essential for the German war machine. Hitler knew this instead of opting for concentrating all his forces on the conquest of the oil fields, he made perhaps a fateful mistake.{{Read more|Why did Germany lose the Battle of Stalingrad?}}
+
Creating a Top Ten List for the Gilded Age/Progressive Era is challenging. There are an extraordinary number of outstanding books on this period. These books are a selection of our favorites. Creating a Top Ten List for the Gilded Age/Progressive Era is challenging. There are an extraordinary number of outstanding books on this period. These books are a selection of our favorites. Most of these books are focused on trying to define this era as whole, instead of focusing on a single issue.{{Read more|Gilded Age/Progressive Era History Top Ten Booklist}}
 
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====[[Thomas Jefferson, the Founding Fathers and Christianity: Interview with Sam Haselby]]====
+
====[[Why did the Congress of Vienna fail to stop future European wars?]]====
Recently on Twitter, a debate broke out between Annette Gordon-Reed, Sam Haselby, and John Fea on the nature of Thomas Jefferson's religious beliefs. Instead of recreating the debate, it made more sense to contact one of the participants, Sam Haselby, whose recent book ''The Origins of American Religious Nationalism'' (published by Oxford University Press) examines how a conflict with Protestantism, in the decades following US independence transformed American national identity.{{Read more|Thomas Jefferson, the Founding Fathers and Christianity: Interview with Sam Haselby}}
+
The Congress of Vienna was a gathering of representatives of European kingdoms that was presided over by the Austrian Chancellor Klemens Von Metternich. The Congress was held in Vienna from 1814 to 1815. The goals of the Congress were to secure peace and stability in Europe and to ensure that revolutions did not destabilize the Continent. {{Read more|Why did the Congress of Vienna fail to stop future European wars?}}
 +
</div>
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[[File:Tissot Solomon Dedicates the Temple at Jerusalem.jpg|thumbnail|200px|left]]
 +
====[[History of God Top Ten Booklist]]====
 +
The concept of God and his historical development is an extraordinarily complex topic and it is not easily addressed in ten books. These books seek attempt to explain  a complex story on how the concept of God developed in different cultures, places, and across time. The history of the idea of God is long and has its roots from prehistoric to early historic periods in the ancient Near East. Later cultures developed concepts that derive from ancient Iran, Greece, Egypt, and perhaps other regions.{{Read more|History of God Top Ten Booklist}}
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[[File:William-wallace-monument-1256291 1280.jpeg|thumbnail|200px|left]]
 +
====[[How historically accurate is Braveheart?]]====
 +
Braveheart was a popular movie released in 1995 that won 5 Oscars and featured Mel Gibson as William Wallace. Wallace was a Scottish knight who became a hero in the Scottish rebellions against the English in the late 13th and early 14th century. The movie helped to inspire Scottish national pride while also, to some, represent an early, Medieval warrior who fought for freedom for himself and his people. While much of the story depicted did occur, including the English occupation of Scotland during the time of Edward I, king of England, the depiction of the revolt against the English and other events do not correspond well to historical accounts.{{Read more|How historically accurate is Braveheart?}}
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[[File: Drysocks.JPG |thumbnail|200px|left]]
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====[[What Was the Importance of Bill Mauldin to WWII Infantrymen?]]====
 +
Bill Mauldin once said that the infantryman “gives more and gets less than anybody else.” He knew this from his experience on the front lines with K Company, 180th Infantry Regiment, of the 45th Division. Mauldin went through basic training as an infantryman and stayed with his regiment throughout the invasion of Sicily and the Allied campaign up the boot of Italy. The talented cartoonist succeeded in ruffling the feathers of the “brass” all the way up to General George Patton.{{Read more|What Was the Importance of Bill Mauldin to WWII Infantrymen?}}
 +
</div>
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[[File:Florence_Cathedral.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
 +
====[[Why did the Italian Renaissance End?]]====
 +
The Italian Renaissance was one of the most exciting periods in human civilisation. It witnessed a great flourishing of the arts, literature, philosophy, architecture and politics. Many of the greatest figures in World Civilisation appeared during the Renaissance in Italy, including Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Machiavelli and Raphael.
 +
{{Read more|Why did the Italian Renaissance End?}}
 
</div>
 
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<div class="portal">
[[File:Engineeringvictory.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
+
[[File:Gettysburg.jpeg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
====[[Engineering Victory during the Civil War: Interview with Thomas F. Army, Jr.]]====
+
====[[Civil War Battles Top Ten Booklist]]====
Logistics win wars. Logistics is the coordination of complex operations such as moving, housing and supplying troops and their equipment. War is the ultimate test of any logistician.  Thomas F. Army, Jr. argues in his new book <i>Engineering Victory: How Technology Won the Civil War</i> published by Johns Hopkins University Press that the Union's engineering prowess during Civil War gave it an distinct advantage over the Confederacy.{{Read more|Engineering Victory during the Civil War: Interview with Thomas F. Army, Jr.}}
+
A DailyHistory.org top ten booklist focusing on best book on the battles of the American Civil War. The books on this list explore the battles of Antietam, Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, and many others. Take a look at our list. {{Read more|Civil War Battles Top Ten Booklist}}
 
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[[File:Stalingrad three.jpg|thumbnail|left|250px]]
  
====[[Shantytown, USA: Interview with Lisa Goff]]====
+
====[[Why did Germany lose the Battle of Stalingrad?]]====
The Harvard University Press recently published Lisa Goff's new book Shantytown, USA: Forgotten Landscapes of the Working Poor. There's a chance that one of your American ancestors lived in an American shantytown. While we may not realize it now, shantytowns were a common feature of 19th century America. Goff's book explores not only how shantytowns became a prominent feature of America's towns and cities, but why middle class Americans eventually turned on them and their residents. {{Read more|Shantytown, USA: Interview with Lisa Goff}}
+
Hitler saw the war in terms of his personal rivalry with Stalin and he decided to attack the city, because of its symbolic value. However, the original aim of the offensive in Southern Russian was to secure the oil fields in the Caucasus. The oil was essential for the German war machine. Hitler knew this – instead of opting for concentrating all his forces on the conquest of the oil fields, he made perhaps a fateful mistake.{{Read more|Why did Germany lose the Battle of Stalingrad?}}
 
</div>
 
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[[File:portraitbowie.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
 
[[File:portraitbowie.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
 
====[[The Mysterious Illness of Jim Bowie: How Did He Contribute to His Own Decline?]]====
 
====[[The Mysterious Illness of Jim Bowie: How Did He Contribute to His Own Decline?]]====
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[[File:Anonymous_-_Prise_de_la_Bastille.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px]]
+
====History of Religion====
====[[Origins of the French Revolution - Top Ten Booklist]]====
+
{{#dpl:category=Religious History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=8}}
The French Revolution has been seen as a world-altering event. The revolution demolished a long standing monarchy and showed that it was a natural form of government. The Revolution also showed that it was possible to change society, using reason, for the better and worse. The French Revolution inspired many to agitate for democracy and equality around the world.
+
</div>
{{Read more|Origins of the French Revolution - Top Ten Booklist}}
+
 
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 +
====Ancient Greek History====
 +
{{#dpl:category=Ancient Greek History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=8}}
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 +
====American Civil War====
 +
{{#dpl:category=Civil War|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=8}}
 
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+
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[[File:Robert_E_Lee_in_1863.png|left|thumb|190px]]
+
 
====[[How Did the Battle of South Mountain Alter the Course of the American Civil War?]]====
+
====19th Century History====
When Lee ordered his men out of Virginia, he had a massive force. The Confederate Army left Centreville, Virginia with 45,700 men. Additionally, Lee called up three divisions from Richmond that totaled another 20,600 troops in addition to J.E.B. Stuart’s cavalry of 5,500 riders. In total, 71,800 Confederate soldiers departed Virginia with orders to proceed to Maryland.
+
{{#dpl:category=19th Century History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=8}}
{{Read more|How Did the Battle of South Mountain Alter the Course of the American Civil War?}}
 
 
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+
<div class="portal" style="font-size:90%">
[[File:grant.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
 
  
====[[Was the Destruction Perpetrated by Lincoln, Grant, and Sherman Necessary to End the Civil War?]]====
+
====Renaissance History====
January 1, 1863 marked a pivotal moment in the American Civil War. On this date the Emancipation Proclamation, the preliminary of which was issued by President Lincoln on September 22, 1862, took full and permanent effect, thus changing the Union’s ultimate war goal. The harsh and unpopular actions that were necessary to prevent the prolonged bloody carnage of continual war were tasked to three men: Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and William T. Sherman. {{Read more|Was the Destruction Perpetrated by Lincoln, Grant, and Sherman Necessary to End the Civil War?}}
+
{{#dpl:category=Renaissance History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=8}}
 
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+
<div class="portal" style="font-size:90%">
[[File:GW-painting.jpg||left|thumb|200px]]
+
====History of Early US Republic====
 +
*[[Thomas Jefferson, the Founding Fathers and Christianity: Interview with Sam Haselby]]
 +
*[[The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798: Interview with Terri Halperin]]
 +
*[[Fate of the Revolution: Interview with Lorri Glover]]
 +
*[[American Revolution Top Ten Booklist]]
 +
*[[What was George Washington's military experience before the American Revolution?]]
 +
*[[Hodges' Scout: Interview with Len Travers]]
 +
</div>
  
====[[What was George Washington's military experience before the American Revolution?]]====
+
<div class="portal" style="font-size:90%">
The Second Continental Congress voted unanimously to put George Washington in charge of the Continental Army in 1775. Washington was only 43 years old at the time, a gentleman planter and local Virginian politician. He had not served in the military for over 20 years and his military service records was not particularly distinguished. What qualified Washington for the supreme confidence the young American rebels placed in him?
+
====Sports History====
{{Read more|What was George Washington's military experience before the American Revolution?}}
+
*[[Did Theodore Roosevelt really save Football?]]
 +
*[[How did modern boxing emerge?]]
 +
*[[How did the game of golf emerge?]]
 +
*[[How did the marathon emerge?]]
 +
*[[How did the modern tennis emerge?]]
 +
*[[Who integrated the NBA?]]
 +
*[[How did hunting become a symbol of the aristocracy/royalty]]
 
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<div class="portal" style="font-size:90%">
[[File:Akhenaten_as_a_Sphinx_(Kestner_Museum).jpg||left|thumb|200px]]
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====Legal History====
====[[How did Monotheism Develop?]]====
+
*[[American Legal History Top Ten Booklist]]
While monotheism is seen as something that has derived from Judaism, the history of how monotheism became pervasive is complex. Integrating both historical and archaeological data, we find that the rise of monotheism has been influenced by key political events. These political events help transform not just these early monotheistic faiths but also by extension many parts of the world today.{{Read more|How did Monotheism Develop?}}
+
*[[American Surveillance: Interview with Anthony Gregory]]
 +
*[[How did the Sharia Law develop?]]
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*[[How has the Roman Lex Mercatoria evolved to play a role in modern International Trade and Commerce Codification?]]
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*[[How does The Magna Carta influence the Modern Perceptions of Civil Rights?]]
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*[[How has ancient Rome influenced European law?]]
 
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<div class="portal">
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<div class="portal" style="font-size:90%">
[[File:American_Colossus.jpeg||left|thumb|300px]]
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====World War I====
====[[Gilded Age/Progressive Era History Top Ten Booklist]]====
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{{#dpl:category=World War One History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=8}}
Creating a Top Ten List for the Gilded Age/Progressive Era is challenging. There are an extraordinary number of outstanding books on this period. These books are a selection of our favorites. Most of these books are focused on trying to define this era as whole, instead of focusing on a single issue. In other words, several of these books are seeking to create a grand narrative of the era to help their readers understand it.
 
{{Read more|Gilded Age/Progressive Era History Top Ten Booklist}}
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
<div class="portal">
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[[File:BattleCryFreedom.jpeg||left|thumb|200px]]
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====[[The Best Historians and Books According to James McPherson]]====
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====European Interwar Political History====
In 2014, the New York Times published a brief interview with noted Civil War historian James McPherson, The George Henry Davis 1886 Professor of American History at Princeton University. McPherson is considered to be the dean of Civil War historians. He is best known for his Pulitzer Prize winning book Battle Cry of Freedom which is the best overview of the Civil War.
+
*[[How did Vladimir Lenin Rise To Power?]]
{{Read more|The Best Historians and Books According to James McPherson}}
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*[[How Joseph Stalin became the leader of the Soviet Union]]
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*[[How did Mussolini become Prime Minister of Italy?]]
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*[[Primed for Violence in Interwar Poland: Interview with Paul Brykczynski]]
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*[[The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact- Stalin’s greatest mistake?]]
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*[[The Nazi triumph: how did Adolf Hitler become the Fuehrer of Germany?]]
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*[[Why did the the Weimar Republic Collapse?]]
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
<div class="portal" >
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==Articles==
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====World War Two====
Here are some of our most recently created and edited articles.
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{{#dpl:category=World War Two History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=8}}
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</div>
  
<div class="portal" >
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<div class="portal" style="font-size:90%">
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====British History====
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{{#dpl:category=British History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=8}}
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</div>
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<div class="portal" style="font-size:90%">
  
==Interviews==
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====Roman History====
These are our interviews with historians discussing their new books.
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{{#dpl:category=Roman History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=8}}
{{#dpl:category=Interviews|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=10}}
 
 
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<div class="portal" style="font-size:90%">
  
==Booklists==
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====Interviews====
Includes our most recent Expert and User created Top Ten History Booklists.
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{{#dpl:category=Interviews|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=8}}
{{#dpl:category=Booklists|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=15}}
 
 
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Revision as of 01:27, 16 February 2018


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Alexander the Great Top Ten Booklist

Creating a top ten list for books on Alexander the Great is not easy, since few ancient historical figures have been written about as much. Everything from his complex personality and his sexual life to his military and logistical tactics have been analyzed by historians. Alexander, simply put, stands out as unique among ancient historical figures for having so much detailed assessment made on his life and times.Read more...

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Gender in Early America Top Ten Booklist

Most of us are familiar with a narrative of colonial America that focuses on the actions of our "Founding Fathers." But what of our "Founding Mothers"? This booklist compiles ten works that explore gender in colonial North America and provide an important lens through which we can view some of the formative events in our shared history. Read more...

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How Was the Lighthouse of Alexandria Destroyed?

Of all the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, only the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt still remain. War, neglect, and natural disasters have wiped them from the face of the earth with only descriptions left by ancient historians and geographers, or perhaps an occasional coin or painting, as tokens of their greatness. Read more...


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Great Gifts for History Lovers 2017

It can sometimes be difficult to find the right gift for your history loving friend or spouse. Hopefully, we can help. This is our 2017 list of great gifts for history lovers. If in doubt, get a book. History lovers adore books. Some our recommendations are less academic then some of the books that appear on our other booklists, but they do represent outstanding recent books that most history lovers should enjoy. Read more...

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How accurate is Stanley Kubrick's 'Spartacus'?

The historical epic Spartacus (1960) is one of the best-known movies in cinema history. It caused a sensation on its release and was one of the most successful pictures of the 1960s. The movie was not only a commercial success it was a critical success and it received several Academy Awards. Spartacus was directed by the cinematic genius Stanley Kubrick. Read more...

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How Historically Accurate is Season 2 of Last Kingdom?

Season 2 is divided into two novels from the Saxon Tales series written by Bernard Cornwell, namely books 3 and 4 (Season 1 was books 1-2). The novels span roughly between 878-886 (Figure 1). The main focus for Season 2 in the first four episodes is Uhtred's quest to go north from Wessex into Northumbria, a less tamed area of England that is ruled more by Danes but their hold is somewhat less clear. Uhtred seeks his ancestral home in Bebbanburg (Bamburgh Castle) and also wants revenge against Kjartan, who killed is adopted Danish father. Read more...

Confederate monument Elmira NY.jpg

Why are there so many Monuments to the Confederacy across the United States?

As one travels across the southern United States, it is not unusual to find monuments and memorials to the Confederate dead in many small towns. In fact, these sculptural pieces, often composed of the same statues and plinths from the Monumental Bronze Co. of Bridgeport, Conn., can be found as far north as Pennsylvania and New York. A study in 2016 found some 1,500 monuments still standing. While in recent years these monuments have become a new source of political conversation their very erection was a movement by Confederate women. Read more...

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What was lynching?

Lynching is often described as a form of extralegal, vigilante violence or justice; however, its meaning has evolved over time—from the tarring and feathering of individuals in the Colonial period to the lethal, racial violence that proliferated in the South. According to Digital History, "Lynching received its name from Judge Charles Lynch, a Virginia farmer who punished outlaws and Tories with "rough" justice during the American Revolution." The United States has a long history of vigilance committees whose purposes were to protect the community. According to Linda Gordon, “vigilantism generally means bypassing the legal procedures of the state and substituting direct, usually punitive and coercive action by self-appointed groups of citizens".Read more...

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What Was the Importance of Alcohol Consumption in Ancient Egypt?

There is a common misconception today that life in ancient Egypt was a dreary one for anyone not in the nobility. This image is probably at least partially derived from pop culture where scenes are common in movies that depict Egyptian peasants being worked to the death to make tombs and temples for their gods and kings. The reality is that although the ancient Egyptian social system was quite different from that of the modern world, and they had few of today’s modern conveniences, Egyptians from all social classes enjoyed a leisure culture that was not much different than today’s. Read more...

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How Did Public Aquariums Develop?

Large public aquariums have become fixtures in most major urban regions. In some places, they have become among the leading attractions for city tourism, where many aquariums have also expanded into conservation efforts and applied research along with being tourist destinations. The history of such aquariums is not completely modern, although the form in which we know aquariums today is mostly a recent development. Read more...

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Why did Charles XII of Sweden fail to conquer Russia in 1708?

The failed invasion of Russia by Hitler and Napoleon are well known. Less well-known is invasion of Russia by the Swedes under their most famous king, Charles XII. Sweden in 1700 was the greatest Northern European power and this provoked the jealousy of its neighbors. This led to the Great Northern War. The culmination of this war was the Swedish monarch’s invasion of Russia and his subsequent defeat by Tsar Peter the Great at Poltava (1709).Read more...

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How have Historians' perceptions of Native Americans changed?

In 1997, Kerwin Lee Klein, among others, observed that a wholesale change had occurred in how historians portrayed Native American history. Previously, historians and ethnographers had focused on “the tragedy of the vanishing Indian.”[1] Many Americans, even those sympathetic to Native Americans, argued that Indians ultimately faced extinction. Even though this argument was undermined by the continued survival of Native Americans, scholars were slow to reject it. The Native American rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s emphasized the persistence of Native Americans. Read more...

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The Abraham Lincoln Brigade: the Historiography of the American soldiers in the Spanish American War

During the Spanish Civil War, approximately 2,800 American men and women answered the call from the Communist party to defend the Spanish republic from fascist aggression. These men and women served in the Fifteenth International Brigade and formed the Abraham Lincoln, Washington and MacKenzie-Papineau Battalions. These soldiers’ stories have been controversial, because 80 percent of these volunteers were Communists. Read more...

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American Girls in Red Russia: Interview with Julia Mickenberg

Julia L. Mickenberg's new book American Girls in Russia: Chasing the Soviet Dream published by the University of Chicago Press explores the history of the American women who went to Russia looking for adventure, freedom, revolution, work and new life. After they moved to Russia they found challenges and hardships. Many were disturbed by both the conditions of the country and the treatment of people by the new government. Read more...

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What Were the Causes of Germany's Hyperinflation of 1921-1923?

Among the defining features of early twentieth century Europe and one of the contributing factors to World War II, was the economic maelstrom known as “hyperinflation” that ravaged Germany from 1921 until 1923. Although the short period is often overlooked in popular histories of the period, there is no denying the impacts that the process had on Germany, Europe, and the world. Read more...

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When did abortion become legal in the United States?

In colonial America, abortion was dealt with in a manner according to English common law. Abortion was typically only frowned upon, or penalized, when it occurred after “quickening,”—when a woman felt fetal movement—because it suggested that the fetus had manifested into its own separate being. Quickening could vary from women to woman, and sometimes as late as four months. Read more...

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What Was the Importance of Ziggurats in Ancient Mesopotamia?

The people of ancient Mesopotamia practiced a religion that modern scholars are only just now beginning to understand and the physical focal point of their religion were the monumental, triangular structures known as ziggurats. Read more...

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Working Toward Whiteness by David Roediger

David Roediger’s book Working Toward Whiteness: How America’s Immigrants Became White: The Strange Journey from Ellis Island to the Suburbs continues his provocative exploration of whiteness studies by examining how southern and eastern European immigrants became white during the first half of the twentieth century. Roediger argues that “the long, circuitous process by which ‘new immigrants’ became ‘white ethnics’” matters. Read more...

Marco Polo traveling.jpeg

What Is the History of Ice Cream?

Ice cream has been a popular treat that many see today as having developed relatively recently, as ice cream usually requires a form of refrigeration. While the modern form of ice cream is relatively more recent, the idea of ice cream has been present for millennia. Ice treats, which eventually gave us ice cream, were refreshing snacks usually reserved for elites or those who can obtain ice in times of warm or hot weather. Read more...

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What was the impact of Spartacus' uprising on Rome?

Spartacus was a Thracian and he had once fought with the Romans. According to Plutarch, he was enslaved by them after he had deserted. Due to his strength and military skills he was trained as a gladiator. In 73BC, he plotted to escape from his gladiatorial school, near Capua in southern Italy and was joined in the conspiracy by up to 100 other gladiators.Read more...

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How Did Croesus Become the Wealthiest Man in the Ancient World?

According the fifth century BC Greek historian Herodotus, who has often been called the “father of history,” the Lydian King Croesus (ruled ca. 560-540s BC) was the world’s wealthiest king who ruled the world’s wealthiest kingdom. When Salon, the legendary Athenian law giver, came to Lydia see the king’s wealth personally, Croesus immediately had his servants “take him on a tour of the royal treasuries” in order to “point out the richness and magnificence of everything.”Read more...

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What if the Vikings Never Invaded England?

The Viking, or more accurately Danish and Norsemen, invasions of England in the 9th century CE (865) helped lead to what ultimately would become the united country of England. Before 865, England was divided into four or sometimes more countries, populated by Angles and Saxons (or Anglo-Saxons).Read more...

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Did Theodore Roosevelt really save Football?

In 1905, American football faced an crisis. Far to many young men were being killed while playing football and no one was taking any serious actions to reduce the risks. The headline at the top of the right hand column in The Chicago Sunday Tribune on November 26, 1905 screamed, "Football Year's Death Harvest - Record Shows That Nineteen Players Have Been Killed; One Hundred Thirty-seven Hurt - Two Are Slain Saturday."Read more...

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Privateering during the War of 1812: Interview with Faye M. Kert

During the War 1812, US and Canadian privateers fought most of the naval battles between the United States and Great Britain. These privateers were comprised of captains who were motivated by the promise of profit to fight for their countries. There was a strong legal framework in both the United States and Great Britain that normalized piracy. Canadian and American ship owners and investors took advantage of it and funded privateering outfits during the war. Needless to say, privateers were incredibly risky investments.Read more...

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Nature's Path: Interview with Susan E. Cayleff

At the very end of the 19th Century, a new system called naturopathy was created by Benedict and Louisa Stroebel Lust. Unlike many of the 19th Century medical systems created, naturopathy has persevered to this day. Naturopathic healing was founded and based on number of influences including botanics, hydrotherapy, eclecticism, temperance and vegetarianism. Read more...

British Lancers.jpg

Why did the Battle of the Somme largely fail to achieve its objectives?

The Battle of the Somme or the Somme Offensive was a series of battles that occurred during the Summer and Autumn of 1916. It involved British and French forces launching a massive assault on the German lines in an effort to break the stalemate on the Western Front. The Battle was primarily a battle between the Germans and the British. The offensive achieved very little and both sides suffered heavy casualties. The British only advanced a few miles and the German lines held. The stalemate was not broken by the offensive. Read more...

French soldiers.jpg

Origins of World War One - Top Ten Booklist

The First World War was an incredibly destructive and wide ranging catastrophe. Not only did it dramatically change the map of Europe and the world and it led to further instability. The First World War was one of the most important wars in human history. There has long been a debate about the exact cause of the First World War. The assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand triggered the war but its ultimate causes were far more complex. Read more...

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What was used for birth control in medieval Europe?

Birth is a universal experience for humanity and therefore, so is conception. This makes the issue of contraception one which stretched back into antiquity. While this topic is frequently in modern news, the historic practices of contraception and the specific methods utilized are rarely touched upon. Read more...

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What was George Washington's military experience before the American Revolution?

The Second Continental Congress voted unanimously to put George Washington in charge of the Continental Army in 1775. Washington was only 43 years old at the time, a gentleman planter and local Virginian politician. Read more...

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How did Phillip II of Macedon change Ancient Greek history?

Alexander the Great is one of the most famous men in history. However, it is generally recognized that Alexander’s achievements would have been impossible without his father, Philip II of Macedon, who reigned from 359 to 336 B.C. He is not as well-known as his son but he laid the foundations for the great Empire of Alexander.Read more...

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How did kitchens develop?

Few places in a home are as important or symbolic for our social bonds than the kitchen. In almost every culture, the kitchen serves not only as the place where food is prepared, but serves as a social hub for families and friends. Humans develop deep social bonds with family and friends in their kitchen. The kitchen does not simply provide for our daily nutrition but also helps to reinforce our social character. Whether humans are cooking around a fire or chopping vegetables on a granite counter-top, they are also interacting with one another. Read more...

Christiaan Barnard (1968).jpg

When did the First Heart Transplant take place?

When Christiaan Barnard performed the first heart transplant in 1967, it was initially seen as remarkable scientific achievement, but overtime both the medical community and the general public were forced to re-evaluate heart transplants. The medical community quickly realized that the first transplants were little more than dangerous and unpredictable experiments.Read more...

Keller.jpg

Why Did Helen Keller Become a Socialist?

Helen Keller (1880–1967) is best known for her triumph over blindness, deafness, and muteness. Rescued from the isolation of her afflictions as a young girl by the Perkins Institute for the Blind teacher Anne Sullivan, Keller learned to understand a basic form of sign language and learned to “feel” and imitate the sound of the human voice. Read more...

Anthophyllite asbestos SEM.jpg

When was Mesothelioma First Diagnosed?

The history of Mesothelioma is complicated. Medicine struggled to establish its existence and understand what caused it. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that forms on the "tissues that cover the lungs and abdomen." Mesothelioma is typically tied to the exposure of people to asbestos in either their environment or workplace.Read more...

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The Rabbi's Atheist Daughter: Interview with Bonnie S. Anderson

History is fickle. During the 19th Century, Ernestine Rose was one of the most important and famous international advocates for feminism, free thought and anti-slavery. She worked closely with renowned figures in this movement such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Despite her contributions to feminism, atheism, and anti-slavery, since her death she has slowly been erased from history. Read more...

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When did Men Start Wearing Pants?

Why did humans start wearing pants? To answer this question it’s important to understand two things - first, what were the earliest forms of clothing and how did they evolve into pants and secondly, why did a need for pants develop? It is also helpful to define what is meant by pants - specifically a bifurcated garment for the bottom half of the body which covers from waist to the lower leg. It is also helpful to define what is meant by pants - specifically a bifurcated garment for the bottom half of the body which covers from waist to the lower leg. Read more...

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What Mistakes did the Allies make during Operation Overlord on D-Day?

June 6, 1944 was arguably the most pivotal day of World War II. Operation Overlord was set to be launched and if successful, was to open a second front in Europe so as to attack Germany from all sides. Stalin’s Soviet Army had been battling the German Army since late 1942 in Stalingrad, Leningrad, and Moscow. Read more...

Book Review: "The Assassin's Accomplice."

Assassins accomplice.jpg

Kate Clifford Larson's book The Assassin’s Accomplice: Mary Surratt and the Plot to Kill Abraham Lincoln is a well-researched narrative exploring the prosecution of Mary Surratt. The Assassin’s Accomplice details the events that revolved around Mrs. Surratt in the days and weeks leading up to the assassination of President Lincoln.Read more...

How Did Black Pepper Spread in Popularity?

Black pepper (By R.Boroujerdi).jpeg

Visiting a restaurant in the Western world or even a home often means finding salt and black pepper as common condiments on the table used to give taste to our dishes. Salt has been native to many regions and is commonly found; however, black pepper was a far more limited plant (Piper nigrum) that natively grew in South and Southeast Asia.Read more...

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American Revolution Top Ten Booklist

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed by the Continental Congress. This act was only the first step towards the creation of the United States. The impact of this revolution cannot be ignored. Read more...

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Inventing the Pinkertons: Interview with Paul O'Hara

In 1850, Allan Pinkerton founded a detective agency that would grow into the Pinkerton's National Detective Agency. Pinkerton's agency is easily the most famous and infamous security guard and detective agency in United States history. Pinkerton originally created the agency to help railroad companies investigate their employees and catch train robbers. But over time, the Pinkertons developed an intimate relationship with the federal government and as these partnerships grew the Pinkertons' role increased dramatically. Read more...

652px-First Oil Well.jpg

How did Edwin Drake create the World's first oil well?

Even though there was no one "first discover" of oil. Oil was known in antiquity when it was used to heal wounds. But by the middle of the 19th century methods for collecting oil from the ground had not changed for thousands of years. Edwin Drake's oil fundamentally changed this process and dramatically increased oil production around the world. Read more...

Gilded Age/Progressive Era History Top Ten Booklist

American Colossus.jpeg

Creating a Top Ten List for the Gilded Age/Progressive Era is challenging. There are an extraordinary number of outstanding books on this period. These books are a selection of our favorites. Creating a Top Ten List for the Gilded Age/Progressive Era is challenging. There are an extraordinary number of outstanding books on this period. These books are a selection of our favorites. Most of these books are focused on trying to define this era as whole, instead of focusing on a single issue.Read more...

Samuel Hahnemann 1841.jpg

What was the dominant medical sect in the United States during the 19th Century?

Nineteenth-century medicine was characterized by constant competition among three major medical sects: Regulars, Eclectics, and Homeopaths.[1] Each of these medical sects not only meaningfully disagreed on how to treat illnesses and diseases, but sought to portray their type of practice as the most effective and scientific.Read more...

Congress of Vienna 1815.jpg

Why did the Congress of Vienna fail to stop future European wars?

The Congress of Vienna was a gathering of representatives of European kingdoms that was presided over by the Austrian Chancellor Klemens Von Metternich. The Congress was held in Vienna from 1814 to 1815. The goals of the Congress were to secure peace and stability in Europe and to ensure that revolutions did not destabilize the Continent. Read more...

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History of God Top Ten Booklist

The concept of God and his historical development is an extraordinarily complex topic and it is not easily addressed in ten books. These books seek attempt to explain a complex story on how the concept of God developed in different cultures, places, and across time. The history of the idea of God is long and has its roots from prehistoric to early historic periods in the ancient Near East. Later cultures developed concepts that derive from ancient Iran, Greece, Egypt, and perhaps other regions.Read more...

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How historically accurate is Braveheart?

Braveheart was a popular movie released in 1995 that won 5 Oscars and featured Mel Gibson as William Wallace. Wallace was a Scottish knight who became a hero in the Scottish rebellions against the English in the late 13th and early 14th century. The movie helped to inspire Scottish national pride while also, to some, represent an early, Medieval warrior who fought for freedom for himself and his people. While much of the story depicted did occur, including the English occupation of Scotland during the time of Edward I, king of England, the depiction of the revolt against the English and other events do not correspond well to historical accounts.Read more...

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What Was the Importance of Bill Mauldin to WWII Infantrymen?

Bill Mauldin once said that the infantryman “gives more and gets less than anybody else.” He knew this from his experience on the front lines with K Company, 180th Infantry Regiment, of the 45th Division. Mauldin went through basic training as an infantryman and stayed with his regiment throughout the invasion of Sicily and the Allied campaign up the boot of Italy. The talented cartoonist succeeded in ruffling the feathers of the “brass” all the way up to General George Patton.Read more...

Florence Cathedral.jpg

Why did the Italian Renaissance End?

The Italian Renaissance was one of the most exciting periods in human civilisation. It witnessed a great flourishing of the arts, literature, philosophy, architecture and politics. Many of the greatest figures in World Civilisation appeared during the Renaissance in Italy, including Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Machiavelli and Raphael. Read more...

Gettysburg.jpeg

Civil War Battles Top Ten Booklist

A DailyHistory.org top ten booklist focusing on best book on the battles of the American Civil War. The books on this list explore the battles of Antietam, Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, and many others. Take a look at our list. Read more...

Stalingrad three.jpg

Why did Germany lose the Battle of Stalingrad?

Hitler saw the war in terms of his personal rivalry with Stalin and he decided to attack the city, because of its symbolic value. However, the original aim of the offensive in Southern Russian was to secure the oil fields in the Caucasus. The oil was essential for the German war machine. Hitler knew this – instead of opting for concentrating all his forces on the conquest of the oil fields, he made perhaps a fateful mistake.Read more...

Portraitbowie.jpg

The Mysterious Illness of Jim Bowie: How Did He Contribute to His Own Decline?

Directly or indirectly, Jim Bowie’s enigmatic illness resulted from his own actions. A hearty man of six feet in height, Bowie was a walking contradiction; a slave trader who fought for freedom, a generous and congenial man who called out his thunderous temper on a whim, and a commanding leader who was prone to binges of sloppy drunkenness. Read more...

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