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History

Beta Q&A site for historians and history buffs.

Announcements

35  
May be too broad a subject, but I think a "history" site with tags like "<american revolution>" or "<WWII>" would make a lot more sense than lots of sites on specific historical topics. – Massimo Jun 10 '10 at 12:31
8  
I like the idea of having a "General History" site but it does require some boundaries (as seen from questions below): Does archaeology qualify? Human history or also natural world, etc? Should it stick to historical facts or how much subjectivity is allowed? How specific can a question be before it's off-topic? – Nick Gotch Jul 1 '10 at 0:16
24  
I don't think having a "General History" site is a bad idea either. Yes, the topic is a broad one, but Stack Overflow is a general computer programming site not restricted to a single language and it seems to work fine. If the History site is broken down into more specific divisions, you might miss some cross over questions like those involving US/Japanese relations at the time of Perry, etc. Where would you put that? US history? Western History? Eastern History? Asian History? It would fit in a 19th century site just fine, but not in a site dedicated to a specific geographical area. – kelleystar Jul 15 '10 at 14:53
show 11 more announcements
9
votes
2
answers

How will questions about local history be handled?

oct 4 at 20:23 Christopher Rayl 151
4
votes
1
answer

Does question about building concept allowed?

aug 15 at 15:04 OliverBM 161
-5
votes
1
answer

How will the Q and A for History will benefit?

jul 10 at 16:44 Mark Rogers 5,118

create new discussion

This proposal is now in the Beta phase — example questions are locked!

69 Example Questions (10 closed)

active oldest votes
up vote 0 down vote
Why were the crusades so popular, given the amount of resources they consumed?
added by forefinger Jul 7 '10 at 6:15
link
up vote 0 down vote
Who damaged the nose of Sphinx?
added by Mehper C. Palavuzlar Jul 11 '10 at 16:24
link
3  
It was Asterix. Or Obelix. – random Jul 12 '10 at 12:41
@random: lmao :) – Mehper C. Palavuzlar Jul 12 '10 at 18:35
up vote 0 down vote
Do we know how the name "Caesar" was pronounced in Ancient Rome and if so, then how do we know how it was pronounced?
added by Sid Jul 21 '10 at 3:39
link
Belongs on a Latin language or Classics site. – Richard Gadsden Sep 6 '10 at 16:39
up vote 0 down vote
What were the reasons for the ultimate failure of the Mongol Empire's attempted (and partially successful) conquest of Europe?
added by Noldorin Jul 23 '10 at 9:21
link
How's ransacking a half of Europe a "failed" invasion? May be you could rephrase your question to say "halted invasion"? – SilentGhost Jul 23 '10 at 9:40
Regardless, it ultimately failed. Question updated anyway. – Noldorin Jul 23 '10 at 9:51
Reasons they set out in the first place or reasons it "failed"/"was halted"? – kelleystar Jul 26 '10 at 14:30
Reasons the conquest never succeeded. – Noldorin Jul 26 '10 at 21:22
@Noldorin: In which case I'd recommend "Why did the Mongol Empire's attempted conquest of Europe fail?" That's a better question for what you are asking. On a real group, you'd point out the partial success in the body of the question, and specifically ask why they didn't get farther. – David Thornley Jul 26 '10 at 22:03
show 1 more comment
up vote 0 down vote
Can the lineages of any present royalty or nobility be traced back to antiquity?
added by Noldorin Jul 23 '10 at 9:21
link
up vote 0 down vote
I'm writing an essay on [historical event]. Should I add information on [previous historical event], or would that be unnecessary?
added by Gaurav Aug 30 '10 at 4:34
link
up vote 0 down vote
What aspects define a civilization?
added by thyrgle Aug 31 '10 at 20:27
link
up vote 0 down vote
Where was the Japanese surrender signed on Okinawa in June 1945?
added by RedBlueThing Sep 8 '10 at 12:07
link
up vote 0 down vote
Who actually killed the "Princes in the Tower"?
added by Gaurav Sep 9 '10 at 5:36
link
Intended off-topic: for much of history, we can't actually prove, we can only speculate. – Gaurav Sep 9 '10 at 5:37
up vote 0 down vote
Where can I find a map of the 1939 Polish/German border?
added by RedBlueThing Sep 14 '10 at 1:15
link
up vote -1 down vote
What involvement did quite a few US corporations, that still exist today, have with Nazi Germany, and why don't we teach about this in history class?
added by orokusaki, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jul 13 '10 at 14:57
link
2  
Two questions, one I think on-topic and one I think off-topic. As a result, it's a bad example of either. – David Thornley Jun 23 '10 at 3:34
I agree with David -- although the initial question isn't bad, "why don't we teach about this in history class," although totally a question worth asking, isn't necessarily right to ask in this venue. – naturalog Aug 16 '10 at 14:41
I disagree. This is a sensible and good question. – Noldorin Sep 15 '10 at 20:39
up vote -1 down vote
What non-biblical historical evidence agrees or conflicts with the Bible?
added by forefinger Jul 7 '10 at 6:20
link
1  
the question is too general.. the answer will have to be either very long or very imperfect – Louis Rhys Aug 22 '10 at 9:00
up vote -1 down vote
When did the Roman Empire fall?
added by random Jul 9 '10 at 5:54
link
up vote -1 down vote
Who was the first king of England?
added by random Jul 9 '10 at 5:56
link
Trivia rather than history - if the answer is one word long (Athelstan) then it's a trivia question. – Richard Gadsden Sep 6 '10 at 16:41
up vote -1 down vote
How do titles work in British Aristocracy? Why are there so many and what is the history behind some of them like baronets?
added by kelleystar Jul 9 '10 at 15:31
link
requires too broad an answer – Louis Rhys Aug 23 '10 at 10:06
up vote -1 down vote
How many foreign languages did Fatih Sultan Mehmet speak?
added by Mehper C. Palavuzlar Jul 11 '10 at 16:18
link
up vote -1 down vote
What are 5 reasons Hitler could rise to power?
added by webjunkie Jul 12 '10 at 17:32
link
1  
looks like a homework question, why does there have to be 5 reasons? – Louis Rhys Aug 24 '10 at 2:39
up vote -1 down vote
Where are some good sites where you can look at scans or read excerpts from primary source documents for <insert historical event here>?
added by kelleystar Jul 15 '10 at 14:56
link
up vote -1 down vote
Was it fair to establish the state of Israel?
added by FireAphis Sep 5 '10 at 13:09
link
Argumentative... Not a historical question... – Yacoder Sep 13 '10 at 20:09
Then it is a great example of off-topic question, isn't it? You can consult area51.stackexchange.com/faq in the "Off-topic questions are important, too" section :) – FireAphis Sep 15 '10 at 13:48
up vote -2 down vote
What are the legal consequences of ICC indictment of Omar al-Bashir? [closed]
added by SilentGhost Jun 23 '10 at 11:50
link

closed as off topic by kelleystar, Gaurav, Tea Drinker, RedBlueThing, Reznor Sep 11 '10 at 23:51

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

why is this not a good example? – SilentGhost Jul 18 '10 at 10:00
This is current affairs/law, not history. – Noldorin Jul 19 '10 at 7:35
It's called contemporary history – SilentGhost Jul 19 '10 at 10:44
up vote -3 down vote
What would have happened if <historical figure> had done <X> instead of <Y>? [closed]
added by Massimo Jun 10 '10 at 6:07
link

closed as off topic by mmyers, Robert Harvey, KennyTM, Firas Assaad, antony.trupe Jun 11 '10 at 21:12

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

3  
Off-topic: s/he didn't. – Massimo Jun 10 '10 at 6:08
4  
I think this actually is a good example of an off-topic question... – Massimo Jun 10 '10 at 14:41
2  
Agreed. It's interesting to speculate, but falls outside of the realm of history. It's more like historical fiction or alternate reality. – Artemis Jul 3 '10 at 16:28
1  
Where do we draw the line between speculation and counterfactual work? – naturalog Aug 16 '10 at 14:38
up vote -3 down vote
Where did the herb Basil originate?
added by Daniel Bingham Jun 17 '10 at 8:07
link
1  
This is more horticulture than history. I think it might be worth deciding whether this is about "All History in General", or "Human History". – orokusaki Jun 18 '10 at 15:07
@orokusaki Well, but the cultivation and migration of plants plays into human history. What crops were raised by what cultures and societies can have a big impact on that society. Knowing that the potato was original from South America, but was brought back to the old world and became the staple crop in many places is absolutely human history. I would argue the same applies to basil and various herbs. – Daniel Bingham Jun 20 '10 at 12:52
1  
I think there's a difference between basil and potatoes because of the significance of, say, the Irish Potato Famine. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I can' remember a significant historical event concerning basil. This might be too specific. Should we have a separate site for doctorate level history research? (i.e. ridiculously focused) – Artemis Jul 3 '10 at 16:47
@Artemis Except the whole point of an SE site is to attract the experts, and the experts are those who would be doing doctorate level historical research. – Daniel Bingham Jul 5 '10 at 2:56
1  
Perhaps we could rephrase this to say "What is the first documented use of basil in cooking? What culture began using basil in its diet?"? – kelleystar Jul 26 '10 at 14:32
up vote -3 down vote
What were the main causes of the Civil War?
added by forefinger Jul 7 '10 at 6:16
link
4  
the Civil War? as in Ugandan Civil War, of course? – SilentGhost Jul 7 '10 at 9:39
up vote -3 down vote
What caused the oil spill in the gulf of Mexico? [closed]
added by webjunkie Jul 12 '10 at 17:30
link

closed as off topic by Tea Drinker, Gaurav, Yacoder, RedBlueThing, Reznor Sep 11 '10 at 23:51

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

up vote -3 down vote
Why did the old world become more advanced (technologically) than the new world?
added by Louis Rhys Aug 22 '10 at 10:50
link
2  
The only problem with this is that the answer would be too long - it would have to start with a critical analysis of "Guns, Germs and Steel" and then continue with a literature review of the mass of commentary since Jared Diamond's book was published. – Richard Gadsden Sep 6 '10 at 16:43
there is no short/summary answer for this? but the poster cannot be blamed for asking this, right? I mean how could he have know that the answer would be too long – Louis Rhys Sep 8 '10 at 2:25
up vote -4 down vote
Was the system and society of the Roman Empire flawed from the time the Republic was overthrown or did it only become doomed subsequently?
added by Noldorin Jul 17 '10 at 13:01
link
and how do you suppose this question could be answered? – SilentGhost Jul 18 '10 at 10:02
As any historical question could, with evidence and reasoning? – Noldorin Jul 18 '10 at 12:41
well, clearly, Roman Empire was doomed from its very inception. does this answer your question? – SilentGhost Jul 18 '10 at 14:25
1  
Don't be dense. – Noldorin Jul 18 '10 at 15:29
2  
It's not a well-formed question. Was it flawed? Yes, of course, all systems and societies are flawed. Was it doomed from the start? What do you mean by "doomed"? The Empire lasted centuries (how many depending on whether you're counting the Eastern part as Roman); how many societies last that long? – David Thornley Jul 23 '10 at 17:05
show 5 more comments
up vote -7 down vote
Why is Spain so good it won the 2010 FIFA world cup?
added by webjunkie Jul 12 '10 at 17:35
link
1  
The why part makes it not a good question. Who won FIFA world cup is a historical fact, why is open for arguments and speculation. Unless the expected answer is "because the have beaten Netherlands in last game .. " – Miro A. Jul 12 '10 at 20:35
up vote -9 down vote
How will we know which history is correct when the time machine gets invented?
added by Juan Manuel, edited by Binoj Antony Jun 30 '10 at 10:31
link
Can't vote it because it's not really a great on-topic or off-topic examples, but this one really made me laugh :-D – Massimo Jun 10 '10 at 13:24
1  
The one that voted NAGE has no sense of humor. None. At. All. – Juan Manuel Jun 10 '10 at 14:21
This question assumes the b-theory of time is correct. – Jonathan Sampson Jun 10 '10 at 16:09
Would it be better suited for area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/1908/physics or for area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/4451/…? – Massimo Jun 10 '10 at 17:05
1  
Not sure it's a good example, but it does raise interesting questions about the nature of history and how it is recorded, communicated and retained by man-kind and all the inevitable chinese-whispers, misinformation and 'editing' that occurs. What really happened will always vary from what we think happened in the past - but by what degree? – bochgoch Jun 23 '10 at 8:54
show 2 more comments
up vote -11 down vote
How many songs did the `history` album from MJ have? [closed]
added by Binoj Antony Jun 17 '10 at 10:06
link

closed as off topic by DustyD, amolbk, SilentGhost, riadd, Nikhil Garg Jun 30 '10 at 10:01

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

2  
Great off-topic examples should be related to history, not just include the word "history" like a bad search result. – Artemis Jul 3 '10 at 16:51
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