Questions tagged [18th-century]
The 18th century lasted from January 1, 1701 to December 31, 1800 in the Gregorian calendar.
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Recommended electronic versions of old public domain US history textbooks?
I realize it's common practice for historians use primary sources, but what I want is some old US history schoolbooks pre-copyright, say 1700-1900. Something high-school level or higher (i.e. not for ...
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1answer
245 views
Financing of the Continental Army vs. Legion of the United States/United States Army
As the concept of having a standing army gained acceptance, the Legion of the United States was raised which later became the United States Army. How was funding for this new army accomplished ? How ...
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3answers
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Did international politics drive the creation of American political parties?
Knowing how much early American statesmen disliked the idea of factions, it seems contradictory that parties were formed. Surely, something changed the minds of even the staunchest anti-faction ...
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Was there any restriction on private citizens owning cannons and other large weaponry in 17th, 18th and 19th century Europe? [closed]
Were there laws limiting what kind of guns a private citizen in Europe could own? Could John Doe go to a shop and commission a cannon to be made for his own personal use?
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Did California mission priests administer, not merely call for, corporal punishment?
California missions were staffed by a Franciscan priest or two, and a half a dozen soldiers. The former addressed spiritual and administrative concerns and the latter established physical security for ...
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1answer
770 views
Six pregnant maidens from Kamchatka
Yuri Semyonov's history "The Conquest of Siberia: An Epic of Human Passions" says:
Journeys to Siberia were always measured in years. In an old book the author, in order to make clear how ...
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1answer
120 views
Is there a difference between original 1768-71 and 1968-71 facsimile of 1st edition Encyclopaedia Brittanica
I was browsing a second hand book store and stumbled upon a 1968 facsimile of the 1768 1st edition Encyclopaedia Brittanica.
I am aware that a facsimile is an exact replica, but I still assumed that ...
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1answer
284 views
Around 1750, How many Native Americans (if any) spent the winter in the Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan?
This is the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan:
I've been reading about it's history during the colonial era. Apparently the Native Americans mined copper from this area because there were great copper ...
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2answers
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Who were the chief executives of the United States in the thirteen years before George Washington? [duplicate]
Fully thirteen years passed after the Declaration of Independence before George Washington became President—first under Congress, then under the Articles of Confederation. It's a famous trivia fact ...
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2answers
820 views
With what weapons were the towers of the Bastille armed?
I am researching the Bastille for a project in which I have to depict the Royal soldiers that stood on the towers during the French Revolution. Specifically, I am looking for the types of weapons ...
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1answer
250 views
18th-century land surveyors Valentine and Collins
These gentlemen are not to be confused with the 21st-century football players.
The Peace Treaty of 1783 between the United States and Britain said that a big part of the boundary between Quebec and ...
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284 views
How were settlers' houses in Kamchatka built?
As Imperial Russia settled Kamchatka, how did the new arrivals build their houses? Was construction identical to that of Siberia or were local adaptations made?
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Has a book ever secretly been written with gold ink?
I heard a story that goes as follows:
A prospector struck gold and didn't want to share. So this man was trying to hide his gold from all of his other partners. The story says that he melted the gold ...
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83 views
What other writings from the Constitutional Convention corroborate or dispute the definition of the duties of electors in Federalist Papers #68?
Is anyone here familiar with the details of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 enough to know if any of the actual participants of that event left any writings that either corroboration or dispute ...
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1answer
618 views
Why is the US Independent in 1776 but the first President isn't inaugurated until 1789? [closed]
I'm reading a book1 covering the events around The Independence of United States from Britain, which happened on 4th July in 1776. However, the first US president was George Washington and he was in ...
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1answer
575 views
Is there any documentation on the creation of Article 1 Section II of the US constitution
I'm doing some personal research on the electoral college as it has been becoming more and more relevant in modern US elections. I've seen tons of people talking about how it was designed to protect ...
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2answers
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How long would it take to travel from England to the colonies in the early 1700s?
I am working on a history project for school and cannot seem to find information on the length of a journey on a ship from England to the Charleston area of South Carolina in the early 1700s (1730-...
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1answer
255 views
What was the Seven Years' War about? [closed]
I have become obsessed with the history of France and no one can deny that the Seven Years' War was a very important war to their history, but until the more popular wars of the last few centuries, ...
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1answer
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Why wasn't sauerkraut used to combat scurvy?
While reading about age of sail, I've read about scurvy and how it was 'cured' by 'acidity' of citrus. It come to my mind - why didn't they try to use sauerkraut? It seems that it should be more ...
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18th-century understanding of the word “colony?”
In 1750 there were thirteen British "colonies" on the east coast of North America. If I'm not mistaken, the words "colony" and "province" were both used at the time to refer to any of those.
Today ...
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2answers
169 views
1785 state [sic — see the postscript below] census of Vermont?
In 1785 Vermont was a de-facto independent country that was unrecognized largely because the government of New York adamantly insisted that Vermont was legally part of New York (as King George III had ...
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0answers
125 views
What is the difference between a Russian serf and an American slave? [duplicate]
What were the legal and practical differences between say a Russian or Hungarian serf in the 18th century and an American Slave at the same time?
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1answer
347 views
Reconstructing historic tide tables
I'm researching an event which occurred between mid-1794 and early 1796, but probably 1795; the even happened at a major English port with American shipping and a Royal Navy ship repair yard.
I ...
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0answers
152 views
How did 18th-century gubernatorial elections in Vermont compare to similar elections in other states?
In an disorganized way I have been reading various things about the 18th-century history of Vermont and I wondered whether their way of choosing and installing governors was unique, or the same as ...
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2answers
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How long did it take to sail from Philadelphia to Boston in the 1700s?
How long did it usually take to sail from Philadelphia to Boston in the 1700s? I've been able to find lots of sources talking about sailing time between England and the colonies, but I haven't found ...
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3answers
265 views
Earning a living from teaching chess in 18-19th century England
Would it be possible for a common class person to teach chess or sciences to nobles during the Industrial Revolution? I think higher classes would be disgusted by the idea of a commoner teaching them, ...
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1answer
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What was the Seven Years War called at first?
When the Seven Years War broke out, obviously they had no idea how long it would last. What did Europeans call this war at first?
I know that in the North American Theater, it was called the French ...
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1answer
185 views
What were the largest European Treasuries, in gold and silver, at the end of the Seven Years War?
From a related question, I'm now looking to compare the size of European Treasuries as they existed at the end of the Seven Years War (1763).
I'm only interested in gold and silver that existed in ...
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1answer
217 views
At the end of the Seven Years War, what was the total amount of gold and silver in Britain?
The Seven Years War ended in 1763. At that time, how much gold and silver existed inside Britain?
This would include the British Treasury as well as any personal gold/silver of the nobility and ...
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2answers
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What was the price of a horse around 1750?
I'm looking for the average price of a horse, in British Pounds, around the year 1750. I'm interested in draft horses (they pull carts), not riding horses, but the difference in price between those ...
7
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1answer
294 views
Where did the French National Constituent Assembly meet on August 4, 1789?
Where did the National Constituent Assembly decide to abolish feudalism?
I read that the National Constituent Assembly did not meet in a specific place. Therefore I want to know where they met in ...
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4answers
393 views
Was Fredrick the Great considered a strong military leader or was it all because of the superior officers that came out of Prussia at the time?
Was all the military success due to Fredrick II's strategic ability or was it due to his commanders During his reign 1740-1786
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Earliest Born Photographed Person
I recently came across an image of the well known daguerrotype of President Andrew Jackson taken in 1845. It lead me to wonder what is the earliest born photographed person. Andrew Jackson was born in ...
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Why did the United States under the Articles of Confederation have a hard time getting funding?
I see it written in many sources (examples: 1 and 2) that the central government under the Articles of Confederation could only "request" funds from the states. But the text of the Articles seems ...
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1answer
1k views
Was 18th century Prussia really so militarily obsessed?
I'm reading A Military History of Germany by Martin Kitchen, and I was surprised at the description of 18th century Prussia.
The country is described as a North-Korea like military obsessed nation, ...
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1answer
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What motivated revolutionary France to declare war on Britain in 1793?
France declared war on Britain in 1793 (War of First Coalition). What was its motivation for declaring war? It was already at war with many European powers at the moment, and it was not likely in a ...
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1answer
636 views
Why was the Cornish Militia stationed in Devon in late 18th Century?
On Genealogy & Family History SE, I asked a question about Finding late 18th Century service record of Francis Green in Cornish Militia?, and it looks like it will need a degree of luck to find ...
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1answer
228 views
Contracted Trade in the 18th century
I'm trying to get an understanding of how trade worked in the 18th century. I'm trying to learn how trade was conducted so I can make a realistic game. I'm struggling to find a good source for the ...
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0answers
249 views
How was Virginia transformed from a society with slaves, to a slave society? [closed]
Not sure what the main answer to this question.
I know Bacon's rebellion changed the lives of many poor whites with no land.
Also, there were the slave laws which I need to do more research on.
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Why was slavery profitable in the Southern colonies and not New England?
Why didn't Colonists in New England import massive numbers of Slaves?
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Why did the line infantry not use shields in the 18th century?
Why did soldiers in the line infantry in the 18th century not used shield as protection against the fire from the other line infantry ?
I have seen that line infantry was used this way where the one ...
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1answer
172 views
What were the borders of Egypt from 1798 to 1803?
It's very hard for me to find the borders for French Egypt during the time of Napoleon 1798-1803.
Specially the southern borders of Egypt where did they go?
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1answer
183 views
During/After the Napoleonic occupation of the Germanic Rhinelands, what happened to the currency in the area?
Did Napoleon bring the French Francs over, or did the (many) local currencies remain in use? I understood that the area's tolls on the river were unified, but have a hard time imagining how exactly ...
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290 views
Why did Peter the Great tie particular expenditures to particular revenue sources?
Peter the Great founded the Russian Academy in 1724. In his decree, he says the Academy will be supported by an annual grant of 25,000 rubles drawn from the custom tolls of Baltic Sea ports. (source)
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In the late 18th century, would any of the southwestern area of Germany used Franks instead of their own currency?
While looking up family history I found an old German marriage document which specified a dowry of "1000 Franks." With that, the families in question were from the Suggental/Waldkirch area in what is ...
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3answers
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Did the increase of slavery in the US bring an end to indentured servitude?
In the development of the New World, indentured servitude was quite common for passage across the Atlantic. Did the increase in slavery in America, especially in Virginia and other similar ...
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Did any nation have a demonstrable qualitative advantage in their soldiers of the 18th century, and how did they achieve this?
I once read in a primary source that whilst the Prussians had the best drilled regiments who were able to fire 4 shots a minute to everyone else's standard of 3. Comparatively, British Redcoats were ...
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1answer
560 views
Ports Used by French Navy in 1792 and Strength of Fleet
I am currently writing series of young adult novels about the European Conflicts beginning in 1792.
Where were the major and minor French Navy ports and yards, and what was the relative strength of ...
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How did the central government of the United States finance itself under the Articles of Confederation?
The Congress of the Confederation couldn't levy taxes. State governments were the ones with the power to control commerce with other states and nations even. It also has the power to levy tax.
If ...
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1answer
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Need help interpreting “silver” hallmark - 1706?
I'm looking for some assistance in interpreting the silver hallmark in the image below. EPNS tells us it's not real silver, could 1706 really be the true date with that in mind? What does the shell-...
