Questions tagged [19th-century]
The 19th century began on January 1, 1801, and ended on December 31, 1900.
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Why was Panama Railroad in poor condition when US decided to build Panama Canal in 1904?
I had thought the Panama Canal was the cause of Panama Railroad's decline. But I found out that in 1904 when US government decided to build the Panama Canal, Panama Railroad was already in bad shape. ...
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Did the United States give something back when they received the Statue of Liberty?
To celebrate the centenial independence of the United States France gave it the Statue of Liberty in 1886. Did the United States gave something back at that time?
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Did "seedy" bars in the 19th-century and early 20th-century really stage mock-fights?
A trope that I have encountered several times in popular culture is where rich/fancy clients
visit a "seedy" bar frequented by among others prostitutes, sailors and criminals. Suddenly
a ...
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How common was holiday travel in Austria-Hungary?
How common was it to travel across different regions in Austria-Hungary for holiday trips? (e.g. people from Budapest to the beaches of Croatia)
If yes: How wealthy would have they been and what kind ...
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What kept the idea of a "German question" or unification in 19th Century Europe?
In 19th century Europe, there was such a thing as a "German question" i.e, how to achieve unification of all lands inhabited by Germans. What puzzles me is that, at that time, each of the ...
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How did they build tall and heavy stone buildings in the 19th century? [closed]
Lately, I've been watching these videos about how a lot of buildings allegedly built in the mid-to-late 19th century (1800s) look extremely old even on the photos taken when they were supposedly just ...
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How long did the 19th century Europe Grand Tour take?
I’m writing a story set it 1815 and I want it to be as close as possible to history.
I know the countries that were visited and the routes they took, but I will love to know how much time it took ...
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Was Prussia afraid of German unity during the first Schleswig War?
Engels once sustained that Prussia was afraid of German unity during the first Schleswig war. Is there any historical validity to this claim? This would be very interesting since only a decade later ...
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Bismarck urged not to hinder Russia from going deeper into the "oriental dead end." What did he mean by "oriental dead end?"
In his letter of 03 May 1888, Otto von Bismarck, the then-Chancellor of Germany, wrote to Prince Heinrich VII Reuß, the then-Ambassador of Germany to Austria-Hungary:
Durch einen Angriff auf das ...
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What medal is shown in this 19th-century Canadian picture?
I have a photo of a Canadian male ancestor from around 1885 (he is about 45 years old), who is wearing a medal (see photo). I am having trouble identifying what the medal is. The photo quality is not ...
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What was Iceland officially & commonly called before 1918 (1874~)?
In 1918, The Kingdom of Iceland was founded. In 1944, it changed to just Iceland.
I have researched about what Iceland was originally called, and apparently, it's first name was given to the person ...
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Is Edwin M. Stanton related to Elizabeth Cady Stanton?
After reading part of an American history book over the weekend, I have a frankly dumb question.
Is suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton related at all to Reconstruction-Era Secretary of War Edwin M. ...
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Why did France renounce its claim on St Paul and Amsterdam Islands?
Looking at the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, there is a group of islands called St. Paul and Amsterdam.
In the Amsterdam article, you can find this text:
The islands of Île Amsterdam and Île ...
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Which uniform is this soldier wearing?
I think this uniform could be from the hussars, possibly 1800s. I have examined pages from the Imperial War Museum but had no luck.
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Why are there 37 numbers on European roulette wheels?
A European roulette wheel contains the numbers 0 to 36. Who decided to put 37 numbers on a wheel, and why did they choose this number?
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Did the famous abolitionist Elihu Embree own slaves at the time of his death?
I was reading the first edition of The Emancipator, found here:
"THE EMANCIPATOR." Emancipator, 30 Apr. 1820, p. 1. Slavery
and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive
link.gale.com/apps/doc/...
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Is there any (other) record of white people being sold into slavery in America?
Awhile back I asked a question about a book The Boy John: Story of a White Slave written in 1897. The book tells the story of a white boy who was sold into slavery. His master made him stay outside ...
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Has old masonry been found with the bodies of slaves inside?
I was just reading the first edition of the The Emancipator on Gale's Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Database. One way to get access is through a Houston Public Library E-Card, which are ...
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Were "African levies" paid during the Hut Tax War of 1898?
The Hut Tax War of 1898 was fought largely between the British, supported by freed African, African-American, and Afro-Caribbean slaves, called the Creole trying to colonize Sierra Leone, and the ...
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How long would it take to travel from Missouri to South Africa in late 1890s?
I'm writing a novel set in U.S.A., Missouri, in 1895-1896. To be realistic, how long would it take at that time to travel from Missouri to South Africa (former Republic of Transvaal), in direct trip ...
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How common was it for archaeologists in past eras to believe in giants?
The past has involved many myths about the existence of giants. Various colonizers and travelers, for example, reported giants among the indigenous peoples of the Americas (eg "Giant Amerindians: ...
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What is/are the earliest first-hand account of a sex worker?
I was just reading Hell's Belles: Prostitution, Vice, and Crime in Early Denver by Clark Secrest. I can't find the part now (it's not that important), but he comments that we have no surviving diary ...
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Why didn't Semmelweis perform a simpler experiment, to stop all the anatomical work?
Levy wrote in his paper criticizing Semmelweis: "Why wasn't a simpler and more reliable experiment performed, to stop all the anatomical work?". That sounds like a reasonable argument to me. ...
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What patriotic music might have been popular for Independence Day in 1866?
I am on a search for American patriotic music that would have been performed at a New England (specifically, Portland, Maine) Independence Day celebration in 1866. I would like to find a list of ...
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Was the Tsar's property separated from state property in Russian Empire in early 19th century (regarding land)?
Was the Tsar's property on land separated from state property in Russian Empire in early 19th century? I mean, were there Tsar's serfs who were not state serfs?
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Did the influence of women in the Paris Commune affect future women's movements?
There is a lot of evidence that shows that women played an instrumental role in the Paris Commune of 1871 following the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. However, I do not seem to find any information ...
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Is the sword stance in Like a Dragon: Ishin where swordsmen place their palm flat against the hilt a style of Tennen Rishin-ryū? [closed]
In the video game Like A Dragon: Ishin, a major plot point is finding information about the Tennen Rishin style practiced by members of the Shinsengumi during the Bakumatsu period (1853-1867) in Japan....
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"We, who've been connected by blood to Prussia's throne and people since Düppel"
I was listening to an old German song on Youtube and heard the following mysterious lines:
wir, die seit Düppel durch des Blutes Bande
an Preußens Thron und Volk gekettet sind
My translation of ...
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When was Red Sea rig introduced into British Royal Navy?
Red Sea rig is a mess dress uniform variant. It is used by some naval officers in the (UK) Royal Navy and other navies, that inherited its traditions (Canadian, Indian, ...). In general, it is similar ...
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What are this tunic and badge?
Can anyone identify this tunic and badge from the mid 1800’s. Similar to a Doggett Coat and Badge but isn’t. I assume it relates to London.
The tunic and badge is shown in the picture and what ...
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What was the first health insurance company in America?
I wrote this question after searching “health insurance” on the Library of Congress’s, online Chronicling America collection, and finding an early health insurance company. When I Googled to ask what ...
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Who were the nine founding railroad members of the Chicago union stock yard? [closed]
All nine of the founding railroad companies of the Chicago stock yard. All presidents of the founding members during this time (1864)
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Why was it tradition to offer 'half-baked cake' to departing students?
According to my copy of The Annotated Christmas Carol by Michael Patrick Hearn, it was traditional for schoolmasters to offer leaving students home-made wine and half-baked cake.
Here he produced a ...
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How did muzzle-loaded rifled artillery solve the problems of the hand-held rifle?
I'm specifically interested in muzzle-loading rifle artillery, so no smoothbores and no breach-loaders. The period I'm interested in is roughly 1820 - 1860, for both the army and navy.
But first I ...
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Where did France build up its fleet in 1805-1814?
I was reading about The Battle of Trafalgar and found this interesting section about the consequences:
Napoleon instituted a large-scale shipbuilding programme that had produced a fleet of 80 ships ...
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What is "chaud melee"?
I believe this question could be asked in either the English Language, Legal, or History stack, but I believe the historical aspect of this question is, by far, the most interesting, and I think will ...
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Why did the Chicago Sanitary and Shipping Canal take a much longer route to the Des Plaines River?
So reading about the the Chicago Sanitary and Shipping Canal, you can see on the map that the route travels about 15 miles parallel to the Des Plaines River.
I've been trying to find out why. This ...
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What were the goals of the lesser powers in the Congress of Vienna 1814-1815?
Going into the Congress of Vienna, the Great Powers (usually defined as Great Britain, France, Russia, Austria, and Prussia) had many goals in mind of what they wanted out of the negotiations. In fact,...
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What laws governed the Punjab under British rule during the Board of Administration between 1849 and 1853?
Given that the Indian Penal Code wasn't introduced until 1860 and then later the Punjab Laws Act of 1872 I am trying to gain a better understanding of the laws governing the Punjab under British rule ...
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Was there really a navy officer named Picard at the Battle of Trafalgar?
Was there a high ranked French navy officer who fought at the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21st 1805, and had a last name Picard?
In the film Star Trek Generations, the fictional character Jean-Luc ...
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Was Latin widely spoken by European diplomats in the late 19th century?
If a diplomat from Germany were to attempt to speak Latin with foreign diplomats, would it be feasible that the other party would understand his Latin? Would Latin be commonly understood by diplomats ...
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Did the Chinese aim guns above ships in 19th century?
I have read some things that don't seem true about the Chinese opposing English and other western forces during the 19th century and early 20th. What seems to be true is that China was very aware of ...
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What was a plausible timetable for a train journey across Europe in 1870?
I'm writing historical fiction set in 1870 (June, some weeks before the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war) in which some of the protagonists are traveling by train across Europe, from Calais to ...
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Did soldiers wear helmets in the 19th century? [closed]
When trying to do research in military history, I got interested in 19th century warfare. I know that they wore a lot of hats back then, but did they also wear helmets? I know that helmets existed at ...
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Date of birth and the date of death of Marguerite-Claudine Legendre?
What is the date of birth and the date of death of Marguerite-Claudine Legendre, a wife of Adrien-Marie Legendre (1752-1833)? Adrien-Marie Legendre is a famous French mathematician.
According to a ...
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Where is Victor Puiseux's grave located?
Where is Victor-Alexandre Puiseux buried?
He was a famous French mathematician. According to available information, he died in Frontenay, a very small village France in 1883.
Here are his wiki links ...
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Where is Ernst Kummer's grave located?
Where is Ernst Kummer buried?
He was a famous mathematician, he died in 1893.
I tried a search on the findagrave website, but there is no entry for his name. I also tried some ancestry and genealogy ...
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Where is Édouard Lucas' grave?
Where is buried Édouard Lucas?
He was a famous French mathematician, he died in 1891 in Paris, France.
His full name is: François-Édouard-Anatole Lucas
I tried a search on the findagrave website, but ...
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How did one get accepted into university in 19th century England?
So, here's all I (believe to) know on this topic and some follow up questions:
Only the more wealthy (upper and middle class) did have the resources to send their offspring (of course mostly only the ...
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What was a turf rick in Ireland, circa 1833?
I was reading old newspapers when I came across this:
The bit I am wondering about is the part that says "was at a turf rick for some turf". Googling "turf rick", brings up a ...
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