Questions tagged [19th-century]
The 19th century began on January 1, 1801, and ended on December 31, 1900.
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Why was the Ottoman flag changed from an eight-pointed star to five-pointed in the 19th century?
According to Wikipedia, alongside the crescent, the flag of the Ottoman empire had an eight-pointed star until 1844 or so, when the star was changed to five points.
It seems the eight-pointed star was ...
2
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0answers
147 views
Did the Duke of Cambridge wear rouge?
I'm looking for evidence that the Prince George, Duke of Cambridge - Queen Victoria's cousin and the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army - enhanced his complexion by the judicious and semi-discreet ...
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2answers
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How long was a sea journey from England to East Africa 1868-1877?
I'm trying to find out how long the sea journey took from England to East Africa in the period 1868-1877. One source I've found suggests something like 3 months earlier in the 1860s. It mentions a ...
2
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0answers
331 views
Are the coal mining revenue provided in the “Gentleman Jack” realistic for 1830s?
The "Gentleman Jack" series is based on the diaries of Anne Lister - a XIX century woman, often declared as "first modern lesbian" (the "gentleman" is apparently a slur, ...
2
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3answers
361 views
What was the route for ships from England to South Africa in 1840?
I am writing a piece that requires me to understand the route that ships would have taken from Liverpool to Cape Town in the 1840s. What I have not been able to ascertain is whether the ships would ...
5
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1answer
151 views
How to track down a Spanish/Latin American soldier that fought in wars internationally (18th/19th century)?
The details are scant, but I hope it's enough to get the community interested and a clear answer emerge (there can't be that many people who fit the bill?).
I read a long time ago about a famous ...
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2answers
190 views
Can you identify this US Army uniform?
This is my great-grandfather. I would like to know what he did in the Army. Can you identify whether he was infantry or cavalry?
6
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2answers
889 views
When was the first full length book sent over telegraph?
When was the first full length book sent over telegraph?
or
What was the longest message sent over telecommunications before 1900?
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0answers
54 views
Can you identify this European uniform or awards?
This is my great great grandfather. I am having trouble identifying the uniform. It should be from around 1860-1890 ish. It would be from a German speaking country. The story that was passed down was ...
6
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2answers
286 views
What is this military uniform from the 1870s?
This is a Tintype photo from around 1860 to 1870 time period. I don't know what country this comes from. The photo was discovered in the United States with a group of pictures tracing a German ...
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0answers
106 views
Could a person in Victorian UK be in charge of their own money at 18 years old?
Could a male or female in Victorian UK be in charge of his or her own money at 18 years old? (Circa 1888) Could a legal guardian argue in court that since the age of majority was 21, he should be in ...
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2answers
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Did “music pendants” exist in the 1800s/early 1900s?
I watched somebody play a video game recently (Maid of Sker) which is a period horror set in the late 1800s, and in it there is an object that caught my attention.
They call it a "music pendant&...
3
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1answer
219 views
Why is the Amazon rubber boom said to have started in 1879?
According to Amazon Rubber Boom
From the beginning of the second half of the 19th century, rubber began to exert a strong attraction to visionary entrepreneurs. The activity of latex extraction in ...
3
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1answer
121 views
Why did Burgers' Transvaal try to build rail east?
According to shanskraal,
[Thomas Burgers, president of the Transvaal Republic] considered a railway link with the non-British port of Delagoa Bay (Maputo) as essential for the economic survival of ...
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0answers
61 views
What decided the First Sekhukhune War?
I'm trying to find out more about the First Sekhukhune War, and in particular exactly how and why Sekhukhune won. As wars in historical times go, it seems to be very sparsely documented. Here's what I ...
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97 views
To what extent was the US government financed by land expropriations between 1790 and 1846?
How significant was land expropriation as a source of US federal, state, and local government revenue between 1790 and 1846?
I chose 1846 as the breakpoint because of the Walker Tariff; feel free to ...
0
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1answer
42 views
How can I evaluate the relative fiscal burden on different groups in the US, for various periods between 1790 and 1846?
What are some good ways to evaluate the relative burden of government finance on different groups in the US, for various periods between 1790 and 1846? I'm especially interested in state and local ...
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0answers
96 views
How significant were government-linked enterprises as a source of revenue for the United States between 1790 and 1846?
What proportion of US government (federal,state,local) revenue came from profits or debt issuance of government-linked enterprises between 1790 and 1846?
I chose 1846 as the breakpoint because of the ...
2
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1answer
189 views
How realistic is the food consumption in Astrid Lindgrens 'Emil of Lönneberga' books?
The books take place on a small rural farm in Smaland in Sweden. I don't think it is spelled out exactly what time period it takes place but I would put it around 1830 to 1850. If someone has some ...
2
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0answers
108 views
Were there any missing opera actresses in Paris between 1881 - 1910?
As you might have guessed (or maybe not), my question was merely risen by the mystery of the Opera Ghost, from the Phantom of The Opera written by Gaston Leroux.
I have been all over the internet in ...
34
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4answers
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What is this symbol in a financial record from Wisconsin, USA, in 1860?
I am trying to read some records about wages in Wisconsin in 1860 (the data is from the Social Statistics schedules of the Decennial Census). I cannot read the record from Milton, Rock County, ...
3
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1answer
246 views
Why did wagons in the frontier era travel at night?
I'm currently reading 'The diamond diggings of South Africa' by Charles Payton, a first-hand account of a visit to the diamond mines in 1871.
On page 80 it says
For the first fortnight from leaving ...
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1answer
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Why did Teddy Roosevelt have his second wedding in London? [closed]
Theodore Roosevelt married Edith Carow in 1886 at St George's, Hanover Square, London
Both of them were New Yorkers being raised at Union Square.
At the time of his marriage he was just reentering NY ...
28
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1answer
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Why were diamond mining plots 31-foot squares?
The Kimberley diamond mine, one of the richest in the world, was discovered in 1871, setting off a rush by hopeful miners. In The South African Diamond Fields, and a Journey to the Mines the author ...
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1answer
96 views
What was the available transport to Kimberley in 1871?
The DeBeers diamond company was not actually named for the founders, but for two farmers who discovered diamonds on their land in 1871, and sold the farm to be developed into a diamond mine, the place ...
8
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1answer
95 views
How difficult was Muraviev's amassing of troops for the forcing of the Treaty of Aigun, and what effects on development did it have?
I'm reading an account of the Trans-Siberian Railways' construction, and what was interesting was the poor level of development in Siberia, including that roads were very limited and transport ...
5
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0answers
86 views
What did a 19th century New Orleans Yellow Fever immunity passport look like?
In response to proposals for a so-called "immunity passport" system to be developed so that people who have recovered from COVID-19 can return to life as usual (without being subject to ...
2
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0answers
109 views
What did people do about kerosene lamp fires?
In the late nineteenth century, kerosene lamps were widely used for illumination. They were effective and affordable, though had the nontrivial disadvantage of being a significant fire hazard; a lamp ...
6
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1answer
122 views
How did mid-19th century American legislation affect the corporate structure of railroad companies?
It is my understanding that a part of the complexity that the Standard Oil Company built up was due to the nature of US corporate legislation (while, of course, the rest was that they wanted to hide ...
3
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1answer
143 views
Was a drop in standards of living a significant factor in the revolutions of 1848?
A lot ink has been expended discussing the revolutions of 1848 and their causes, only a small fraction of which I have read.
From my point of view, there seem to be two main schools of thought in ...
5
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1answer
236 views
Why was Napoleon so lenient to Austria?
Austria (unlike Prussia) "rebelled" against Napoleon during the War of the Fifth Coalition. After putting down this country (but not Spain, Portugal, and the U.K.), Napoleon allowed the ...
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2answers
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Was the name 'Valerie' used during the Regency Era (1811-1836)?
I am working on a novel that takes place in England during the Regency Era (1811-1836, the era right before the Victorian Era). I was wondering if you know if the name 'Valerie' or 'Valeria' existed ...
8
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1answer
266 views
How did encasillado work?
El Turno Pacifico alternated Conservative and Liberal rule of Spain during the Bourbon restoration. There were elections, but the practice of encasillado ensured "the outcome of elections was ...
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2answers
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How was the 1849 “Proclamation to the People of California” announcing the formation of a Constitution communicated to the people?
The images below appear to be an official copy of the 1849 Proclamation to the People of California announcing the formation of a Constitution. It is signed by Secretary of State Captain H.W. Halleck (...
0
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1answer
99 views
What was life like for Australian convicts in the last few decades of transportation?
What was life like for Australian convicts in the last few decades of transportation?
The last convict transportation arrived in 1868, what happened to convicts during this latter period? Were they ...
3
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1answer
184 views
Why did typesetting allegedly “make it difficult for illegal copiers”?
From the Wikipedia article Typesetting
One significant effect of typesetting was that authorship of works could be spotted more easily, making it difficult for copiers who have not gained permission.
...
23
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2answers
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What were the criteria for class ranking at West Point prior to the Civil War?
I was watching Grant on The History Channel last night, and it was mentioned that Robert E. Lee graduated second in his class, while Grant was in the middle*. They also made a point of pointing out ...
7
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1answer
758 views
How, where and when did Lily Pettigrew die?
Lily Pettigrew (born Lilian Pettigrew, on 25 Feb 1870, in Portsmouth in the UK) was a famous artist's model in turn-of-the-century London, alongside her equally famous sisters Hetty and Rose. She is ...
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Was it ever common practice to make “wax” seals out of bread (especially in the mid-1800s)?
In Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Purloined Letter", there is this quote in which a seal on a letter is replaced by bread:
D-- rushed to a casement, threw it open, and looked out. In the ...
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0answers
58 views
Why did Frederick VI claim the Haraldskær Woman was a Norwegian queen?
Frederick VI was the last king of Denmark-Norway. During his reign a woman’s well preserved body was discovered in a peat bog, and Frederick claimed it was that of Queen Gunnhild. Frederick’s ...
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2answers
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What ring is this?
I found this ring among my grandfather's things. (He would be in his late 90s, I think.) I tried to do a reverse image search on it, but could not identify it's origin. There are many eagles on the ...
5
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1answer
216 views
Did they really have individual telephone wires going from a central tower to each customer in Sweden in the late 1800s? [closed]
In 1887, they built this relatively high (45 meters) "telephone tower" in Stockholm. It was apparently built to hold the wires for all the telephone subscribers/customers in Stockholm. (On the photo, ...
2
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0answers
37 views
When did the defeated General José de la Cruz sail back to Spain?
José de la Cruz was a Spanish military commander in Mexico's wars of independence. He was finally defeated by his ex-subordinate, Pedro Celestino Negrete in Durango, just after the Treaty of Córdoba, ...
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49 views
What are some sources on college life in the second half of the 19th century USA
Could someone please direct me towards books (diaries, memoirs...) on college life (particularly dental colleges) in the USA in the second half of the 19th century (particularly 1870s)? Thank you!
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2answers
494 views
What did executioners do when not performing executions?
Almost all countries in the world had capital punishment at some point. I understand that in the military, the executioner/hangman would also be a soldier when he is not executing people, but what ...
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2answers
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What kind of canoes were used in 19th century Yucatán?
I’m specifically curious about seagoing canoes along the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the mid-1800’s. Were they still typically of the dugout variety, or had they evolved to canvas on a wood ...
12
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1answer
309 views
How effective was Civil War-era artillery in the rain?
How did rain effect cannon of the mid-19th century? Specifically the commonly fielded types like the 12-pounder Napoleon. Could they operate effectively and reliably in heavy rainfall?
I’ve been able ...
11
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1answer
417 views
Why have population maps indicated a stark divide in population density of the United States on either side ot the 100th Meridian? [closed]
Every time I look at a map of the United States coloured by something proportional to population density, I see a stark vertical line going from northeast North Dakota, through SD, NE, KS, OK, and ...
3
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1answer
229 views
How long would it take to sail from New Orleans to Belize in late Summer 1867?
I’m writing a story where the characters need to travel by sea from New Orleans to Belize. The event takes place in late Summer 1867. I need to figure out the following:
What route they would take
...
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Where can I learn about mortality rates for 19th century American sailors?
I would especially like to know the difference in survival rate for whalers versus merchant sailors in New England.
It seems to me that Melville discussed this in Moby Dick (which of course need ...
