Questions tagged [united-states]
The United States of America is a sovereign state stretching across North America between Canada and Mexico, Alaska in the continent's northwest, the mid-Pacific archipelago of Hawaii and several territories in the Pacific & Caribbean. Founded by European émigrés rebelling from British control in the 1700s, the US spread across the continent by conquest and land-purchase to become the most powerful country on the planet after the Cold War in the 1900s.
1,490
questions
1
vote
0
answers
113
views
When did putting the last name first become popular in filing?
Preliminary research: A Google search turned up nothing, and I'm not sure where to begin exactly.
When did it become popular to file away folders based on last name first? Has this long been the case, ...
- 101
1
vote
0
answers
51
views
How adamant/sustained was George F. Kennan's opposition to the [creation of the] UN?
Wikipedia's page on George F. Kennan says that he
warned against U.S. participation and reliance on multilateral, legalistic and moralistic organizations such as the United Nations.
(Citing a review ...
- 4,491
1
vote
1
answer
1k
views
Need help to identify this circa WW1, American uniform
My great grandfather disappeared in 1930 and the only record I have of him is these photos. He fathered my grandmother in 1914 in Australia and had a second family in the late 1920's. I have only just ...
8
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Where is the other surviving chest from the Boston Tea Party?
A web site dicussing the Boston Tea Party has the following paragraph:
Two hundred thirty-nine years later, young John’s find, one of only
two known surviving tea chests from the Boston Tea Party, ...
14
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Where did the so-called "Japanese Skulls" end up?
I have read that there was a disturbingly common practice of American soldiers in the Pacific theater of WWII to take the skulls of dead Japanese soldiers as trophies to take home, give to girlfriends,...
- 121
5
votes
0
answers
595
views
Was United Fruit Company connected to the Rockefeller family?
Was United Fruit Company connected to or controlled by the Rockefeller family?
Wikipedia says:
The directors of United Fruit Company (UFCO) had lobbied to convince the Truman and Eisenhower ...
- 1
0
votes
0
answers
110
views
Why did Women's Day never really catch on in the US, even though it started there?
The roots of International Women's Day (March 8th) go all the way back to New York City in 1909 and the Socialist Party of America. However, from what I have learned the International Women's Day is ...
- 114k
0
votes
1
answer
74
views
Are there some concrete examples of the pre-1962 Soviet complaints in re CORONA spy satellites?
According to Pat Norris' book Spies in the Sky (p. 111)
until the first successful Zenit flight in summer 1962 the Soviets complained bitterly to America about the CORONA flights.
However he does ...
- 4,491
0
votes
0
answers
65
views
When was the official cover of Project Genetrix abandoned? Did the Soviets show (or threaten to show) any of the balloons' equipment?
I've read the Wikipedia page on Project_Genetrix (and one of its sources) but one aspect that's not clear to me is when the official cover the project was abandoned. According to the declassified ...
- 4,491
5
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Has anyone ever been punished for Project MK-ULTRA?
So I've been looking into what MK-ULTRA is, and recently a scary question has came to mind. That question being, has anyone been punished for the events of MK-ULTRA? By punished, I don't mean a slap ...
- 1
9
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Why does the Navy’s army need its own air force (U.S. Marine Corps)?
A recent interview by C-SPAN host Brian Lamb with Washington Post staff writer Rajiv Chandrasekaran touched on many controversial issues of the F-35 acquisition program where evidently a lot of pork ...
MCW♦
- 31.7k
15
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Did Edith Wilson influence the passage of the 19th Amendment?
Edith Wilson handled her husband Woodrow Wilson's presidential business, heavily so, after his stroke until the end of his term. As
"In My Memoir, published in 1939, Edith Wilson justified her ...
- 114k
14
votes
3
answers
4k
views
In what ways was the Gold Confiscation Act of 1933 beneficial/detrimental to Americans?
On March 9, 1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) called Congress in for an emergency session, which would result in the speedy passing of the Gold Confiscation Act. According to FDR's Executive Order (...
- 1,838
0
votes
0
answers
76
views
Were the alleged CIA attempts to set up an economic spy ring in Japan in the 1980s disclosed in the Japanese press at the time?
According Brad Williams' book Japanese Foreign Intelligence, which also has a chapter (#2) on CIA's activities in spying on Japan, the CIA tried their hand at economic & tech spying on Japan in ...
- 4,491
2
votes
1
answer
167
views
Do We Know 100% of the Victims of 9/11?
The 9/11 Memorial contains nearly 3,000 names for the victims of 9/11. However, based on a news article on September 7, 2021, there are still 1,106 victims of 9/11 who have not yet been identified.
...
- 11.2k
1
vote
0
answers
57
views
How is "Jones series" used in the National Archives Office of Strategic Services records?
I was looking around on the National Archives' website in their World War II archives and came across Records of the Office of Strategic Services 1940-1946 (RG 226). One of the contents of the records ...
- 1,564
2
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Were there hippies in the USA in 1930?
I was wondering if there were hippies or a group with similar worldviews, around 1930 in Chicago or in general in the USA. I would also be interested in their worldview / philosophy. Are they ...
- 129
1
vote
2
answers
476
views
Is it true that the A10 gun was made less accurate on purpose?
I heard that the engineers that worked on the A-10 modified the gun to increase its spread. Supposedly because it was very hard for the pilot to keep the gun perfectly on target, and with higher ...
- 902
15
votes
8
answers
100k
views
Why have officers in the U.S. army tended to "top out" at the level of Major?
In the U.S. army, something like 75%-80% of newly-commissioned Second Lieutenants are promoted to First Lieutenant (around age 25), perhaps 75%-80% of First Lieutenants are promoted to Captain (ages ...
- 1,907
38
votes
3
answers
138k
views
Were there large scale protests after earlier presidential elections in the US?
After the elections (of Donald Trump as US President in 2016) there were many news reports of large-scale, mass protests throughout the US, for example:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2016/...
- 30.3k
14
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Who presided over the election and swearing in of the first Speaker of the House?
The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is elected by the incoming members of the House at the start of each new Congress. House rules stipulate that this election is presided by the Clerk ...
- 471
4
votes
2
answers
327
views
What did anti-Greek stereotyping look like in the United States in the early 20th century?
I am writing a story that is set in the 1920s. Several of the characters in the story are either immigrants from southern or eastern Europe (e.g., Greece, Italy) or their children, and I'm trying to ...
MCW♦
- 31.7k
5
votes
2
answers
496
views
Which military uniforms are shown in these photos?
It's a large tintype. He was in the 5th Infantry and the 16th Infantry. He joined the Army in 1858 and in 1869 then joined the Navy and was aboard the U.S.S. Lancaster until 1871. (Ignore the 1858 ...
CommunityBot
- 1
5
votes
0
answers
153
views
How did the tomato become the iconic pin cushion design?
When I was growing up, my mother had a pin cushion shaped and colored like a tomato. I recently discovered that my wife's grandmother has one too, which led me to discover that tomato pin cushions are ...
- 171
3
votes
1
answer
96
views
What police department served the Kenwood neighborhood in Chicago in 1907?
Today it's the 2nd District Police Department on Wentworth, but the building is new. Can anyone tell me (or recommend sources that might tell me) where the nearest police department was at the turn of ...
- 4,101
1
vote
0
answers
129
views
What promises were not fulfilled (meaning were not done) in the Indian Removal Act?
I was genuinely wondering what promises were actually fulfilled in the Indian Removal Act. Out of these, it would be especially nice if I could find out whether the 2nd and 8th one were actually ...
- 11
1
vote
3
answers
333
views
Did people attempt to repair their television sets themselves back in the day and die from it?
I have a big 1989 CRT TV which I'm both in love with and genuinely fear. It recently took me extreme precautions just to eventually dare to open it up (after being unplugged for a long time) and just ...
- 111
16
votes
0
answers
251
views
How long, historically speaking, did it take to tally and report the vote?
I am trying to get an idea of how long it may have taken American states to tally and report election results in days of yore---e.g., late 1700s till the civil war. I know the telegraph was used to ...
- 101
5
votes
2
answers
612
views
What was the difference between a WWII Engineer General Service Regiment and a Service Unit?
In the WWII era was there an organizational relationship between an "Engineer General Service Regiment" (EGSR) and a "Service Unit" ? I have items from both the 1303rd Engineering General Service ...
MCW♦
- 31.7k
2
votes
2
answers
461
views
Did the US promise to save Romania from the Soviets?
Around and after the end of WW2, many Romanians believe that "the Americans are coming" to save us from the Soviet takeover. There is a belief that promises were made at high levels to ...
- 13.4k
15
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Why did this anti-communist pamphlet, from the USA in the 1950s, include UNESCO among its targets?
The English language Wikipedia article on McCarthyism includes an image of an "anti-communist" pamphlet, apparently from the 1950s:
I was intrigued by point 4:
RIGHT NOW films are being ...
0
votes
2
answers
115
views
Why did Associate justice Black speak of a Pyrrhic victory?
At the end of the case Beauharnais vs Illinois, the Associate Justice Black said:
In his dissenting opinion, Associate Justice Black quoted Pyrrhus of Epirus by alluding to the term Pyrrhic victory: &...
- 1,961
2
votes
0
answers
73
views
Did Washington ever impose any sort of investment ban on Nazi germany?
There is archived coverage about multinational companies, headquartered in the US, that have had operations in Nazi Germany, like here. While these multinationals appear to have received some public ...
- 215
8
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Why did the US Navy and Marine Corps use satanic symbolism in WW2?
When you look at certain names and symbols used by the U.S. Navy (USN) and the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) during WW2, you could see they are heavily loaded with satanic symbols. You have the F6F Hellcat ...
- 4,116
10
votes
1
answer
901
views
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 ...
- 4,101
1
vote
3
answers
155
views
Were there universities that treated socioeconomic status as a major factor in college admissions? [closed]
For many years I have been asking myself the same question: Are there universities that treat socioeconomic status as a major factor in college admissions (without taking race into consideration at ...
- 1,384
0
votes
1
answer
152
views
Why hasn't the Centralia fire been starved to death? [closed]
The infamous Centralia coal mine fire has been burning for approximately 60 years now. Googling "why hasn't the Centralia fire been put out" gives plenty of results for why it would be ...
- 114k
9
votes
3
answers
5k
views
When did "cultural appropriation" become a concept?
Acts which nowadays are called cultural appropriation have been going on for a long time in the US, at least since the 19th century. But when did certain behaviours start getting labelled in the US as ...
- 131
3
votes
1
answer
127
views
Which WWII Medal and ribbon are these?
I am trying to identify a possible medal that my great grandfather was awarded as I am putting his medals together for my grandmother. Though I'm not quite sure it's a medal. I looked through his ...
- 4,116
-1
votes
2
answers
274
views
Is there any evidence that the US strategy at Midway was deliberate?
The Battle of Midway was a crushing US victory over the Empire of Japan that, at face value, appears to be due to good SIGINT and a huge amount of luck by the Americans.
In particular, the piecemeal ...
- 12.3k
12
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Is the Cold War still going on? [closed]
Do any historians consider the Cold War, or Cold War II, to be going on?
I'm asking because some features of the Cold War still exist, such as an antagonism between Russia and the Western world, and ...
- 79.9k
13
votes
3
answers
6k
views
What is the story behind the tall Northern offshoot on the West Virginia map?
It seems like such a tall thin slice should have a story.
- 8,392
24
votes
7
answers
8k
views
How confusing was British currency compared to decimal currency circa 1850?
This question quotes Terry Pratchett's claim:
The British resisted decimalized currency for a long time because they thought it was too complicated.
Is this a fair comparison with its inference that ...
MCW♦
- 31.7k
37
votes
8
answers
7k
views
Did a significant number of women drive in late 1950s/1960s USA?
During lockdown, I have become addicted to old 1950s/60s Perry Mason series. I am struck by the number of women, from all walks of life - waitresses to wealthy matrons - who owned and drove their own ...
- 2,630
13
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Were doctors who were drafted in the 1950/1960 years, compelled to take an officer's oath of allegiance?
Anyone who's ever watched M*A*S*H, knows that many of the doctors there, didn't want to be there, and had been drafted. Then I recently ran across this (non-official) article, which says
Officers on ...
- 2,376
-3
votes
1
answer
177
views
What's the relation of FDR and Wilson to War on Terror/terrorism in House of Cards? [closed]
In House of Cards, Frank Underwood brings up FDR and Wilson when saying that he wants to declare war on ICO (fictional terrorist group possibly related to ISIS). What's the relation please? I mean, ...
- 185
10
votes
1
answer
2k
views
How did the US "Greek" fraternity system at universities arise and what is its relationship with ancient Greece?
How did the American college fraternity and sorority system come to incorporate ancient Greek names and motifs? Was this a 19th century phenomenon?
Any color on the following would also be appreciated....
- 3,510
2
votes
0
answers
2k
views
Were families allowed to watch boys swim naked at the YMCA before the 70s?
from Minneapolis Tribune, 1950 as cited in Medium
And does "families" mean female siblings would have been allowed to watch or was it just the parents?
I found American High Schools Mandated ...
- 79.9k
0
votes
0
answers
76
views
Were there written (draft) Soviet proposals that would have effectively restricted the US navy from (parts of) Europe?
I'm pretty sure that if one trawls the Soviet propaganda, one can find something asking Americans to bugger off from Europe altogether (ok, on a more serious note--Gorbatchev did propose the ...
- 4,491
3
votes
0
answers
318
views
Has a US President's family member ever been indicted or arrested during or after the Presidential term?
No United States president has ever been indicted or charged with a crime during or after their presidency. (According to my search / this Quora post)
Has a president's family member ever been ...
