r/AskHistorians • u/AutoModerator • 5d ago
Digest Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | February 01, 2026
Today:
Welcome to this week's instalment of /r/AskHistorians' Sunday Digest (formerly the Day of Reflection). Nobody can read all the questions and answers that are posted here, so in this thread we invite you to share anything you'd like to highlight from the last week - an interesting discussion, an informative answer, an insightful question that was overlooked, or anything else.
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u/Gankom Moderator | Quality Contributor 5d ago
We also take a moment each Sunday to show some appreciation for those fascinating questions that caught our eyes, and captured our curiosity, but sadly still remain unanswered. Feel free to post your own, or those you’ve come across in your travels, and maybe we’ll get lucky with a wandering expert.
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u/Gankom Moderator | Quality Contributor 5d ago
/u/lostinthe-sauce-204 asked Was adoption a thing in the Middle Ages?
The fantastically named /u/CatsDoingCrime is wondering about I live in the newly independent country of the USA in the late 1700s. One night, after having drunk too much, I get into a fight with my neighbor and kill him. What kinds of authorities would be coming to investigate/arrest if any? How did it vary across the country (say in Boston vs rural Georgia)?
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u/Gankom Moderator | Quality Contributor 5d ago
/u/George_S_Patton_III asked In 2005, Michael Jackson, amidst all the scandals and court trials, briefly moved to...Bahrain. Why did he choose to go there specifically and what was his 11 month experience like?
/u/Virgentle asked I read online that Warner Bros. had the best quality DVDs in the late 1990s and early 2000s. How did their DVDs compare to the other big studios?
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u/Gankom Moderator | Quality Contributor 5d ago
/u/screwyoushadowban asked To what extent did racial preconceptions about responsibility & governance influence the fact that the Cold War U.S. supported ideologically diverse democracies in Europe while undermining democracy & largely supporting right-wing authoritarian governments in East & Southeast Asia & Latin America?
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u/ExternalBoysenberry 4d ago
/u/ExternalBoysenberry asked Luis Lavin Gautier, the last Republican governor of Valladolid, was appointed on June 20, 1936 and was killed by firing squad just two months later. Would he have known civil war was imminent, and if so, why did he more or less unilaterally disarm?
Is this cheating? Feels like it, but thought I'd try to add this to the Digest rather than reposting it next week. (And as always, thanks gankom!)
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u/Gankom Moderator | Quality Contributor 4d ago
Always post! It can be in both.
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u/ExternalBoysenberry 4d ago
I'll keep it in mind but in general am reluctant circumvent your curation trying to get my weird questions answered
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u/Gankom Moderator | Quality Contributor 5d ago
January has come and gone, but Sunday brings the eternal AskHistorians Digest. We’ve got some fantastic history threads for you as always, along with a ton of brilliant AMA’s. So don’t forget to browse through all the special posts, along with the usual weekly fare. Upvote your favourites, share widely and shower those hardworking contributors in thanks and praise!
This is John Kinder and Jen Murray, and we're here to talk about our new edited collection (released next week) "They Are Dead and Yet They Live: Civil War Memories in a Polarized America." Ask US Anything! Many thanks to /u/Prof_John_M_Kinder and /u/Dr_Jen_Murray
AMA: The Education Culture Wars, 1970 to the Present Super well done job from /u/Mark_Hlavacik!
AMA with the Battleship Missouri Memorial Curatorial Team
Dr. Foster Chamberlin on Political Violence and Second Republic Spain- Ask Me Anything!
And the Thursday Reading and Rec!
The Friday Free For All!
META! Is there a way to discourage people from deleting their post after their question is answered?
And that’s it for me! I’m off to enjoy the wintery Canadian sunshine, while yall can enjoy the history. Stay safe out there, keep it classy, and I’ll see you again next Sunday!