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askhistorians.bsky.social
AskHistorians
@askhistorians.bsky.social
24K followers 79 following 1.1K posts
Answers about history, from historians | Biweekly podcast | "Good history eggs on the internet"| Ask questions at https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/
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askhistorians.bsky.social
Never let it be said that we do not recognise excellence in question-asking.
A slack conversation regarding a thread entitled: For how long have medical professionals been dealing with people sticking things up their butts? This one's going to rise quickly Butt seriously tho that is a legit great question I would 1000x prefer that question to another "what did Hitler think" What did Hitler think about people sticking things up their butt? Well as a totalitarian, he was pro state
September 17, 2025 at 7:24 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
it's not clear why though, there is consensus on this already
A famously stupid graph purporting to show that Christianity led to a massive science deficit, predicated on the notion that human progress is an exponential graph that was set back c. 1000 years. Picture the creation of a 14 year old who has discovered that atheism annoys their parents, with basic MS Paint skills and a burning desire to post on the internet.
August 27, 2025 at 2:07 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
On one hand, we love human curiosity. On the other hand, we love carte blanche to delete things so
Two deleted comments: "Interesting topic so I'm here for the answers" "Just me or is the sub getting flooded with frankly stupid questions? Mods should delete with prejudice."
July 22, 2025 at 8:54 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
Have we once again been fooled into letting a cat do an AMA??
Comic, with the self-explanatory caption: 'On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog'
July 16, 2025 at 3:49 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
Half of our removed comments:

'This is a great question, why would the mods remove all the answers???'

The other half:
"I'm a 1930s American factory worker who's just gotten off work. How am I spending my time until bed?" "However you want man I don’t know. I’m not even a historian lol"
June 10, 2025 at 10:40 AM
askhistorians.bsky.social
Well, @georgy-k-zhukov.bsky.social once managed the moderation equivalent of a hole in one...
Three consecutive removed answers to the same question, reading "yes", "no" and "maybe so" respectively
May 20, 2025 at 6:40 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
"You are without a doubt the worst ice cream experience I've ever had" "Ah, but it was an ice cream experience"
May 16, 2025 at 3:59 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
Monty Python and the Holy Grail had its 50th anniversary earlier this month, and aside from being a brilliant film, it’s also a clever entry into getting people fascinated with #history. We often get questions inspired by movies like this. Today we’re going to shout out some of our favorites!
The 1975 movie post for Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Depicting the hand of God rising through a cloud, holding a grail filled with the various movie characters drawn in Monty Pythons classic cartoony style. Its a great film, go watch it. This is not an ad, just a history nerd writing with very little oversight.
May 12, 2025 at 4:11 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
Expectation vs reality:
I never had any cool marxist indoctrination in school. :disappointed: I just had a big bald guy light his shirt on fire while teaching us the proper way to lick rocks
April 22, 2025 at 3:20 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
Out of morbid curiosity, we occasionally check our mentions back on twitter and uh... yeah the discourse continues to be Very Healthy over there.
"The methodology they've been trained in is gay marxism". 10 minutes on r/AskHistorians should be enough to make any but the most gullible start to think Pol Pot's view of academia wasn't misguided. They're phds and candidates with rigorous epistemic norms of gay racism" K.
April 22, 2025 at 3:01 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
Historian of fascism:

"I really wish we could spend more time debating definitions without people saying that it's superfluous and not societally useful."
The monkey paw curls
April 17, 2025 at 6:45 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
Perhaps you're a #Skystorians who's looking to add a little sci fi to your Choose Your Own Historical Adventure? If so, you are in luck my friends! I’m a 10th century Norseman. How would I go about building a ‘space-ship’ to visit Ásgarðr?
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The image shows the starting prompt of this Choose Your Own Adventure. It reads: "I’m a 10th century Norseman. How would I go about building a ‘space-ship’ to visit Ásgarðr? Tales of the magnificent capital in the realm of the Æsir has filled many hearts with wanderlust. Young warriors dream about serving in Óðinn’s retinue and to one day stand beside him in defence of their world. Ásgarðr is unfortunately not a place for mere mortals. While the gods have been known to traverse our world from time to time, the only ticket for mortals into the realm of the gods, is through the afterlife. Or so it was thought… A curious rumour has been circling your home region. Most dismiss it as a simple wive’s tale, but when you caught wind of this rumour, it stirred something great within you. Not without reason, since you have great incentive to see it become true. It is said that a ship that gathers speed down the ‘White River’ in Iceland, as long as its hull is smeared with the blood of foals that have not yet learned to walk, will be blessed by the nature spirits and take flight! You are determined to test this rumour yourself, but it is clear that it will be an arduous task. The difficulty will depend on your means and social status. So, without further ado: who are you? A) The second son of a wealthy Norwegian farmer, whose estate lies in Þrándheimr close to the seat of the Jarl at Hlaðir and the prestigious settlement of Niðarós (modern day Trondheim). B) The youngest daughter of the mighty King Haraldr ‘Blátönn’ Gormsson of Denmark (Harald Bluetooth). C) The teenage son of a middle class Icelandic farmer. (A ‘Regular Joe’ which also makes acquiring a ship and crew all the more difficult)"
April 2, 2025 at 11:34 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
Pearl Harbor is one of those major historic events that gets tons of internet chatter, but what if Japan attempts to bypass the United States instead?
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The image shows the starting prompt of this Choose Your Own Adventure. It reads: "What if Japan attempts to bypass the United States? On December 7th 1941, a date that has lived in infamy, Japanese carrier based aircraft began the Pacific War via a surprise attack on the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet at anchor in Pearl Harbor. A few hours later (December 8 local time) Japanese aircraft would begin assaulting U.S. positions in the Philippines while Japanese troops landed in Malaya. Faced with the apparent intractability of the endless slog in China, Japanese policy makers had settled on "the Southern Operation", attacking the colonial holdings of the European powers in South East Asia. By seizing Malaya, the Dutch East Indies, and others, Japan would secure its access to vital resources currently being denied to it by U.S. economic sanctions. Yet, the Imperial Japanese Navy in particular believed that any war with the Europeans would mean war with the United States as well. After all, the United States had responded to the Japanese invasion of southern Indochina with a total asset freeze and complete embargo of oil exports; what other response did the American have but war? If America would go to war, then the Philippines represented a critical threat to Japan's lines of communications in the Western Pacific, and it--along with the Pacific Fleet--would have to be dealt with, thus laying the road to Pearl Harbor. But what if things played out differently?"
April 2, 2025 at 10:44 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
This Choose Your Own Historical Adventure is a doozy #Skystorians. Hell summons you, what will be your fate?
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The image shows the starting prompt of this Choose Your Own Adventure. It reads: "Hell summons you, what will be your fate? It's 2 in the morning in Singapore. The HDB estate you live in is quiet, except for the couple a couple doors away arguing at the top of their voices and the lady 4 floors up screaming at her long dead husband as her daughter tries to calm her down. You are sitting alone in your bedroom finishing version 6 of a powerpoint deck that will be sent to your boss, a senior-mid-level flunkey who will throw a fit, command you to make changes, then send it to her boss who will throw a fit and command her to essentially change it back to version 5. Suddenly, as you put the finishing touches on page 36 out of 38, you feel a pain around your chest, a squeezing that won't go away. The pain spreads to your shoulder, arm, back and neck. You try to call for help but you can't. 'No...' you think, as you fall to the floor, 'I was just 2 pages from finishing...' Suddenly, the pain ceases. You open your eyes and sit up. Standing in front of you are two gentlemen. One is tall and pale and dressed in white. His tongue lolls out of his mouth. The other is short and dark skinned and dressed in black. ‘Your time is up!’ says the white one in Mandarin. ‘Please follow us.’ A: ‘There must be some mistake!’ you protest. ‘I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I exercise in accordance with the recommendations of the Health Promotion Board.’ B: ‘All right.’ You cast a last look at your body as you follow them out of your room, silently vowing to find an opportunity to return."
April 2, 2025 at 9:36 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
What if Edward III Invaded Gascony in 1346 instead of Normandy? Well now is the chance for #Skytorians to chime in and decide this historical what if!
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The image shows part of the starting prompt for this Choose Your Own Adventure. It reads: "What if Edward III Invaded Gascony in 1346 instead of Normandy? It is February, 1346, and you are King Edward III of England. For the last nine years you have been at war with King Philippe VI in an attempt to regain the lands of your ancestors that have been gradually eroded since the death of Richard the Lionheart. Diplomacy has not served you well: the Savoyards could not be peeled from Philippe and those German princes you could turn against him were less interested in campaigning than in the enormous sums of money they could extract from you in exchange for their limited service. You were very nearly bankrupted and almost faced a revolt in England. War has proven more successful. A small force has helped keep the Montfortist dreams alive in Brittany, although lately the momentum has turned against them, while your good friend Henry, Duke of Lancaster, has had some astounding successes in Gascony. The Flemish, once you declared yourself the King of France, have proven valuable allies, albeit ones who cannot sustain a long campaign without aid."
April 2, 2025 at 8:34 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
Next our Choose Your Own Adventures to a place down under! What if the Rum Rebellion instead became Australia's first civil war? #Skystorians
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The image shows the starting prompt of this Choose Your Own Adventure. It reads: "What if the Rum Rebellion instead became Australia's first civil war? On the 26th of January 1808, the NSW Corps, led by Lieutenant George Johnston, and the colony's most influential colonists (known as the Exclusives), led by John Macarthur, marched to Government House and 'deposed' Governor William Bligh for a variety of reasons. This coup, precipitated by months of interpersonal conflict between Bligh and Macarthur, and fears regarding property rights, remains Australia's only recorded military coup, and the government which Johnston and Macarthur led for 6 months after it remains, in essence, Australia's only recorded military 'junta'. However, history did not have to go this way. An infamous moment during the coup, claimed by Bligh's many enemies, was that he was found under his bed when the Corps and Exclusives arrived. Bligh states that wherever he was hiding, he was only doing so because he wished to make it to the Hawkesbury region of the colony, where he believed that he could rally hundreds of small-scare colonial farmers to reject the Corps coup. What if, instead of Bligh being found, he managed to escape those who wished to overthrow him? What if his actions and words instead led to Australia's first, and only, civil war?"
April 2, 2025 at 8:01 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
To survive in the historical Choose Your Own Adventure world, you need to be quick & think on your feet! Even when you're feet happen to be dangling in the air.
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The image shows the starting prompt of this Choose Your Own Adventure. It reads: "You are dangling from a parachute 300 feet above Nazi-occupied France. You never knew that your childhood holidays to France and limitless talent for mimicking the French accent could expand your horizons in such a manner, but here you are. A chance meeting with an old school friend while on leave led to a gruelling interview with an SOE officer and got you shipped off to the countryside to carry out your secret agent training. After a crash course in everything from silent killing to morse code to how to demolish a railway bridge, you were finally selected for a drop into occupied territory. Your mission? Meet up with the established resistance group in the area and act as their wireless radio operator. While your superiors at the Special Operations Executive did warn you about the dangers of your role, they have neglected to inform you that the average life expectancy of an SOE radio operator in the field is just six weeks. You were given your equipment, had one final pat down to ensure you weren't carrying any English spare change that could give you away, and then shipped off to the airfield, given a swig of brandy, a pep talk and a cyanide pill. Just a few hours later, you were bundled out of the aeroplane as it made its drop. As the engines fade away into the distance, you are jolted out of your reverie by the rushing wind. The ground is fast approaching and you are drifting off course. Do you: A) Try and get caught in a tree to break your fall B) Let the wind blow you off course C) Try and steer back on course. This is your first unsupervised drop and you're not messing it up!"
April 2, 2025 at 7:30 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
Readers can Choose Their Own path through this healthcare themed prompt. The Lunatic Asylum is full but there are still more lunatics that need to be separated from polite society - how do we make room for them?
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The image reads: "The Lunatic Asylum is full but there are still more lunatics that need to be separated from polite society - how do we make room for them? Situated on 100 wooded acres just outside Baltimore, Maryland State Hospital was once a grand testament to Dr. Thomas Kirkbride’s vision of moral treatment—a progressive approach that emphasized humane care, fresh air, and structured therapeutic labor. Completed in 1857, the hospital followed the Kirkbride Plan precisely, with its imposing central administration building flanked by long, tiered wings designed to maximize sunlight and ventilation. Inside, high ceilings, airy corridors, and sweeping verandas provided an environment meant to restore sanity and peace. The surrounding landscape, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, featured carefully planned gardens, open fields, and working farms, reinforcing the belief that nature and productive labor were essential to healing. Patients deemed capable helped maintain the grounds, contributing to the hospital’s original goal of being semi-self-sufficient—a stark contrast to the inhumane asylums of earlier eras. For years, MSH stood as a model of compassionate psychiatric care, offering relief to both patients and the families who had long struggled to care for them at home. That time, however, has long since passed. Overcrowding has turned order into chaos—a facility built for a few hundred now holds thousands, straining staff and resources past their limits. Attendants, overworked and underpaid, increasingly rely on restraints and isolation to manage wards that more closely resemble warehouses than originally designed spaces for healing. Yet, the demand for care only grows, oddly in lockstep with the Industrial Revolution (could the two be related?) With the Industrial Revolution reshaping society, more families than ever arrive at MSH’s gates, pleading for help."
April 2, 2025 at 7:07 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
Its tough starting a new job, especially in this day & age. But what would you do if you are a brand new parish priest in Charles I's England? After all, you're a man of conviction! Speaking of which, how would you describe your convictions?
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The image shows the starting prompt of this Choose Your Own Adventure. It reads; "You are a brand new parish priest in Charles I's England. It is 1639, and you are the new parish priest of Wimblesford-on-Bray, a quiet English village. Having just graduated from Cambridge and received your holy orders, you cannot wait to start your pastoral labors. You've heard excellent things about this village, too! Actually, that's not quite true-- apparently, the village almost rioted against the last minister... and there was the time the churchwardens got into a brawl during a service and were dragged before the consistory court... but surely things won't be that bad for you! After all, what's the worst that can happen? After all, you're a man of conviction! Speaking of which, how would you describe your convictions? A) Some people call you an Arminian, but you don't think that's fair. You just enjoy church ceremony and are loyal to the King. Who would possibly object to that? B) Some people call you a Puritan, but you don't think that's fair. You're just a godly man who hopes to push England (and your parish) towards a more perfect reformation. Who would possibly object to that?"
April 2, 2025 at 6:03 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
Do you find yourself simply insulted by the amount of bad history floating around the web? This is your chance to reclaim your honour! Chime in and decide the next steps in "You find yourself in an affair of honor and on the likely path to a duel."
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The image shows the starting prompt of this Choose Your Own Adventure. It reads: "You find yourself in an affair of honor and on the likely path to a duel. The duel of honor spanned over half a millennium in Europe and its environs, and although each country developed its own particularities broad themes also were always present, with the base nature of the duel firmly grounded in the expression of masculine virility and honor, whatever that might have meant in the time period to the participants. The duel was also part of a larger discourse on honor though, and indeed, most affairs of honor, where a duel might arise, ended without combat, which was instead supposed to be a last resort if other You are about to embark into one possible situation where a duel might arise, but perhaps you will be able to navigate to avoid it. But first, who even are you? A) It is 1813, and you are John Lamb, Esq. Born the third son of a South Carolina planter, you have decided to head west to make a name for yourself, and find yourself in Missouri territory, where you must navigate the uncertainties of society on the frontier. B) It is 1799, and you are Capt. Archibald Fernsby-Fugglewump, of His Most Britannic Majesty's Royal Navy. You know that your ability to command men in battle is contingent on the respect of them, as well as your peers. C) It is 1627, and you are Jean-Philippe Goddard, Count de Béchamel. You are punctilious about your honor to a fault, and have fought several duels over as trifling a matter as a cock-eyed glance, to the point you have something of a reputation, but one you enjoy greatly. I'll check back in a bit and go with what seems most popular, although depending on time may revisit the others too."
April 2, 2025 at 5:27 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
Be warned #Skystorians, A Christian Heresy Rises! And the readers are the ones who need to decide what to do about it. Find out more, by clicking the link below...
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The image shows the starting prompt for this Choose Your Own Adventure. It reads; "A Christian Heresy Rises! My word! Have you heard the news? From outside the village, a new fangled faith corrupts the land with talk of, *gasp\, *flagellation. It is the 13th century, and you are a theologian and priest in a small village outside of Florence. There were talks of the flagellant procession arriving a fortnight prior, but why would you ever believe them? Your village is relatively unknown to typical merchants and criers. And you have quite the good relationship with your local lay to boot. But now the day has come, and the howling procession arrives in full force! Their penitence is visceral, their prayers dramatic, and that one seems to have managed to crucify himself. Except, in truth, you're not sure the bishop was fully right on this one. They don't seem to have any ill intentions, and their words are often preached the same as your own. Is it odd to you? A bit. Is it against the teachings of the Church directly? You remain unsure. Nonetheless, what definitely is true is that the locals are, quite frankly, upset. Some of them have barricaded their homes, while others have sought prayer in the small church that you hold under your charge. You've even heard that Florence has closed its gates to the flagellants, shooing them away a very large stick or something. Your flock is afraid; afraid of self doubt; of heresy; of the methods these "heretics" employ. They might even be afraid of their own judgements, informed by your own counsel. Is this a challenge from God? A moral test? Maybe it's too early to tell."
April 2, 2025 at 5:13 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
Ready to take a shot at making #history? This presidential post asks you to step into the shoe of a historical figure and decide what to do next. It's April 15, 1865. How wasn't the play, Mr. Lincoln?
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The image shows the starting prompt for this Choose Your Own Adventure. It reads: "It's April 15, 1865. How wasn't the play, Mr. Lincoln? What a nightmare! That weird dream about being alone on a ship got even worse; your cruise of solitude has now been replaced with a deck full of a heaving mass of faceless people screaming at you and yanking your limbs as all of them want something - everything? - from you. That started just last night after staying in and playing with Tad because your beloved had another migraine. Her carriage accident really seems to have escalated those to another level, and she was furious that she couldn't make it out. You soothed her by agreeing that you'll do so next weekend, and heck, given you don't have to work 18 hour days for the first time in 4 years, maybe you'll surprise her with a night out during the week! Of course, all hell is breaking loose today since Mars came to you worked up about yet another assassination plot that he claims to have uncovered; it's even more concerning as perhaps the carriage accident really wasn't an accident after all. Then again, he's always fuming about something or another, and him doing so isn't going to help you get work done, so that's all there is to it."
April 2, 2025 at 4:34 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
It has been more than a generation since the English came to stay, and you are a Nipmuc farmer in a Praying Town in New England. But war is brewing, and choices need to be made when it comes to how #skystorians will respond...
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The image shows the starting prompt for this Choose Your Own Adventure. It reads; "You are a Nipmuc farmer in a Praying Town in New England. It has been more than a generation since the English came to stay. They've pushed further inland and settlers like, Thomas Eames, blatantly took over Nipmuc land. To keep your farmland, and maintain access to trade goods, your family decided to stay in Praying Town the English established called Magunkaquog (The Place of the Great Trees). You hoped your sons could learn to read, to write, and learn how to use the English law to protect the people. Your mother's Turtle Clan traces their history to the nearby freshwater pond, and your uncle taught you to hunt beneath the shade of the massive chestnuts and oaks that gave this place it's name. You are Nipmuc, one the Freshwater People, this is your home. But war is brewing. Tensions escalated over the past few years, and your neighbors to the east, the saltwater people, just lit the match. The ensuing fire threatens to destroy all you built, all you care about, all you hoped for here when you allied with the English. The English want to evacuate Magunkaquog for the larger Praying Town of Natick, several miles to the east. They say it is for your protection, but deep in your heart you fear they may violate your trust. Your sachem, Pomhamen, is a pious man, and Job, the religious teacher, who learned the English religion from John Eliot, say each person must make a choice. What do you do? A.) Evacuate to Natick with Pomhamen and Job. B.) Flee west to the mountains to join your mother's Turtle Clan."
April 2, 2025 at 3:59 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
You’re a fetching young Roman out on the pull in Pompeii, the world is your oyster! You have so many options ahead of you, and which options will you readers take in this thrilling Choose Your Own Adventure?
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The image shows the starting prompt for this Choose Your Own Adventure. It reads; You’re a fetching young Roman out on the pull in Pompeii It’s a gorgeous, sunny day in a long line of gorgeous, sunny days and you wake up feeling like maybe today is the day you find the love of your life. You don’t know why – you don’t know how – but you’ve got a good feeling about it. Your mother has been hinting about finding you a spouse for a while now, and so far you’ve managed to put her off, but there’s something in the air today. It’s like you can feel Cupid fletching his arrows just for you. Do you: A) Head to the Stabian Baths to chat with your friends and see if any of them have anyone they can set you up with B) Go to the Macellum by the Eastern gates of the city to run errands for your mother C) Try to chat up an off-duty gladiator at one of the tabernae near the Amphitheatre NB: I wanted to do another Roman Dating Simulator in the style of the Choose Your Own Adventure that I did on this very site twelve years ago but also make it different enough that it would be like a new DLC for the original! I will be answering the first version of any choice that is made. Also, see if you can spot the fun little twist on the original that this new setting has allowed!
April 1, 2025 at 10:35 PM
askhistorians.bsky.social
Who needs fantastical Choose Your Own Adventures, when we have history? This hit piece asks the vital questions that will make everyone have to ponder the best choice. Will you pick.... Castration or Clergy?
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This Choose Your Own Adventure prompt reads; "Castration or Clergy? You're a young boy in Italy in 1700 who shows very promising musical talent at a very early age. You live in Europe and hear beautiful music in church every Sunday. Something like the opera is far out of reach, but music is your passion. At church, you hear men singing with incredibly high voices, and hear them referred to as "castrati", though at your tender age, you don't know exactly what that means. You know they're very famous and sing in opera houses around Europe, and they are very tall. You also can sneak peeks into the local orphanage, and hear them playing beautiful instruments. You can't see the children you know are inside, but are captivated by the heavenly sounds coming from the windows. You want more than anything to become a musician yourself. However your family is extremely poor and can't afford the kind of training you would need in order to pursue music seriously. Do your parents: a) opt to have your castrated by the local barber so you can keep your high singing voice, and be sent to a castrati school? or b) give you up to a religious order with an orphanage that has a promising musical program?"
April 1, 2025 at 9:31 PM