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Why was Julius Caesar a bad leader?

Even before Caesar became sole ruler of Rome, he was no stranger to taking dangerous political risks. In 51 B.C., Caesar defied senate authority and longstanding military tradition when he crossed the Rubicon River to take on his political opponent Pompey Magnus. Such a move signaled a treasonous invasion of his own country. Caesar's ability to inflame opinions did not end there, as with his courting the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, a scandal that nearly ruined much new-found support gained after his ultimate defeat of Pompey at Pharsalus, the battle that effectively ended the civil war.\nIn..

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What did Charles Darwin discover?

In Darwin's day, scientists had a number of explanations about how life could change over time. Some believed that creatures changed in large steps; others believed that the behavior of parents affected their offspring. By collecting finches and showing how small changes improved their odds of survival, Darwin presented a compelling case for evolution.\nDarwin was not the first person to posit evolution, but he made it his primary area of research for years. While not all of his contemporaries initially accepted his theory, it is now the only scientific framework that explains life on ear..

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What started the Vietnam War?

Vietnam had been part of French Indochina since the Treaty of Hue in 1884. During World War II, the Japanese assumed control of the region and ruled in cooperation with the French Vichy government. After WWII, the French sought to retake their colony, aided by the United States in its efforts to contain communism. After a major defeat to the Viet Minh in 1954, the French decided to withdraw from the country.\nAt the Geneva Peace Conference of 1954, Vietnam was temporarily divided at the 17th parallel into North Vietnam, under a communist government, and South Vietnam, under the control of Bao ..

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What are some important facts about the 1770 Boston Massacre?

The Boston Massacre was an important event in the years leading up to the American Revolution. Before the event, tensions were rising between colonists and British authorities due to increased taxes and British attempts to gain more control of colonial citizens. This tension led to a crowd of around 50 colonists building up in front of the Boston Customs House on March 5, 1770.The crowd began jeering and throwing snowballs, sticks and stones at the soldiers guarding the Customs House. After a snowball hit one of the soldiers, the soldiers opened fire on the citizens. Three people were killed i..

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What were some characteristics of life in the Middle Ages?

People during the Middle Ages lived in a feudal society, a class system where a few members such as bishops and noblemen were granted tracts of land, also known as fiefs, by the king and the peasants or serfs worked the land. Although feudalism was a part of everyday life throughout the medieval centuries, it shifted a bit toward the end of the era with fewer people working the land due to agricultural advancements and more people moving toward urban areas.\nThe Catholic church was another reality of life during the Middle Ages. It wielded a great deal of power and united people across borders..

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What was the first battle of the Civil War?

In addition to being the first major battle of the Civil War, it was also expected, by Abraham Lincoln at least, to be the last. His intention had been to strike at the enemy troops and clear a route to Richmond. However, the Union troops, all of whom were amateurs, were not fully prepared for the battle.Despite a promising start in which 4,500 rebel forces were forced to retreat, the Union troops were swamped by Confederate reinforcements. Although equally untrained, the Confederate troops came to match the Union soldiers in number and managed to break their line to force a haphazard retreat ..

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How did the Panama Canal boost commerce?

The Panama Canal became the largest and most expensive engineering project of its time. In 1880, the French, led by Ferdinand de Lesseps, saw the potential economic gains that a canal in Central America could bring. They began excavation, but the working conditions, along with tropical diseases, pushed the French project into bankruptcy. In the years that followed, more and more American businessmen and politicians realized the economic potential of a Panama Canal. In 1904, the United States, under president Theodore Roosevelt, bought the excavation and equipment from the French. After helping..

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What was a friar in Medieval times?

The four mendicant orders of the Middle Ages were the White Friars, the Hermits of St. Augustine, the Black Friars and the Grey Friars. They are known today as the Carmelites, the Augustinians, the Dominicans and the Franciscans, respectively. Friars, unlike monks, live and work among the people and are dedicated to teaching and aiding them, rather than spending their days in religious study or prayer. Friars also depend entirely upon charity, as they shun any kind of wealth.

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Who were the members of the Second Triumvirate?

The death of the dictator Julius Caesar on March 15, 44 BC, left Rome in a state of near anarchy. Caesar was greatly loved by the Roman people, who were infuriated by the murderous actions of the conspirators and assassins, particularly Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus. Both Brutus and Antony spoke to the Roman people at Caesars funeral. Brutus proclaimed that Rome would return to its golden age in the form of a Republic once more. Antony followed Brutus and read from Caesar's will, which bequeathed 300 sesterces to every living citizen in Rome and his garden for use as a p..

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Where was Abraham Lincoln shot?

Lincoln's wife, Mary, and two guests, Major Henry R. Rathbone and Clara Harris, were in the box with Lincoln when he was shot on the night of April 14, 1865. He passed away about nine hours later on April 15 at 7:22 a.m. Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth, was killed on April 26, 1865, in Virginia.

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