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When did Ferdinand and Isabella rule?

The marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella unified two kingdoms that became Spain. They maintained order in the country by employing the Holy Brotherhood to establish a judicial system and reign in Castilian nobles. They also expelled Jews and Muslims from Spain, while forcing others to convert to Catholicism so they could remain in the country. The monarchs persecuted those who secretly practiced religions other than Catholicism, including those who committed blasphemy and heresy. They authorized the expedition of Christopher Columbus in 1492, and his excursions into the New World brought new ric..

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What were the effects of the Embargo Act of 1807?

The Embargo Act of 1807 was a direct result of the impressment of American ships, goods and men by the British during a time of conflict throughout the United States, Britain and France. While the U.S. was not technically involved in the conflict, they were affected because the British began to seize their ships that were taking goods to France.When Thomas Jefferson began to hear of the seizures of American goods, he started looking for a solution. He did not want to send the U.S. to another war with the British, but he could also not allow his American ships and crews to continue being attack..

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Why did European nations seek a sea route to Asia?

The only viable land route from Europe to Asia went through the Middle East and Turkey. Going further north through what would become Russia was even more dangerous than braving the robbers who would attack caravans in the Middle East.\nPepper and silk were two particularly popular products from Asia. Silk had been in high demand in Europe since the journeys of the explorer Marco Polo, and a network of traders from China, India, the Middle East and Italy would transport silk all the way to the European markets. The land route that traders had to take was known as the "Silk Road."\nWhile Englan..

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What are the complex institutions of Mesopotamia?

Mesopotamia was among the first places where humans gathered to live in large cities. This led to a number of new problems, such as how to provide food to everyone, how to defend against enemies, and how to determine who gives the orders. In small villages, everyone grew crops or fished, everyone fought marauders and the leader was chosen more or less democratically or by heredity. In cities, it proved more effective to have a king who ran a bureaucracy of skilled administrators. With different cultures mingling in these growing cities, cultural norms were displaced or formalized by legal code..

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How long did it take to get across the Atlantic in the 1700s?

These journeys do not include periods during which ships remained anchored in a harbor in either England or the American colonies while they were filled with cargo. According to the firsthand accounts of immigrants, ships sometimes remained anchored at a port for as many as three weeks at a time.\nImmigrants were also forced to spend longer amounts of time on ships once they got to the American colonies if they could not afford to pay the required passage fee. Those who could not pay were required to remain on board the ship until they were sold into indentured servitude and forced to work to ..

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How many people survived the 9/11 World Trade Center attack?

The workers in the South Tower were asked to return to their desks, since the building was believed to be secure. However, most of them wanted to evacuate the building anyway. That is when the second jet crashed into the tower, causing explosions on the 78th floor. Although there were hundreds of people on that floor, only two survived.

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How did the government respond to the Pullman Strike?

The Pullman Strike began on May 11, 1894, when workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company failed to reach an agreement with their employer over declining wages. In addition, many employees lived in unsavory conditions. The strike began without the support of the American Railroad Union, although the union's leader Eugene Debs eventually moved to make things better for the workers.The managers overseeing the railroad workers formed the General Managers Association and stated that they should have the right to set whatever employment terms they wanted for their employees. To support this, th..

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How long did Queen Elizabeth reign?

Elizabeth succeeded her sister Mary on the throne and began her reign during a tumultuous time of religious strife, government debt and a lost war with France. She is sometimes accused of vanity, prejudice and miserliness, but she was overall a successful queen who led her country well.\nQueen Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Before her rule, she was imprisoned as a threat to the throne.

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What kind of food did the ancient Babylonians eat?

Among the vegetables eaten by the ancient Babylonians were beets, peas, arugula, lettuce, turnips, legumes (such as chickpeas) and mushrooms. They were especially fond of using onions in their cooking, along with all of its related plants, such as garlic, scallions and leeks. Grains were also common, including pearl barley and oats.Fruits enjoyed by the ancient Babylonians included apples, figs and pomegranates.The ancient Babylonians were particularly interested in flavoring their food and used a range of herbs and spices. These included mint, coriander and chives, among others. Condiments, s..

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Was President Andrew Jackson a hero or a villain?

Andrew Jackson was the United States' seventh president, and he was elected by a wide majority of the popular vote. Jackson was a man of humble beginnings and strong morals, even going so far as to kill a man in a duel after the man insulted his wife. While he was widely beloved by white residents of the nation, Jackson was seen as an enemy of native people. His policies were responsible for divesting thousands of native people from their ancestral lands and relocating them on much less desirable land far from home. In hindsight, it's easy to see Jackson as a villain, and, indeed, ma..

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