Social History Trivia

1. In Genesis, Chapter 38, who provides evidence that there was prostitution during Biblical times?

From Quiz Can Buy Me Love

Answer: Judah

This chapter in Genesis reports that Judah hired a veiled woman for sexual purposes. She asked for a young goat for her services. It turns out that she was actually Judah's daughter-in-law, but he didn't realize it at the time because of the veil.

From Quiz A Brief History of the Bong

Answer: Thai

Buang comes from the Thai language! The Anglicized "bong" probably came from American soldiers stationed at the five military bases in Thailand during the Vietnam War are said to have heard locals calling bamboo water pipes "baung"s.

From Quiz Tales of the Royal Meeting

Answer: Queen Anne

It is said that Queen Anne, who was absolutely crazy about horses, was riding near Windsor Castle one day and found the site upon which the Ascot Racecourse has been located for over three hundred years. The first race there, run on August 11, 1711, was called "Her Majesty's Plate", and consisted of three heats that were each four miles long. Seven horses were entered into this race; the rules stated the entrants could be a mare or gelding, over the age of six, that carried 12 stones, which was roughly equal to 168 pounds today. While it is known that seven horses competed at the first race, however, the name of the winner was not recorded.

From Quiz Why Bother?

Answer: 17 million

The International Committee of the Red Cross had been formed in 1863, and was expanded in 1919 to include the Red Crescent Societies in 1919. The IFRC exists in every country of the world. The IFRC is especially well-known for mobilizing volunteers to offer humanitarian assistance after disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and tsunamis. In many countries, they are also linked with healthcare groups that also assist during emergency response.

From Quiz Psychedelic History

Answer: In 1956, a Canadian British expatriate psychiatrist coined the term to denote hallucinogenic drugs at a meeting of the New York Academy of Sciences.

Humphry Osmond coined the term "psychedelic" intending it to signify a revealing of the mind. He emigrated to Canada and became the director of a psychiatric hospital. He was impressed with the similarity between the effects of psychedelic substances and the symptoms of schizophrenia.

From Quiz Drumming Out!

Answer: Military service

A dishonorable discharge from military service can only happen if an enlisted person is court martialed. Convictions for serious offenses, such as desertion or murder, result in not only immediate dismissal, but also a person losing all potential veteran benefits. According to the United States Department of Defense, 157 people were dishonorably discharged or drummed out of the military in 2014. Although the discharge may not happen to the beat of a drum today, it is still considered to be a disgrace.

From Quiz Ash You Like It

Answer: Mexico

Dating as far back as 1400-1600 BC, old cultivation sites for growing tobacco have been found in Mexico. This substance was smoked in many American Indian tribes as well, both for ceremonial purpose or just as a relaxing pastime. This took place long before tobacco was introduced to the rest of the world through European settlement.

From Quiz Way Too Trivial Trivia on 1860s Trousers

Answer: virtually none, all were ankle length

Little boys got to wear shorts, but grown men were pretty well limited to ankle-length trousers, if they wanted to stay in fashion. Knee breeches of colonial days had finally disappeared, and capri length just wasn't a thing. I'm sure I will see or someone will point out a period photo or painting of an old man in knee breeches or an immigrant in native clothing wearing something short now that I've said that, but they'd still be a rare exception. And even as I type, I thought of one: Zouave chasseur trousers. But we won't go there. Trousers were ankle length.

From Quiz Anatomy of an Early 1860s Fashion Bonnet

Answer: buckram and wire

Buckram was a coarse canvas with a stiffening treatment added. Wire was, well, just thin, stiff wire. The buckram formed the basic part of the bonnet over the head and possibly the small vertical oval/round section in back. The wire added stiffening over the forehead and down where the ties attached. Bonnets didn't take well to moisture, which, in the worst case, could make the buckram wilt and cause rust marks from the wire. Cardboard, though not corrugated, cut in separate piece was actually used to stiffen some sun bonnets, but they were a different critter entirely from dressy fashion bonnets.

From Quiz Impossible Predictions That Came True

Answer: H. G. Wells

The Manhattan Project, which led to the development of nuclear bombs did not start until 1939 and the first bombs dropped in anger did not happen until 1945. We are all too aware today how accurate that description is.

From Quiz Talks with Taxi Drivers

Answer: Hackney carriages

When these horse drawn carriages for hire first appeared in London at the beginning of the 17th century, they were notorious for the services (or lack of) provided and the style of conveyances used. So Parliament stepped in, as Parliament always does when the sniff of any free enterprise is in the air, and, in 1654, enacted "An Ordinance for the Regulation of Hackney-Coachmen in London and the places adjacent" to try to improve matters. The first official licences for same date from 1652. At that time, there was a smaller, one horse hackney carriage capable of transporting one or two people about town, and the larger hackney coach which could carry up to six. This had four wheels and two horses, so in effect it was the Rolls Royce of hire cabs.

From Quiz The Purple People Eaters

Answer: Anthropophagy

Cannibalism is the practice of one human or group of humans consuming all or part of another human or humans. It has been practised by many cultures throughout history, often with devastating results. There is even one theory that the Neanderthals as a race of people weren't bred out of existence by intermarrying with our modern ancestors, but because our modern ancestors ate them.

From Quiz No Smokin' in the Boys' Room

Answer: Excommunication

Urban VII died only two weeks into his Papacy. That was long enough, though, to ban tobacco "in the porchway of or inside a church, whether it be by chewing it, smoking it with a pipe or sniffing it in powdered form through the nose." With some changes, the ban remained in place until Pope Benedict XIII (a smoker) rescinded it in 1724.

From Quiz This Land is MY Land!

Answer: Asia

Although this subject has been hotly debated in the past it is now widely accepted that the original settlers in the Americas arrived from Asia. They are most closely related to ancient Siberian nomads. The Ket tribe, of which there are fewer than 1,500 members left in Russia, are thought to be the closest living relatives to all present day native Americans.

From Quiz Why Would You Do That?

Answer: Carthage

The Punic Wars were wars ended in the downfall of Carthage. Most of the Carthaginians died during the war due to starvation or dying in combat. Many of the survivors were murdered, and others were sold into slavery. It was, in effect, an act of genocide. 'Carthago delenda est' ('Carthage must be destroyed [wiped out]') was meant quite literally. All of Carthage's land was seized by the Roman Republic.

From Quiz A Tail of Two Cities

Answer: Eugène Petit

As well as being an architect, Eugene Petit was also a respected artist, specialising in still life work. Some of his best known paintings feature dogs, both hunting and retrievers. The Art Noveau movement was at its height during the last decade of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth. Émile Gallé was famous for his Art Noveau work in glass, and Robert de Montesquiou was his Patron. Louis Majorelle was known for his fine furniture and interior design work.

From Quiz The Servants' Quarters

Answer: Butler

The butler was the most senior servant. Not only did he ensure that the household ran smoothly by keeping discipline amongst the other servants, he also greeted guests, oversaw the serving of meals, had the key to the wine cellar, looked after the family silver, and was generally indispensable to the family who employed him. In the servants' quarters his word was law. A good butler could be virtually invisible when the necessity arose, and he often knew a great number of the family secrets.

From Quiz Situla - Not Just Another Bucket

Answer: Latin

'Situla' was the Latin word for a bucket, used to describe a wide range of items. Situlae were usually highly decorated, and could be made from a variety of materials, as well as coming in many different sizes and shapes. The earliest situlae date from the Bronze Age (roughly from 1000 BCE), and were generally made of bronze.

From Quiz History of Postal and Courier Services

Answer: Egypt

Pharaohs used couriers in Egypt for sending their written documents.

From Quiz Fireworks

Answer: bamboo

One legend tells that a Chinese chef mixed saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal and when placed on the fire, this created a colorful flame. When he tried to burn the same inside a bamboo shoot, it exploded with a loud noise. There are other Chinese legends that tell the story of the discovery of gunpowder and fireworks. Fireworks were gradually included in Chinese daily life to be used for fun, to ward off evil, weddings, and victory celebrations, etc.

From Quiz We Used to Wait

Answer: 8 months

The First Fleet, ships intended to establish the first British settlement in what is now known as Australia, left Portsmouth on 13 May, 1787, and arrived at Port Jackson, now Sydney, between the 18th and the 20th of January, 1788. The voyage took between 250 and 252 days, which is representative of the times taken by other vessels at that time. This is roughly 36 weeks, or a bit over 8 months. Of course, sailing ships' voyages were dependent on the winds, so times were rather variable, but not enough so as to make any of the other options feasible.

From Quiz Going, Going, Gone

Answer: Women

Women were offered for sale as wives. The auction started with the most beautiful woman and worked down to the least attractive. The auctioneer stated a starting price and lowered it until it was accepted by a bidder. This system did mean that the family of an unattractive female could end up having to pay someone to take her rather than receiving a profit. It was illegal for a family to sell their daughter for marriage outside of the auction system.

From Quiz Mixed Nuts

Answer: London

The Bethlehem Royal Hospital in London, was built in 1247 as a priory. It became a hospital in 1330 and first started to admit mentally ill patients around 1407. It became notorious for the brutal treatment of patients. The public could pay a penny to come and see the violent antics of the 'lunatics'. There was little or no attempt at treatment. The hospital is famous as the original 'Bedlam', a corruption of Bethlehem.

From Quiz Twist in My Sobriety

Answer: Xenophon

Xenophon was Greek, and lived and worked during the fifth century B.C. He was a mercenary soldier as well as a scholar and philosopher. His survivng works include essays on hunting and horse riding, and also a history of the last years of the Peloponnesian War.

From Quiz It Seemed Fashionable at the Time

Answer: lotus

The practice of foot binding commenced in China the 10th century and continued well into the 20th century. The desired length of a bound foot was between 3 to 3 1/2 inches.

From Quiz Folk Remedies Then and Now

Answer: Buttercups

In the days of yore, many herbal cures were usually the province of the Druids or elderly women in villages who had either learned their trade by trial and error, or had their knowledge handed down to them from their ancestors. Such wisdom was usually a heavily guarded secret and often passed on to the next generation only at the end of the healer's lifetime. This particular cure was vastly more pleasant than remedies of the day for various other health problems.

From Quiz Smoke, Smoke that Cigarette

Answer: The Americas

Tobacco is thought to have originated around 6000 B.C. in the Americas.

From Quiz I Smell a Rat

Answer: The early Christian missionaries associated Roman with with debauchery. They believed that uncleanliness was closest to godliness

The departure of the Romans left Britain open to attack from everybody. The Vikings just really enjoyed a good 'Rape an' Pillage' for the sake of it. Pagan habits began to take hold, but the early Christian missionaries found acceptance as they brought medicaments with them that appeared stronger than the Anglo-Saxon herbal remedies, and supposedly fought off disease.

From Quiz Crazy Little Things Called Gloves

Answer: Ellen DeGeneres

In England in the nineteenth century, women and children often worked from home doing the fine stitchwork and decoration required for quality glove-work. According to Jane Perkin, they were lucky to earn two shillings a week for their work.

From Quiz Help! My Dog Won't Eat My Homework!

Answer: Most children only attended a few years of school.

Homework was uncontroversial for most of the 19th century, because students were only assigned significant amounts of it when they reached high school, and most children left school after fifth or sixth grade to enter the workforce, or to help out full time on the family farm. Even for those who attended elementary school, homework was uncommon because student attendance was typically erratic, and most classrooms were multi-age and congested. Homework only began to attract its detractors when more children started to stay in school longer, after the introduction of mandatory schooling in the latter half of the 19th century. The end of the century also saw an increased emphasis on experiential learning and the emergence of the progressive education movement, which contributed to the attacks on homework, particularly the assignments given to younger students, which typically consisted of memorization and rote learning.

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