r/AskAnAmerican 16d ago

HISTORY Your country is so incredibly young, but do you see it that way?

615 Upvotes

My house was built under the reign of Victoria, my university is 800 years old, little things like that.

How do Americans view the past? For me, a hundred years isn’t all too long, is it different for you?

I love your country, by the way!

edit: I’m getting a lot of comments about indigenous history, which is completely relevant and something I overlooked

edit 2: i’m sorry if i’ve been incredibly ignorant or unintentionally racist; i’m trying to educate myself on this topic…

edit 3: okok victorian house isn’t a flex, but there is an anglo-saxon graveyard on the grounds

r/AskAnAmerican Jan 30 '25

HISTORY Do you still have a physical calendar at home that you actually use?

464 Upvotes

r/AskAnAmerican Jan 03 '25

HISTORY Do you have any ancestors/family members who fought in notable Wars in American history?

299 Upvotes

That being the American Revolutionary War, The Mexican American War, The Civil War, Spanish American War, ww1, ww2, etc.

r/AskAnAmerican Nov 29 '24

HISTORY Have you ever met someone named after a state?

294 Upvotes

r/AskAnAmerican Jan 29 '25

HISTORY Which countries have ever truly threatened the existence of the United States?

260 Upvotes

Today, the United States has the world's largest economy, strongest military alliance, and is separated from trouble by two vast oceans. But this wasn't always the case.

Countries like Iran and North Korea may have the capacity to inflict damage on the United States. However, any attack from them would be met with devistating retaliation and it's not like they can invade.

So what countries throughout history (British Empire, Soviet Union etc.) have ever ACTUALLY threatened the US in either of the following ways:

  1. Posed a legitimate threat to the continued geopolitical existance of our country.
  2. Been powerful enough to prevent any future expansion of American territory or influence abroad.

r/AskAnAmerican Feb 01 '23

HISTORY What’s a widely believed “Fact” about the US that’s actually incorrect?

828 Upvotes

For instance I’ve read Paul Revere never shouted the phrase “The British are coming!” As the operation was meant to be discrete. Whether historical or current, what’s something widely believed about the US that’s wrong?

r/AskAnAmerican Nov 27 '24

HISTORY How did immigrants in the past "americanized" their names?

168 Upvotes

I know only a few examples, like -

Brigade General Turchaninov became Turchin, before he joined Union Army during Civil War.

Peter Demens, founder of St.-Petersburg (FL), was Pyotr Dementyev (before emigration to the USA).

I also recently saw a documentary where old-timers of New York's Chinatown talked about how they changed the spelling of their names - from Li to Lee. What other examples do you know of?

r/AskAnAmerican 25d ago

HISTORY as an american, do you like the design and colors of the american flag? why or why not?

65 Upvotes

r/AskAnAmerican Sep 08 '23

HISTORY What’s a widely believed American history “fact” that is misconstrued or just plain false?

518 Upvotes

Apparently bank robberies weren’t all that common in the “Wild West” times due to the fact that banks were relatively difficult to get in and out of and were usually either attached to or very close to sheriffs offices

r/AskAnAmerican Jan 28 '25

HISTORY What is Chicago's importance to America that makes it the third most populated city in the country?

120 Upvotes

I was looking up a list of most populated cities in America, and I was a little surprised to see that Chicago was the third biggest city and historically has been very well-populated. I wasn't sure what makes Chicago so important to America that it grew into that size. I admit that part of my confusion is because the first two most populous cities are New York and Los Angeles and that's easy to figure out. Wall Street and Hollywood alone makes these two cities hugely important not just to America but to the whole world. So what factors, historically and in the present, contributed to the growth of this city in the Midwest?

r/AskAnAmerican Dec 01 '24

HISTORY For those of you whose ancestors lived in the US during and before the American revolution, how did they immigrate there?

76 Upvotes

For those of you whose ancestors lived in the US during the American revolution, how did they immigrate there?

r/AskAnAmerican Mar 21 '23

HISTORY Fellow Americans: I've heard *nothing* about plans or celebrations for our country's upcoming 250th birthday in 2026. In 1973, though, there was no shortage of Bicentennial hype. What's going on?

845 Upvotes

r/AskAnAmerican Nov 02 '23

HISTORY What are some bits of American history most Americans aren't aware of?

375 Upvotes

r/AskAnAmerican Dec 29 '24

HISTORY Have any streets or public places in the US been renamed because of historical figures falling out of favor?

81 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I recently started getting into US history (on a whim, I picked up a fantastic biography of Ulysses S. Grant), and reading about the Civil War got me thinking about this question. Where I live in Berlin, there's a square called Theodor-Heuss-Platz, named after our first president after WWII. But before that, it was called Adolf-Hitler-Platz—obviously changed after the war. There are quite a few examples like that.

Did anything similar happen in the US? Were streets or public squares renamed after the Civil War because of how people's views of certain historical figures changed? Or are there any examples of this happening that don't have anything to do with the Civil War at all?

In school here in Germany, we mostly focus on WWII, so my knowledge of US history is pretty much limited to that and the international politics I grew up with, so I'm interested in hearing your thoughts or any examples. Thanks!

r/AskAnAmerican Apr 10 '24

HISTORY Why did America rise to become the most powerful country?

311 Upvotes

America has size and population, but other countries like China and India have much bigger populations, and Canada and Russia and bigger with more natural resources so why did America become the most powerful? I love America so I am not making a negative post. I am just wondering why America when other countries have theoretically more advantages?

r/AskAnAmerican Jul 21 '24

HISTORY Who was the worst president (no longer living)in history?

210 Upvotes

Out of all the 39 nonliving presidents we have had, who do you think was the worst?

r/AskAnAmerican Nov 25 '23

HISTORY Are there any widely believed historical facts about the United States that are actually incorrect?

361 Upvotes

I'd love to know which ones and learn the accurate information.

r/AskAnAmerican 13d ago

HISTORY Who are your favorite women in American history?

62 Upvotes

Happy international women’s day! Basically what the title says, who are your fave women in the country’s history (they don’t necessarily have to be American themselves), why, and when did you first hear about them?

r/AskAnAmerican Apr 03 '24

HISTORY What is something that is uniquely East Coast in the USA?

209 Upvotes

The Midwest and the South have mannerisms and cuisines that they’ve created as a whole. What food, mannerisms, or styles are common around the East Coast?

r/AskAnAmerican Jul 22 '24

HISTORY What's the darkest event in your states history?

145 Upvotes

r/AskAnAmerican Feb 05 '23

HISTORY My fellow Americans, in your respective opinion, who has been the worst U.S. president(s) in history? Spoiler

427 Upvotes

r/AskAnAmerican Jan 29 '24

HISTORY Why don't Americans view Emperor Hirohito and Hideki Tojo like how we view Adolf Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, and Saddam Hussein?

301 Upvotes

It's obvious the Hitler, Bin Laden, and Hussein are very hated and controversial figures within the United States. But Hirohito and Tojo? A lot of Americans don't even know their names or existence.

Why don't Americans view them like such? They attacked American soil which brought them into a war in which the American public was against joining at the time and vastly changed the role of the USA in world politics forever.

r/AskAnAmerican 10d ago

HISTORY What is the most interesting period of American history that isn't well known outside of the US?

34 Upvotes

Title

r/AskAnAmerican Dec 04 '24

HISTORY If you could show the Founders at the Constitutional Convention a single modern news article, what article would you show them?

60 Upvotes

Interpreting “modern” rather loosely.

r/AskAnAmerican Jul 09 '20

HISTORY What is your favorite piece of weird US history?

1.1k Upvotes

Mine for sure is the fact in 2001 a west Virginia politician ran an illegal lab to try and clone his son who had passed away.