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The Devil is always in the details Larry Send a noteboard - 08/04/2010 12:29:25 PM
What if black pepper had been an indigenous plant in Europe and/or the Middle East? Not only does that impact a small but important part of medieval trade - the most long-distance one - but it also is of crucial importance to the European discovery journeys of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, and hence to the entire concept of colonialism.


Or what if potatoes or tobacco had not been imported from South America.


Tobacco was from North America/the Caribbean, or at least the specific species that are smoked by most people :P

Of course, if tobacco was not a cash crop, my family would never have been wealthy in the early 19th century (nor would they have lost most everything between the Panic of 1837 and the Civil War :P)


Yesyes. Details. I come from Norway. Everywhere that is warm enough for tobacco growing is per definition SOUTH.

And, of course, part of the scenario would have to be that it were never grown by European immigrants either.


It's okay. I always think "up there" for any region where snow lies on the ground more than a handful of days a year, if that much. :P

And then there's that scenario if Songhai had not been weakened by invasions from the Sahara...
Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie

Je suis méchant.
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I know I just did a survey, but this was too good to pass up. LordPerrin - 07/04/2010 12:44:15 AM 712 Views
Myself: World War I. LordPerrin - 07/04/2010 12:45:57 AM 589 Views
I don't think it's that simple. Joel - 07/04/2010 12:57:16 AM 533 Views
I see your point. LordPerrin - 07/04/2010 01:02:33 AM 514 Views
Sometimes sooner is better than later. Joel - 07/04/2010 01:10:11 AM 485 Views
True. LordPerrin - 07/04/2010 01:14:45 AM 500 Views
True, one might even say *adding* a war there would've improved things. Legolas - 07/04/2010 01:36:07 AM 496 Views
*nods* A small war is usually preferable to a big war. Joel - 07/04/2010 01:49:06 AM 475 Views
Re: True, one might even say *adding* a war there would've improved things. snoopcester - 07/04/2010 10:48:49 AM 484 Views
I had a teacher with an interesting theory related to that LadyLorraine - 07/04/2010 12:57:49 AM 371 Views
Well, at this time, it was pretty well accepted that Russia wasn't exactly a techinical power. LordPerrin - 07/04/2010 01:04:35 AM 339 Views
The Plague MalkierKnight - 07/04/2010 12:52:33 AM 466 Views
Re: The Plague LordPerrin - 07/04/2010 01:05:35 AM 374 Views
He must be talking about a different plague, but I'm not sure which one, either. *NM* Legolas - 07/04/2010 01:37:32 AM 314 Views
Maybe; there were episodic plague epidemics before and after that time. Joel - 07/04/2010 02:05:18 AM 504 Views
I am talking about one of the plagues not THE plague MalkierKnight - 07/04/2010 02:50:25 AM 470 Views
Re: I am talking about one of the plagues not THE plague lyringlas - 07/04/2010 08:45:26 PM 464 Views
I'm so glad you have the time and inclination to type up these replies. *NM* Ghavrel - 08/04/2010 07:09:22 AM 312 Views
...? lyringlas - 08/04/2010 07:51:14 PM 366 Views
Sounds like he was thanking you for saving him the effort of writing a similar reply. *NM* Legolas - 08/04/2010 09:28:55 PM 334 Views
If that is the case, then great *NM* lyringlas - 08/04/2010 09:30:51 PM 297 Views
OK, think this one's been pretty thoroughly covered in my absence. Joel - 13/04/2010 11:51:16 AM 517 Views
The spread of Christianity LadyLorraine - 07/04/2010 12:55:29 AM 542 Views
Huh. Wild to think about. *NM* LordPerrin - 07/04/2010 01:06:44 AM 324 Views
Re: The spread of Christianity lyringlas - 07/04/2010 08:47:06 PM 363 Views
Re: The spread of Christianity Camilla - 08/04/2010 09:29:17 AM 384 Views
Why would that have an impact on Judaism? Kronin al'Sulc - 08/04/2010 01:40:47 PM 467 Views
Re: Why would that have an impact on Judaism? Camilla - 08/04/2010 01:42:25 PM 301 Views
But wasn't Christianity the inspiration for a whole era of art? *NM* Kronin al'Sulc - 08/04/2010 01:41:34 PM 332 Views
Re: But wasn't Christianity the inspiration for a whole era of art? Camilla - 08/04/2010 01:44:36 PM 503 Views
precisely. LadyLorraine - 08/04/2010 05:37:26 PM 488 Views
sorry, didn't see that Lorraine already addressed this. *NM* lyringlas - 08/04/2010 07:55:00 PM 324 Views
The product of Christian inspiration was heavily Hellenistic in origin... lyringlas - 08/04/2010 07:54:12 PM 346 Views
The Partition of India, 1947... *NM* BlackAdder - 07/04/2010 12:59:32 AM 319 Views
Any paticular reason why? *NM* LordPerrin - 07/04/2010 01:34:54 AM 314 Views
Agreed. *NM* Kylia Skydancer - 07/04/2010 01:59:02 AM 402 Views
The destruction of the Great Library. Joel - 07/04/2010 01:02:59 AM 422 Views
Internet spam sucks indeed. LordPerrin - 07/04/2010 01:08:23 AM 551 Views
We'll never know; makes for fascinating speculative fiction. Joel - 07/04/2010 01:13:49 AM 457 Views
This whole topic is wild, it's something I sometimes think about. LordPerrin - 07/04/2010 01:17:50 AM 472 Views
Ya, that's what makes history so gripping. Joel - 07/04/2010 01:19:54 AM 572 Views
I don't know if that's really true... Legolas - 07/04/2010 01:39:51 AM 482 Views
It wouldn't have been as sudden or extreme. Joel - 07/04/2010 01:58:39 AM 512 Views
"Joel captures Alexandria! The Great Library is destroyed!" *NM* moondog - 07/04/2010 01:08:35 AM 195 Views
NOOOO1111 Joel - 07/04/2010 01:11:33 AM 387 Views
A shame. It's one of the better ones, too. *NM* BlackAdder - 07/04/2010 01:14:20 AM 314 Views
Not in the first two Civs. Joel - 07/04/2010 01:22:43 AM 337 Views
Civ, i love that game... MalkierKnight - 07/04/2010 03:01:13 AM 449 Views
Yeah that's one of the small annoying things BlackAdder - 07/04/2010 07:34:52 AM 328 Views
An interesting point MalkierKnight - 07/04/2010 02:57:03 AM 491 Views
That's usually my reply to this question too *NM* ironclad - 07/04/2010 11:42:55 AM 298 Views
It's crazy to think that the human knowledge base doubles every 2 years... lyringlas - 07/04/2010 08:49:28 PM 324 Views
Literacy and communication have literally made a world of difference. Joel - 13/04/2010 09:25:45 AM 427 Views
if the giant meteor hadn't destroyed the dinosaurs... moondog - 07/04/2010 01:10:42 AM 388 Views
"FOR" global warming? Now there's a phrase I never thought I'd here! LordPerrin - 07/04/2010 01:16:04 AM 325 Views
The spread of Islam Dragonsoul - 07/04/2010 01:26:11 AM 492 Views
oh aren't you clever. *NM* LadyLorraine - 07/04/2010 01:47:13 AM 303 Views
There's such a thing as being right for the wrong reasons, though I'm not sure he is. Joel - 07/04/2010 02:12:14 AM 316 Views
Wikipedia is of course not a scholarly source, but all the same... Legolas - 07/04/2010 11:57:01 AM 470 Views
Fair enough. Joel - 07/04/2010 12:51:16 PM 467 Views
I read the Bernard Lewis article referred to at Wikipedia... Legolas - 07/04/2010 01:19:03 PM 446 Views
So it's borrowed propaganda. Joel - 13/04/2010 09:30:39 AM 437 Views
Re: The spread of Islam Camilla - 08/04/2010 09:24:31 AM 524 Views
Haha, are you kidding? Dragonsoul - 08/04/2010 07:59:39 PM 298 Views
Re: Haha, are you kidding? Camilla - 08/04/2010 08:50:33 PM 288 Views
Ask yourself the question... Legolas - 08/04/2010 09:33:33 PM 301 Views
I don't see the connection. BlackAdder - 08/04/2010 08:49:46 PM 478 Views
Re: I don't see the connection. Camilla - 08/04/2010 08:51:21 PM 348 Views
I'd better not touch this one ßelals Girl - 07/04/2010 03:12:00 AM 501 Views
The spread of Judaism. Great Lord of Chaos - 07/04/2010 04:30:37 AM 430 Views
Re: The spread of Judaism. BlackAdder - 07/04/2010 07:31:02 AM 385 Views
I...do not know. Spriteling - 07/04/2010 07:18:13 AM 370 Views
A lot of times, you change one thing, and everything changes- even the things you don't think about. LordPerrin - 07/04/2010 12:26:51 PM 347 Views
Amusing that the underlying expectation seems to be more along political history lines Larry - 07/04/2010 12:56:49 PM 549 Views
Considering the way history is taught, is it surprising? *NM* Ghavrel - 08/04/2010 07:11:03 AM 289 Views
Nope, not really Larry - 08/04/2010 10:24:54 AM 469 Views
Here's one that'll be more to your liking... Legolas - 08/04/2010 10:40:53 AM 308 Views
Yes Larry - 08/04/2010 10:52:11 AM 443 Views
Re: Here's one that'll be more to your liking... Camilla - 08/04/2010 11:58:27 AM 341 Views
Uh... Larry - 08/04/2010 12:11:14 PM 496 Views
Re: Uh... Camilla - 08/04/2010 12:15:20 PM 520 Views
The Devil is always in the details Larry - 08/04/2010 12:29:25 PM 458 Views
Re: The Devil is always in the details Camilla - 08/04/2010 12:32:34 PM 266 Views
Not really Larry - 08/04/2010 01:07:57 PM 427 Views
Re: Not really Camilla - 08/04/2010 01:10:16 PM 336 Views
Only to a degree Larry - 08/04/2010 01:27:22 PM 434 Views
Re: Only to a degree Camilla - 08/04/2010 01:30:12 PM 548 Views
I was into cultural and religious history Larry - 08/04/2010 01:38:24 PM 434 Views
Re: I was into cultural and religious history Camilla - 08/04/2010 01:41:31 PM 332 Views
Ha! Larry - 08/04/2010 01:49:23 PM 478 Views
Re: Ha! Camilla - 08/04/2010 01:51:28 PM 304 Views
I'm really sleep deprived... Larry - 08/04/2010 02:13:20 PM 584 Views
Re: I'm really sleep deprived... Camilla - 08/04/2010 02:19:07 PM 353 Views
Camilla - 08/04/2010 02:52:59 PM 446 Views
Interesting fact of the day for you two... Legolas - 08/04/2010 02:45:15 PM 339 Views
I know Camilla - 08/04/2010 02:46:41 PM 483 Views
It was nice being a "threadkiller" of a different sort Larry - 08/04/2010 10:08:34 PM 352 Views
Quote Pyramids of Destiny FTL *NM* BlackAdder - 08/04/2010 10:16:21 PM 306 Views
Since, surprisingly, no one's pointed it out yet, prehistory/=history. Joel - 13/04/2010 09:52:19 AM 437 Views
me being born mega rich *NM* random thoughts - 07/04/2010 02:15:34 PM 316 Views
Joanie Loves Chachi. Tigr - 07/04/2010 03:42:56 PM 403 Views
worse than "afterMASH"?? *NM* moondog - 07/04/2010 03:50:10 PM 284 Views
Worse than "Joey" ? *NM* TaskmasterJack - 07/04/2010 06:48:25 PM 295 Views
If you remember Joanie loves Chachi, you might be too old? StarrBecca - 08/04/2010 12:00:34 AM 324 Views
Re: I know I just did a survey, but this was too good to pass up. lyringlas - 07/04/2010 09:04:02 PM 350 Views
Science getting on the ball in the 40's and making superhumans *NM* fistofpainx - 08/04/2010 05:31:34 AM 341 Views
The spread of peanut butter and jelly. Ghavrel - 08/04/2010 07:12:21 AM 477 Views
I think two spreads that would be better to eliminate would be marmite and vegemite (sp). Avendesora - 08/04/2010 05:30:26 PM 444 Views
The Bread of Christianity. Ghavrel - 08/04/2010 07:12:51 AM 482 Views
The dead of Christianity. Ghavrel - 08/04/2010 07:13:34 AM 453 Views
The thread of Christianity. Ghavrel - 08/04/2010 07:14:15 AM 411 Views
The head of [Roman Catholic] Christianity. Ghavrel - 08/04/2010 07:15:21 AM 446 Views
You completely missed the "pick 1" part of the question, didn't you? *NM* Camilla - 08/04/2010 09:26:23 AM 304 Views
Well, techinically, I never said that you couldn't make multible posts, each discussing 1 thing. *NM* LordPerrin - 08/04/2010 05:36:37 PM 280 Views
I'm fairly sure he was just mocking someone's earlier post "just thought it would be interesting..." *NM* lyringlas - 08/04/2010 08:06:56 PM 287 Views
I'm pretty sure of that too. *NM* LordPerrin - 08/04/2010 08:33:46 PM 291 Views
...it's pretty interesting *NM* lyringlas - 08/04/2010 08:35:47 PM 343 Views
just as you thought it would be? *NM* BlackAdder - 08/04/2010 08:44:49 PM 285 Views
My parody. Ghavrel - 08/04/2010 10:41:29 PM 430 Views
Re: My parody. Camilla - 09/04/2010 07:29:19 AM 502 Views
The 1987 Rugby World Cup Final Colonel Logain - 13/04/2010 12:23:17 PM 512 Views
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