| − | Anti-Christians teach that the Christian Europeans deliberately spread [[smallpox]] among the [[American Indians]], as in handing out blankets with the germs. "... the myth is so vibrant that it made its way into a scene in the movie [[Broken Trail]] (2006)."<ref> [http://www.badeagle.com/2009/03/08/pox-pundits-and-american-indian-genocide/]</ref> | + | Anti-Christians teach that the Christian Europeans deliberately spread [[smallpox]] among the [[American Indians]], as in handing out blankets with the germs. "...the myth is so vibrant that it made its way into a scene in the movie [[Broken Trail]] (2006)."<ref> [http://www.badeagle.com/2009/03/08/pox-pundits-and-american-indian-genocide/]</ref> |
| | In fact, the [[germ theory of disease]] was not even discovered until the 19th century. | | In fact, the [[germ theory of disease]] was not even discovered until the 19th century. |
| − | :'... at odds with any such idea is the effort of the United States government at this time tovaccinate the native population. Smallpox vaccination, a procedure developed by the English country doctor [[Edward Jenner]] in 1796, was first ordered in 1801 by [[President Jefferson]]; the program continued in force for three decades, though its implementation was slowed both by the resistance of the Indians, who suspected a trick, and by lack of interest on the part of some officials. Still, as Thornton writes: "[[Vaccination]] of American Indians did eventually succeed in reducing mortality from smallpox."'<ref> [http://hnn.us/articles/7302.html]</ref> | + | :'... at odds with any such idea is the effort of the United States government at this time to vaccinate the native population. Smallpox vaccination, a procedure developed by the English country doctor [[Edward Jenner]] in 1796, was first ordered in 1801 by [[President Jefferson]]. The program continued in force for three decades, though its implementation was slowed both by the resistance of the Indians, who suspected a trick, and by lack of interest on the part of some officials. Still, as Thornton writes: "[[Vaccination]] of American Indians did eventually succeed in reducing mortality from smallpox."'<ref> [http://hnn.us/articles/7302.html]</ref> |
| | [[Marie Antoinette]]'s "Let them eat cake" was almost certainly never uttered. The phrase was likely invented by anti-monarchist revolutionaries seeking to have Marie and Louis XVI executed. Moreover, even if it was uttered, it would have made sense because there was a shortage of bread and cake was a rational substitute. | | [[Marie Antoinette]]'s "Let them eat cake" was almost certainly never uttered. The phrase was likely invented by anti-monarchist revolutionaries seeking to have Marie and Louis XVI executed. Moreover, even if it was uttered, it would have made sense because there was a shortage of bread and cake was a rational substitute. |
| − | The original French would have been "''Qu'ils mangent de la brioche''" (''brioche'' being a rough form of cake made of flour, butter and eggs). Apparently, French law required bakers to sell loaves at fixed prices and fancy loaves had to be sold at the same price as basic breads. Given a flour shortage at the time, brioche would have been an affordable, and available, alternative. Conversely, Rossouw in his memoirs, Confessions says in Vol 6, "At length I recollected the thoughtless saying of a great princess, who, on being informed that the country people had no bread, replied, 'Then let them eat pastry!'" However, Rousseau wrote this in early 1766, when Marie Antoinette was only 10 years old.<ref>http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/227600.html</ref> | + | The original French would have been "''Qu'ils mangent de la brioche''" (''brioche'' being a rough form of cake made of flour, butter and eggs). Apparently, French law required bakers to sell loaves at fixed prices and fancy loaves had to be sold at the same price as basic breads. Given a flour shortage at the time, brioche would have been an affordable, and available, alternative. Conversely, Rousseau in his memoirs, Confessions says in Vol 6, "At length I recollected the thoughtless saying of a great princess, who, on being informed that the country people had no bread, replied, 'Then let them eat pastry!'" However, Rousseau wrote this in early 1766, when Marie Antoinette was only 10 years old.<ref>http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/227600.html</ref> |