Which faction had tactical edge over another and how did this 'edge' change dynamically over time? For example, I heard that during the early wars, IJN had air superiority with their Zeros but the edge disappeared as as the war progressed and Americans developed better planes.

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Just re-watched '12 Years A Slave' and it really made me think about how someone can feel indifference or acceptance of treating black slaves so poorly, do we know anything about how the average person viewed slavery at the time? Did most people think it was okay or did people just see it as a necessary evil that had to exist or was there even a large portion of the population who were completely against it? It's hard to imagine someone seeing someone being whipped or seeing huge scars on a slave's back and not feel like it's abhorrent behavior, especially considering how the slaves showed the same emotions and pain as white people did.

Could it be compared to today's meat industry? That people are simply not aware of what's going on and/or not exposed to it on a regular basis so they don't care that much? Whether you're for or against meat consumption, you gotta admit that most people today would have a hard time killing an animal, even in a survival situation.

I've seen it on Shogun II And other places, but can't find what they are. It's some thing that looks like a ping-pong racket and is used to give commands or something.

Thank you all in advance.

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James clavell's shogun, and another user's post mention this, but I have never heard of any other mention before. Could someone help me out? Maybe regarding the prevalence, particular use and battles, as well as the reason for samurai particularly.

I'm thinking of writing a novel about the genocide, from the perspective of someone that lived through the forced marches through the desert in Turkey/Syria.

Can anyone recommend some primary/secondary sources with detailed information about the marches, the experiences that people went through, etc?

Thanks.

I mean specifically when two armies clashed on the battlefield, marching towards one another to inevitable bloodshed. Would the infantry lines allow one side to fire the first volley, then proceed to be allowed to fire their volley afterward? Or would they fire their volleys at the same time then charge?

The reason I ask this question is that in movies (The Patriot, The Sovereign's Servant; Battle of Poltava) it seems like both sides opt to fight a 'clean' honorable battle in which both sides are allowed to fire a volley while the other side simply stands and wait to receive it after firing their own volley. It seems counter-intuitive, as one would think to charge right after you fired your own volley to prevent the enemy from firing theirs.

Sorry for the long question.

What is the origin of the word "cracker" as used to refer to white people? I was told that it originally referred to the slave charged with "cracking the whip" in the field, and/or meting out punishment, typically via a whip; but handing a slave a weapon seems unlikely to me.

EDIT

When did that usage start appearing in written/recorded language? Did use by a marginalized group to demean the majority group affect this entry?

Did I sit in a lecture hall with my fellow students? What did my Professor do for classes? What did course work consist of? Was there even any course work? How was my work "graded"? Did I major in subjects similar to how students major in subjects today? What could I do with a degree back then?

Bonus question: I'm a hot-blooded young male student looking for entertainment in between studying. Would I be able to booze and strike out with girls the same way I do today?

An answer to any and/or all of the questions above would be greatly appreciated! I've always been curious about the history of education.

EDIT: Upon reflection, "typical class" is a pretty broad term. If the format of a class varied based on the subject, that'd be interesting to learn too!