I am connecting a basic thesis that Japan modernized easily due to it's dedication to discipline, the comparison of the Bakufu to a modern day Bureaucracy, and the existence of a thriving (though banned) merchant class, that paralleled capitalistic system throughout Europe. I am citing these event's as the reason Japan was able to quickly reassert themselves as a world power by the end of the Russo-Japanese war. Does anybody have a different perspective of this? I am trying to make sure my idea is tracking with the history against my own personal biases

And if my conclusion is correct, possibly other citations you may have for it

I read Stephen Pinker's Better Angels of Our Nature (I know) and he was comparing casualty rates of the plains Indians to the Aztecs, claiming that the Aztec state led to lower casualty rates. I wondered if hostage taking was as big a part of warfare for the plains Indians as for the Aztecs, and then wondered if my assumptions about hostage taking and casualty rates were a good lens to assess whether Pinker's claims were reasonable here. I thought maybe comparing Agincourt to other medieval battles would give me a good indication if the general public history lessons of Agincourt are true. So that's what I'm wondering. Does Agincourt, or any other medieval battle, shed any light on this? Is my understanding of hostage taking right? etc.

Did they feel great shame about sex and masturbation like many modern conservative Christians feel? Was it normal to have sex for pleasure? How was pre-marital sex viewed and how common was it? Were there double standards for men and women? Did married couples frequently have sex, or just for procreation?

It isn't about God, it doesn't really talk about religion, and it is very obviously erotic in nature. It just seems out of place.

Legend says an Illinois tribe was driven up and starved atop Starved Rock in Oglesby, Illinois by another tribe during an native american conflict in the 1700s, which is why the park is named "Starved Rock". How accurate is this legend?

I am a big fan of the Soviet Union and this question came to mind. What items would the average soldier have carried? (Items as in miscellaneous tools, trinkets, cookware, utensils, and weapons. Their load out.)

When regarding plate mail, it seems that rivets would limit the range of motion for a wearer too much, especially for a sword arm. How were the individual segments of the armor held together?

When was the last major outbreak among a native american tribe?

How did they fight off diseases? Did they build up an immunity or was it thanks to modern medicine? or both?

Do they still have immunity problems today?

Useful historiography surrounding the approach would be greatly appreciated also

I am particularly interested in the mid/late eighteenth century, but any time is fine. I am also curious how the French and Indian War changed the answer.

Broadly speaking, I would like to know where, if anywhere, there was common, everyday peaceful interaction between natives and colonists for the purpose of trading or cooperative projects. And secondly, throughout the colonies how common would it be to see a native in the "interior" of colonial America, or to put it another way, were there natives walking around colonial Boston (or other major cities)?

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Franklin. I'm interested in how the Battle of Franklin fits into the greater history of the Western Theater during the U.S. Civil War.

What was the immediate lead-up to the battle?

How did the battle play out, and is there any truth to the claims that Hood was incapacitated/making poor decisions due to wounds received in an earlier engagement?

Finally, what were the repercussions of the battle for the rest of the war in the West?

Thanks in advance.