The Reaping

Ch 1

After the death of his wife Jean joined the confederation in order to hunt down the men responsible. Eventually he ran into Sam, a slave he helped to free and the two ventured off to find the union soldiers responsible. Sam grew tired of the endless search and joined the rangers leaving Jean on the hunt for revenge alone. He eventually caught up with Charlie, the leader of the union men who killed his wife, but the slippery snake escaped his clutches. Jean journeyed out to New Orleans to continue his search. He eventually ran into Margo, who needed his aid in defending her business and the romantic advance from the mayor. When jean found out the mayor had employed charle as his head of security, his revenge was almost complete, however now marshal sam arrived to stop jean from killing Charlie. Unable to forgive this intrusion, Jean left New Orleans alone. A year on the road Jean eventually found himself in California. He found himself doing petty bounties and a simple security job. Jean did just enough to earn a roof over his head and liquor in his belly. The 45 year old Jean eventually found himself drunk and in a dark place. A year later he was promised a huge pay out if he would accompany a merchant to a new land in the east. Jean would be his protector in the foreign land and be compensated heavily for his efforts. With nothing to lose, Jean agreed.

Throughout the 1870s and reaching its peak in the 1880s, former samurai, stripped of their privilege and status led a series of uprisings. Peasants were dissatisfied with agrarian and taxation policies that served only as a form of revenue for the new Meiji government, without benefiting the common folk.

Due to the introduction of universal education, which largely started with importing western philosophy, a growing popular rights movement called for the creation of a constitutional government. In response, the Meiji government created a cabinet system in 1885 and four years later, ItÅ Hirobumi, Japan's first prime minister, drafted the Meiji Constitution. Modeled after the Prussian and British models of a mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy, the Meiji Constitution named the Meiji Emperor head of state and the prime minister the head of government. The Meiji Constitution remained in place until 1946, when it was revised to Japan's current constitution.Along with political advances, Meiji era Japan underwent an enormous process of industrialization and modernization. Known as bunmei kaika ("civilization and enlightenment"), western culture was widely promoted. From intellectual trends to clothing and architecture, trends were adopted to promote and strengthen Japan's science, technology, iron and steel manufacturing, shipbuilding, and coal mining industries. The first railroad was built in 1872, and all major cities were linked by telegraph lines by 1880. Private firms were also encouraged with government financial support, and aided by the institution of a European-style banking system in 1882.
In 1885, trade between Japan and the United States was limited but beginning to grow due to Japan's increasing openness to foreign trade following the Meiji Restoration. The types of goods being brought from California to Japan could include textiles, agricultural products such as cotton, wheat, and canned fruits, as well as industrial goods like machinery and equipment. Additionally, luxury items such as fine fabrics, perfumes, and Western consumer goods might also be part of the cargo.
While English was not widely spoken in Japan in 1885, there were interactions between the two countries, particularly in trading ports like Yokohama. English-speaking traders, diplomats, and missionaries would have been present, facilitating communication between the two nations. In 1885, the journey from California to Japan by ship would typically take around 30 to 60 days, depending on the specific route, weather conditions, and the speed of the ship. Voyages could be faster with the use of steam-powered vessels, but sailing ships were still common during this time and could take longer due to reliance on wind power. Luckily for Jean Louis and Mr.Stanly Henderson the ship they were aboard was steam powered.
The journey was rough for everyone, especially Jean. He wasn't one to like being confined to such a small room and boat. The gunslinger was used to the open road so the current situation he was in caused him distress. In order to combat stress, Jean started to rely on the bottle, but there was no liquor aboard, so the gunman had to sober up the hard way. He would often spend time out on the top deck to enjoy the cool ocean breeze. The salted air helped a bit to ease his sour stomach and claustrophobia, however the gunman was counting down the days till they reached this foreign land.