How Gunpowder Changed Warfare

Ian Graham Period 4 10/28/16 Section 1 - Muskets Before the weapons we know now, muskets were a major weapon. Muskets were slow to load taking around 20 seconds to do so and often misfired. These guns had calibers ranging from .69 to .75 inches. Muskets usually fired anywhere from 80-100 yards but were inaccurate weapons but did the job. Muskets could be fitted with bayonets, a short dual sided blade meant for close combat.

For hunters and duelists, the Flintlock rifle stands out as the eighteenth century’s greatest technology but for the military it was a soldier’s best tool. Out of all of the military technological advances in the eighteenth century, such as the cannon, sword, and the crossbow, none surpassed the power of the Flintlock rifle that became imperative in the Seven Years’ War. The rifle’s contributions to the war consists of replacing heavier guns, used proper accuracy, and can reload quicker. There are also negatives to the Flintlock rifle such as misfires, accidental fire, and igniting sparks. Even with malfunctions, the Flintlock rifle helped the French and British armies in the Seven Years’ War.

Kyle Mizokami wrote, “The result was a single man with the firepower of an entire squad of musketmen” (Mizokami, 2016). The United States lost nearly two percent of its population during the time due to the powerful weapons that were used. One weapon that was turned down and not used in the War, but invented during the war was the Gatling Gun. Also recognized as the world's first machine gun. It could fire 190 bullets per minute (Wheeler, 2006).

The first rifle that was used in the early war was the matchlock musket. The matchlock musket was used until 1775, but still used by some families as a useful household weapon (history-of-american-wars). The matchlock musket had a considerable downside , when it was rainy or humid it was extremely difficult

Gunpowder changed warfare, not only in America, but all over the world. Although, gunpowder was not invented in the U.S., it made a great impact on the country. Despite the fact that gunpowder was invented in 904 AD (Max Distro, 2013), different weapons were used before the gunpowder ages. An example of a prominent weapon used is the longbow.

congruent with the institutions and feelings of the period were invented.” Mead in this quote is saying that inventions do not happen because of right or wrong but rather because of what the time period is prepared for. However, Gun powder not only started physical explosions it also started a new era of intellectual and social explosions. This invention led natural philosophers and soldiers alike to ask questions such as what happens to the cannonball after it leaves the cannon. This question took four hundred years and whole new fields of science to answer (Kelly 136).

The invention of the gun makes killing or brutally injuring someone an ease. This is the biggest piece of artificial warfare. But the invention of gunpowder actually isn't a good thing. Lots of people die by guns. In fact just about 48,000 people died by gun fire in 2021(Mongols in World History).

"A battery of artillery is worth a thousand muskets. " A battery is equal to twelve cannons and has the same results as 1,000 muskets. Which would you rather use? Advancements in weaponry brought about changes in the types of weapons that soldiers used in fighting the Civil War.

Historical Investigation Word count overall: 2052 How did naval advancements change the Civil War? Evaluation of sources: For this investigation, the question “How did naval advancements change the Civil War?” will be discussed and the solutions to that question. In American History, the Civil War is considered a big turning point for the people.

When people are by the police they usually get a little scared or get on edge. I know people would love to feel safe when they are encountered by a law enforcement official. There aren’t many weapons out there that could replace the gun. I think that there really isn’t a non-lethal weapon out there that won’t kill but at the same time be effective in stopping criminals. There are weapons that are less deadlier than the gun but most kill you.

Gun Control: Assault Weapons Should be Banned in America In the past decade there have been many mass shootings which sparked a nationwide debate on the ban on assault weapons. Assault weapons are Semiautomatic weapons that are usually used in the military due to their advanced features. The difference between a Semiautomatic weapon and a regular pistol is that semiautomatic guns reload automatically and can fire consistently (Assault Weapons). Majority of Americans argue that Assault Weapons should be banned nationwide because of the amount of mass shootings caused by Assault weapons.

Using the gunpowder to burn, poison, blind, and create a smokescreen it was taken to the next level when it was used to create flaming arrows and projectile launchers. Not only air explosives but also land, bombs and mines became very common. In the 14th Century gunpowder and projectile technology came to Europe and here it was developed into cannons and used to bring down stone walls during raids. The improvement of field artillery and handguns in the late 15th century meant that knights, who were troubled by armor that did not stop bullets, became vulnerable. As a result, mounted soldiers quickly adapted by traveling unarmored, leading to the development of the modern cavalry

After Napoleon’s army had already seized Vienna during the Ulm-Austerlitz Campaign, he virtually destroyed the Austro- Russians before they could exit the battle field.6 These traditions or tactics of total defeat and destruction of the enemy varied from military practice in other societies, which not only contributed to Napoleonic warfare, but its superiority as well. The spread of military power was challenged by the ability to change or conserve its military practice as need arose.7 During the Napoleonic Revolution, emphasis on innovation was constant. Innovative weaponry, structure and command of peoples, and maneuvering tactics were all significant in the Western way of war.

However, let there be no mistake that these weapons are a life threat to civilians. The amount of semi-automatic guns in the U.S. puts a shockingly large price on the cost the government would pay to buy all the semi-automatic rifles back. A fairly large amount of guns exist in the United States and of that amount, about a third are assault weapons. “A November 2012 Congressional Research Service report found that, as of 2009, there were approximately 310 million firearms in the United States: ‘114 million handguns, 110 million rifles, and 86 million shotguns.’”

Archeologists and historians have identified arrows from various countries which dated back to 11,000 B.C.! All of this set a benchmark for modern bow hunting and the equipment used earlier is used now with better engineering and several