The Revolutionary Soldier

The Horror of W

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Weapons of the Soldier

• A large number of different weapons were used throughout the revolutionary war.

• while some of the weapons were used in wars before

• some of the others were experimental weapons that did not get more regularly used until later in history.

The Musket

• The most commonly used gun in the Revolutionary War was the muzzle loaded musket.

Muskets continued…

• The musket was the main weapon for thousands of British and Continental Troops.

• However, it did not have very good range.

Cannons

• The cannon was a very effective weapon throughout the war.

• It was because of this weapon that the Americans had a great chance to win the war.

Cannons continued

• It took as many as 18 soldiers to operate.

• The cannons could fire objects hundreds of yards

• It could also take out dozens of soldiers in a single shot

Flintlock Pistol

The flintlock pistol was:

• mostly as a secondary weapon

• considered very inaccurate

• used as a personal item • popular in early American

duals

Swords and Sabers

• They were mostly used by officers.

• They were also decorative in nature and had precious materials on them.

Swords and Sabers Continued…

• They were used for stabbing and slicing.

• George Washington considered his sword a part of his uniform.

Bayonets

• It is a long sharp bladed and sharp tipped knives that could be attached to the end of a musket.

Interesting Information

The Submarine • The Americans first experimented

with the idea of a submarine during the revolutionary war.

• It was made to attach explosives to the bottom of British ships without being detected.

• It was invented by David Bushnell and it was called “the turtle”.

More Interesting Information

• General Washington hated the idea of an underwater attack; he said it was “ungentlemanly”

• Two attacks were attempted with “the turtle” and they both failed.