4 Notable Examples of 18th-Century Warfare Technology

The signing of the Declaration of Independence was done on the 4th of July in 1776.

Technically speaking it isn't the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, but it is noted as the day the United States of America was born.

In fact, independence from the United Kingdom and her empire were declared on the 2nd July 1776. But hostilities actually started back in April of 1775. 

To celebrate this special occasion, it might be nice to explore some of the weapons used during this momentous period of history.

The following are just a selection of some of the many weapons used during this period but they were also some of the most commonly used by British and American forces of the time.

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Were there guns in the 18th century?

Yes, indeed there were guns in the 18th Century.

In fact, the technology had advanced to such an extent that they were the de facto small arms for many armies around the world. 

Most infantry units were equipped with either smoothbore and, in some cases, rifled bore muskets at this time. Most cavalry units were also equipped with small arms as well as their close combat melee weapons. 

Guns had, at this point, made many older weapons, and tactics, redundant. No longer would archers or mounted heavily armored knights dictate battles. 

Battles would be joined with organized ranks of soldiers supported by massed artillery and uniformed cavalry. The modern age of warfare was dawning. 

What weapons were used in the 1700s?

As we have already seen, the 1700s was a period well within the age of black powder. Most fighting at this time was carried out using firearms, artillery, and cavalry. 

Some examples of weapons commonly used during this period include:

Blunderbuss

Carronade

Carbine

Sabres

Bayonets

Pistols

Mortars

Field artillery

Were there guns in the 1700s?

This period is marked by the advent of the flintlock for most firearms. These replaced the older, and less reliable, matchlock devices. 

Although flintlocks did exist in the 1600s, it was during the 18th Century that they became commonplace. 

Artillery also saw something of a revolution during this period with their types becoming more standardized as compared to earlier periods in the black powder age.

Muskets also became more and more accurate throughout the 1700s with early rifling appearing. Mounted knights were extinct at this time with cavalry becoming uniformed and armed with swords and firearms of various types.

Muskets and rifles would come accompanied by a detachable bayonet that could quickly be attached in case of hand to hand combat. These allowed infantry units to become effective at long and close-quarters range - after all, it took time to reload between firings. 

How were wars fought during the 1700s?

Needless to say, various tactics and stratagems were employed by generals of the time. But grossly overgeneralizing, battles tended to be fought as follows. 

Wars during the 1700 century were characterized by lines of infantry advancing in good order towards the enemy. They would advance, usually at walking pace, until they were within firing distance (100 yards) of the enemy. 

Each side would then fire volleys at one another and, if need be, charge the enemy with their bayonets fixed. Muskets were notoriously inaccurate and the main aim of the conflicts of this period was to break the morale of the enemy as quickly as possible.

Most casualties were sustained when a unit, or entire army for that matter, had routed. 

All the while, cavalry, and artillery would do their part, further inflicting massive casualties on enemy units wherever and whenever they could. 

"The tactics changed in the 18th century as well. We see a shift from armies running at one another to armies moving in lines toward one another, stopping, firing, and reloading. The first line would fire, and then drop to one knee to reload while the second line would take aim and fire," notes study.com.

Some notable weapons used in the American Independence Wars

Here are some of the more common weapons used during the American Revolution, but this list is far from exhaustive. 

1. "Brown Bess" Smoothbore musket

The "Brown Bess" flintlock muzzle-loaded musket is probably one of the most famous muskets of all time. It was the British Army's standard-issue infantry firearm between 1722 and 1838. 

This weapon saw service in many battles throughout this time, including the Revolutionary Wars in America. It was also still in service by the time of the Napoleonic Wars. 

In the arms of a well-trained infantryman, it could fire between 3 and 4 shots per minute. It came in two variants, the 0.75 inches caliber 'Long Land Pattern' and the 'Short Land Pattern' model. 

The weapon was also used extensively by American Revolutionaries throughout the wars. 

2. American "Pennsylvania" Long Rifle

Long Rifles first appeared in the 18th Century and were produced by German gunsmiths in Pennsylvania. They were based on the Jager long rifles, and came to be known as "Pennsylvania Rifles". 

They were mainly used by snipers and light infantry to screen friendly forces and harass enemy units. The grooved barrels of these weapons increased the range and accuracy by spinning a snugly fitted ball.

This gave them an accurate range of around 300 yards (272 meters) as compared to 100 yards (91 meters) for smoothbore muskets. 

They were hard to load, compared to muskets, and relatively expensive. Long rifles were used to great effect during the battles of Saratoga and New Orleans where they were used to pick off British officers. 

3. Charleville Musket

Charleville Muskets were imported in large numbers by their French Allies during the American Revolution. In particular, the 1763 and 1766 models were pretty common amongst French and American Revolutionary forces. 

This was a .69 caliber muzzle-loaded, flintlock rifle and was the standard weapon for French infantry of the time. It was first made in 1717 and was produced in large quantities until well into the 1840s. 

Some were still in use by the time of the Crimean War. 

It made use of paper cartridges and could be fired between 2 and 3 times a minute on average. 

4. The 3 Pounder "Grasshopper" Cannon

The 3-pounder "Grasshopper" cannon was a late 18th Century infantry support gun of the British Army. It was usually employed as a light battalion gun and was specifically designed for use on rough terrain.

It had a bronze barrel which meant it was safer to fire and lighter than iron alternatives. As the name suggests, it fired a 3-pound (1.36 kg) ball or could also fire 3 pounds of canister shot to devastate enemy units. 

It was light enough to be maneuvered by its crew using drag ropes and wooden shafts and its characteristic look earned it the nickname "Grasshopper". The gun was famously used at the Battle of Yorktown.