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Effects of the civil war on technology
Technology of weapons during civil war
Technology of weapons during civil war
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The Civil War had many firsts: it was the first war in which machine guns were fired, enemies could aim their rifles with telescopic sites, they laid land lines, and they even spied on their enemies in hot air balloons. Improvements in the weapons changed the strategies of the sides and the number of casualties went way up. The newest rifles had spinning bullets which could make them go farther, could be aimed more accurately, and were even more deadly. And rifles that used minie` balls were even better. Minie` balls were bullets with hollow bases that expands upon firing.
Ironclads were the best way to protect yourself at sea. An ironclad is a warship that is covered with iron. They were much better than the wooden ships because they could withstand greater blows. The ironclads had two large cannons located at the top of the ship that were rotating on a turret so that they could fire in all directions.
Doctor Richard Gatling patented the Gatling gun in 1861. This gun would become one of the deadliest weapons of the war. The Gatling gun was a six-barreled gun and would fire...
The Civil War was unlike any other war ever fought in America and had many effects on the home front for both the North and the South. It is stated to be the first ever total war, which is a war against not only the civilians but also the armies. The Civil War is also considered the first modern war fought by the U.S. troops. Lincoln asked volunteers to sign up for only three months. Many people thought the war wouldn’t last long. However, the war continued on for four years. The Union armies had around 2,500,000 to 2,750,000 men and the Confederate army had approximately 750,000 to 1,250,000 men. The entire North and South society was affected by the war and desired for many social and economic assets. The Civil war brought new military techniques which caused the armaments to be more destructive. Ironclad ships and railroads were sufficiently used within the war. The north had a motive; they wanted to weaken the South’s longing to victory. The North tried to achieve this last motive by inflicting wholesale destruction upon the South (Janda, 1995). More than a hundred people seemed to be spies or secessionists in Maryland. In time, they were arrested due to not being faithful to the union and their state. Pro-secessionist newspapers were shut down, and telegrams and mail were censored (Perret, 2004).
The Civil War had a very large affect on all of the States. It changed men from gentlemen that went to church every Sunday and never cussed to people who rarely went to church and cussed all the time. Some of the people in the war were also very corrupt and did not do things as they should be done. The way that the enemy was looked at was even changed. All of these things were talked about in "The Civil War Diary of Cyrus F. Boyd".
When the Merrimac came into view, she fought the Cumberland and ended up destroying it. The shell burst into the rail and knocked down nine men of the Cumberland. In the end, the Merrimac destroyed the Cumberland. But no ship in the navy ever fought as hard or as brave as the Cumberland did. Once the word got around about the ironclad everyone started to make them.
The Civil War, beginning in 1861 and ending in 1865, was a notorious event in American history for many influential reasons. Among them was the war 's conclusive role in determining a united or divided American nation, its efforts to successfully abolish the slavery institution and bring victory to the northern states. This Civil War was first inspired by the unsettling differences that divided the northern and southern states over the power that resided in the hands of the national government to constrain slavery from taking place within the territories. There was only one victor in the Civil War. Due to the lack of resources, plethora of weaknesses, and disorganized leadership the Southern States possessed in comparison to the Northern States,
One of Colt's best inventions was the revolving cylinder which led to his company to expand to its full potential. During the 1830’s Samuel Colt was a sailor for the ship Carlo where he got the idea for the revolving cylinder from the wheel to turn the boat(Kirkland 6). In 1868 to 1871 Colt made the Thuer it came in a 44 and 36 cal that came in a metallic cartridge that did not infringe on Smith and Wesson’s patent(Lee). Like every good inventor you have mistakes but Colts first handgun that he made blew up in his hand. But that mistake gave him the chance to improve and expand his design for the modern day revolver(Kirkland 6). In 1836 Samuel Colt produced the first working and patented revolver(Kirkland 9-11). In 1855 elisha K. Root was hired by Samuel Colt to reengineer his revolving rifles. She made the rifle in to a solid frame and she made the Root Model 1855(Austerman). Another gun that Samuel Colt made was the dragoon it came in a .36 ,.34 ,.31 ,and a .28 caliber pistol most of these were sold to civilians in 1850’s(Lee). Lastly Samuel Colt named this pistol the Dragoon because for centuries men who attacked ...
The Civil War was the bloodiest war in American History. Even though the war was a
The Civil War was the bloodiest, most devestating war that has ever been fought on American soil. It began on April 12, 1861, at 4:30 in the morning. The main reason that the war was fought was because Southern states believed that they should have the right to use African-Americans as slaves, and the Northern States opposed that belief.
The North and the South had different perspectives. For a while these different perspectives only caused nonviolent arguments until neither could get past their differences and compromise. This led to the numerous battles of the Civil War and eventually the victory of the North. Both the North and the South had their strengths and weakness throughout the war, however, in the end the North was stronger. Factories, railroads, supplies, and population contributed to the strengths and weaknesses of the Union and Confederacy.
A popular weapon used by both sides was the rifle. Rifles were invented before the Civil War and were greatly used in the War of 1812. However, more types were built and a larger amount was used during the Civil War. Rifles added a spin to bullets for a greater accuracy at longer ranges. Using this weapon, soldiers could fire 400 yards away, as opposed to the average 80 yards (Robertson 50). Rifles were the fastest and hardest weapon of the time. Rifles allowed their bullets to be shot harder and faster towards its target. New inventions, used by the Union more than the Confederate, included Parrott rifles. They were composed of iron. Robert Parker Parrott, an American soldier and inventor, created these weapons, hence the name Parrott rifles. Despite its name, the Parrott rifle was actually a cannon. Its size ranged from 10 to 300 pounders. It was not favored by most because it was considered unsafe (“Civil War Artillery”). Because of its bulkiness and heaviness, it seldom led soldiers to inaccuratel...
The Civil War had many large technological advancements that would greatly evolve warfare. The war introduced the first ironclad ships, the first repeating rifles and carbines, and the first metallic rifle and pistol cartridges. The military didn't solely rely on this new technology, however. Older weapons and other tools were still trusted, such as paper cartridges and smoothbore muskets.
Nevertheless, Lincoln made use of this advantage by tapping and capitalizing on electric communications. This is considered as something remarkable because it is utilized without precedence and it was use in a time where war was waged in America during the Civil War.
Advancements in technology and science contributed to one the most gory and bloodiest war in the annals of human existence. These new technological advancements revolutionized how people regarded war. War was no longer where the opposite forces fought in a coordinated battle. War evolved into game of cunning strategy where the side with the bigger, powerful, and smarter toys played better. This led to a fierce competition where each side tried to create the smarter machines and better weapons, leading to deadly mass killing weapons in the process. One weapon or machine was created and an even better one was made. New developments such as machine guns, poison gas, tanks, and new strategy to thwart trench warfare affected how WWI was fought and it came with catastrophic results.
The next real step in the evolution of the gun came during the Civil War. Rifles were invented that ...
“Volley Guns” (Chivers, 2010, p.26) or also known as “Organ Guns” (Ellis, 1975, p.10) were first attempts at increasing firepower by adding several barrels at the firing itself, rather than simply attempting to increase the rate of fire. “Gunsmiths had long ago learned to place barrels side by side on frames to create firearms capable of discharging projectiles in rapid succession. These unwieldy devices, or volley guns, were capable in theory of blasting a hole in a line of advancing soldiers” (Chivers, 2010, p.26). An example of such weapons can be seen on July 28, 1835 when Giuseppe Fieshi unleashed terror on King Louis-Phillipe in Paris, France. He fired his 25 barrel “volley gun”, killing 18 of the king's entourage and grazing the King's skull. The weapon was ineffective however. Four of the barrels failed and another four ruptured. Two other barrels had exploded inside, grievously wounding Giuseppe. (Chivers, 2010, p. 27)