Civil War Technology Advances in Weaponry Rifles and

Civil War Technology Advances in Weaponry

Rifles and rifling w Firearms improved drastically in the 1800’s. Rifles were able to shoot much farther than previously, but soldiers were still trained to stand face to face in large groups. w The spin gives the bullet more distance and accuracy.

Minié Ball • Shatter bones • Sever arms and legs

Hot Air Balloon w Balloons were used for observation, but were not easy to control, so they were tied off high enough to get a glimpse of the enemy. w Balloons made big targets and were not used for long.

Ironclads and Submarines w. Warships were covered with iron. w. Iron protected the ships from heavy fire and ramming. w. Powered by steam engines

Ironclads and Submarines w w Famous battle of the Ironclads The Merrimack(Confederate) v. Monitor (Union) Took place in Virginia March 9, 1862 Fought for 4 hours and ended in a draw (no clear winner)

Revolvers w In 1836, Samuel Colt patented the percussion revolver. w These firearms were costly and not widespread until the Civil War. w Multiple shots at a time were better than reloading one-by-one.

Artillery: Large Guns Armed by a Crew w Field artillery was accurate and mobile, often units of 4 -6 cannons were put together forming a “battery. ” w Large cannons could fire over 2 miles. w Napoleon cannon used canisters filled with bolts, rusty nails that would blow apart and spray everywhere.

Weapons in the making w Cartridge rifles (like Winchesters) were being developed right as the war began and were not common on the battlefield. w Grenades were also in development but would often blow up unpredictably.