United States Government During The War

IntroI am doing this report on the M1 Garand for Mr.Walker 182's History Class. The Garand is a fascinating World War II semi-automatic rifle. In the sub-sections below I will describe the developement history of the gun, the service history, and info on different versions. I wanted to add diagrams of the M1 rifle but the pictures are copyrighted and I was not able to download but the diagrams could be found at <a href="http://www.chestnutridge.com/gchart.asp">http://www.chestnutridge.com/gchart.aspDevelopment HistoryThe origins of the United States Rifle, Caliber .30, M1 begin around August, 1900, when Captain O.B.

The first guns used in America were a simple machine where the person did most of the work. The user measured and put the powder

"Battleground America," written by Jill Lepore, provides a strong history of guns and the way they have changed in the eyes of the American through the years. She proves her point with strong evidence throughout her article, sprinkling it with opinion and argument that is strongly supported. She presents her argument to convince her audience that the open availability of guns allows citizens to undeservingly purchase them by displaying the credibility in her sources, using negative connotations in her speech, and the strength and objectivity only a strong logos appeal can provide.

The British High Command were less enthusiastic about machine gun technology, supposedly considering the weapon too "unsporting", and they lagged behind the Germans in adopting the weapon. In 1915 the Machine Gun Corps was formed to train and provide sufficient heavy machine gun teams. To match demand, production of the Vickers machine gun was contracted to firms in the USA. By 1917, every company in the British forces was also equipped with four light Lewis machine guns, which significantly enhanced their

The amount of men that were ready to serve in a military limit was a pressing fear all through the royal period. royal orders to New Jersey requested a count of the men "that fit to manage arms in the civilian army of our said province. Reports from the Georgia borders told the general population's determination to protect themselves, if assaulted by building fortifications for the security of the women, kids, and those who couldn’t fit to carry a gun. Whoever refused to carry arms and also comply with the militia law came with a price. The Georgia Congress imposed a fine against any individual obligated to show up and carry weapons at marshals, who ignored to arrive completely armed and provided. It is evident here that individual guns were liable to control.

Even though there were progress and the advancement of guns, you still had to reload after every shot, the repeating rifle allowed you to fire of a magazine of ammunition before reloading changed the effectiveness and also the deadliness of wars. The repeating rifle was invented in 1860 by a man called Christian Spencer, a machinist who worked in Hartford. It was the first of its kind, being able to fired tens of rounds in a minute compared to a few shots every minute gave a huge advantage. With the North being able to mass produce this weapon gave a huge advantage on the battlefield. The only weakness of the rifle was the short range. The repeating rifle was only one example of many where the North industrial side show it's overwhelming

The history of firearms has changed dramatically since the late 1700’s. A rifle is no longer defined as a single shot, muzzle loading musket. Should

     Although the Model 1861 and the Spencer were the primary weapons for Union soldiers, their side arms were equally important. The Colt Army Model 1860 was the most popular sidearm among the Union army. The Colt Model 1860 was a .44 caliber six shot weapon which weighed 2 pounds 11 ounces. At $13.75, the Colt Army Revolver was much more expensive than those made by Remington or Starr. Production for the Colt Model 1860 ceased in November 1863. This pistol was the main weapon carried by upper class lieutenants, colonels, and generals throughout the war.5

The Union soldiers were more likely to carry the U.S. Model 1861 Springfield Rifle-Musket than any other weapon. These guns were not the easiest or most convenient weapons even if they were the most common. The Model 1861 was a .58 caliber gun, was 58.5 inches long, and weighed in at a heavy 9.25 pounds. This rifle was nicknamed "The Widow Maker." This nickname was made with great thanks to the minie` bullet which was an integral part of this rifle-musket. The combination of the rifle-musket and the minie` bullet forever changed the face of warfare; thus because for the first time ever, men could aim at a distant target, and have a decent chance of hitting it. This luxury allowed the gun-bearers to hide in a safe place, yet still be able to knock down their target. Colonel George Hanger, an American Revolution officer, wrote in 1814:

Guns were a well known asset in the American Colonies, first for hunting game, general self-protection from the Native Americans and eventually as weapons used in the American Revolutionary War. During this time period, the main objective that the founding fathers wanted to create was an

     Riffles were another major contribution to the war, as far as weapons were concerned. The union forces had One of the most popular riffles was the Model 1861 Springfield Musket. The Springfield Musket weighed 9.25 pounds, had a twenty-one inch socket bayonet, and fired a .58 caliber mine ball traveling 950 feet per second. Riffled Muskets, which were also known as Enfields, were the second most popular riffles in the war. These Enfields, had a bore diameter of .557 inches, and weighed nine pounds three ounces. They were accurate at 800 yards, and could travel up to 1,100 yards without any difficulty. During the course of the war, 400,000 Enfields were sold to the Union troops, whereas a mere 20,000 were purchased by the confederate army. Although this weapons wasn’t as popular as the Springfield, the Enfield still packed a powerful punch at 1,100 yards (Ripley 43).

During the start of the war, 90 percent of the country’s products were manufactured in the north. Factories could then quickly manufacture guns, uniforms, ammunitions and other products needed to sustain the army. In this case, the north could easily replenish and supply its army on the battlefield.

Ott et al. find that CFM has a “near-total absence of reflection on the role of firearms in society” (Ott et al., 2015, p.219) and is “focusing on the presentation of firearms using an aesthetic of domestication and sterility” (Ott et al., 2015, p.217). Including the Coors Video Theatre, the hunting lodge, the frontier stage stop, and The Browning Gallery, none of these are showing the violence and reality side of the weapon. The way CFM describes guns as “necessary tools, commonplace commodities, and innovative technologies in nineteenth-century America is not historically inaccurate, just highly selective” (Ott et al., 2015, p.222). They also mention taxonomy and “the manner in which they (guns) are arrayed and hung” (Ott et al., 2015, p.225). The authors called these as “artistic arrangement”, which means, “the guns purified of violence, death, and war” (Ott et al., 2015, p.226).

In any time period, wars rely heavily on having weapons at one’s own disposal. During the colonial era, the main weapon used in war were muskets. Although Muskets were relied upon, muskets were slow to be made, and repairs were timely.There was no system for making “batches” of muskets. Each musket was individually made by a gunsmith where each part fits only that specific musket. A man named Eli Whitney, born in Westborough, Massachusetts, 1765, changed that. Whitney innovated the musket making system, making parts interchangeable from one musket to another. This made musket making and repairs less costly and more speedy, inspired machinists to make interchangeable parts for other products, and paved the way for mass production.

Colt’s Impact on Society Through Samuel Colt’s simple invention of the revolver, he gave Americans the ability to defend themselves with accuracy, improved military power against the world, and impacted gun laws in today's society. Many people believe the .45 Peacemaker was the gun that started the expansion out west. Giving the average Joe an opportunity to defend and protect their own freehold. Although it gave the ability for self defense, it also offered a militaristic advantage, producing a more advanced weapon then the opponents were capable of creating.