Charlie T.
2015

Native American Weapons
Source: Frank, Caroline. “Warfare in the 17th Century.” American Centuries, Volume 2. Facts On File, 2014. American History Online. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. <http://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/358101?q=colonial weaponry>.

Quote:

Traditional forms of Native American weaponry continued throughout the 17th century, with warriors across the continent using long wooden bows and stone- or bone-tipped arrows, alongside clubs and hatchets. People of the Great Lakes region had previously used native copper for knives and spear points, but now all Indians increasingly used European iron and brass for arrowheads, as these metals became available through trade and war. Arrows shot by Indian marksmen were generally more accurate than muskets fired by militiamen, only 15 to 20 percent of whom were able to hit their target. But windy conditions and the shorter range of arrows worked against the archer.

Paraphrase:

• Native American Warriors used long wooden bows and stone or bone tipped arrows, as well as that they also used clubs and hatchets
• As European people came over the Natives were getting hold of better materials for their weapons, like iron and brass
• The bows that the Natives used were far more accurate than the British Brown Bess but in high winds the bows were much less accurate unlike the Musket

My Ideas: Not unlike the Colonial soldiers, the Native Americans have a weapon that they all use in combat, this is the Native American Longbow, it can shoot both far and accurately. The Longbow was a lethal weapon, it was light and easy to reload, it was so easy to reload a Native American could shoot 30 arrows in the same amount of time that The British Brown Bess could shoot one bullet. The Native American soldier traveled very lightly and used a very different war strategy that the Colonists had never seen before, stealth and speed. When the Native Americans attacked they only held a bow arrows and either a club or a hatchet, because of this they were able to slip through the trees very fast and quiet. In conclusion the Natives had much better weapons and strategies to suit the land that they were fighting in.

Aidhan A.

2015

Native American Weaponry and Tactics

Sorce: English Musketeer, Interpreter at Williamsburg. Interview. Williamsburg: n.p.,
     2015. Print.

Paraphrase:

The Native Americans were very good with their bow and arrows but they had to be at least 50 yards or closer for their arrow to hit their target.

When the English had armor, and they tried to attack the Powhatan village, which are in the open not in the forest, the Powhatan warriors had to come out and try to defend their village, they were no longer in the forest and then it was the advantage for the English since it was in an open field or beach.