Also known as: colonial artillery.
| Period | Colonial era to about 1775 |
|---|---|
| Guns | Imported European smoothbore iron and bronze cannon |
| Use | Coastal forts, town defenses, and militia trains |
| Manufacture | Largely imported; limited colonial founding |
Guns of the colonies
The artillery of colonial North America was overwhelmingly European in origin: iron and bronze smoothbore cannon shipped from Britain and the continent to arm coastal forts, harbor batteries, and fortified towns. Colonial militias maintained trains of light guns, and royal garrisons kept heavier ordnance in the King's works.
Local casting of cannon was limited before the Revolution, so the colonies depended on imported guns and stores, a dependence that would shape the artillery struggles of the war for independence.
Sources & further reading
- CivilWarArtillery.com research archive: manuals, reports, and historical references.