Firearms in American History

The firearm provided food for the cooking pot and protection against animal and human marauders. It was also a major trade item with American Indians and was carried by soldiers of the many armies who fought over the New World. It is no coincidence that guns are intertwined with American history: the development and mass production of firearms parallels the history of European involvement in the Americas. Yet despite its long and important service, an accurate portrayal of the role of firearms in American history remains obscured by reoccurring inaccuracies and tall tales at the popular level. Firearms in American History describes firearms development and use in America from colonization in the 1500s to the end of the 1800s in the hands of the military, American Indians, and civilians. Supported by more than 250 illustrations, the book will inform and entertain the general reader.