The Civil War: Industrial The Civil War: Industrial InnovationsInnovations

The RevolverThe Revolver

• Officer’s sidearm Officer’s sidearm or a cavalry or a cavalry weapon; effective weapon; effective at short range.at short range.• This is a Colt This is a Colt

Army Army revolver, .44 revolver, .44 calibercaliber

Standard Springfield Infantry Standard Springfield Infantry RifleRifle

• .58 caliber—devastating at close range, effective at 600 yards

• Many firefights took place at 100 yards or closer

The improved rifle, combined The improved rifle, combined with old-fashioned fighting with old-fashioned fighting

techniques (tactics) generated techniques (tactics) generated terrible battlefield casualties, terrible battlefield casualties,

because commanders still because commanders still trained their men to advance in trained their men to advance in masses, the way Napoleon had masses, the way Napoleon had

fought 50 years earlierfought 50 years earlier

Near the end of the war…Near the end of the war…

• Generals began to use trench warfare—let the other side do the attacking

• With the new weapons, attacking troops could be slaughtered by troops who were relatively safe in fortified trenches

The Springfield’s conical bulletThe Springfield’s conical bullet

• Note the grooves (rifling) that spun the bullet as it left the barrel and made it much more accurate—like a spiral football pass

In 1864, the first repeating rifles In 1864, the first repeating rifles began to appearbegan to appear

• This is a Henry Rifle, which could fire 16 shots before the soldier had to reload

Artillery was also rifledArtillery was also rifled

• This re-enactor stands with a Whitworth Rifle, which could fire a 12-pound explosive shell over a mile

The war introduced the first The war introduced the first practical machine gunpractical machine gun

• Gatling guns had 6-10 rotating barrels which could fire 200 shots per minute

Perhaps the greatest innovations Perhaps the greatest innovations were with the navywere with the navy

• In March 1862, the first “ironclad” ships—the U.S.S. Monitor and the C.S.S. Virginia—fought to a draw at Hampton Roads, Virginia

Here’s the Here’s the MonitorMonitor after the battle after the battle—check out the dents—check out the dents

The The MonitorMonitor wasn’t very wasn’t very seaworthyseaworthy

• She sank in a storm off North Carolina—here’s a photo of the same gun turret after it was raised in 2002

The most famous Civil War ship?The most famous Civil War ship?

• The C.S.S. Hunley, which drowned two crews before successfully sinking a Union ship in Charleston Harbor.

Question:Question:•Why would the South be so intent on sinking Union ships blockading their harbors?

That problem would show itself That problem would show itself at Gettysburgat Gettysburg

Up to one-third of Lee’s Confederate army fought barefoot

The The Hunley’s Hunley’s crew turned the crew turned the crankshaft by handcrankshaft by hand

The Hunley carried a The Hunley carried a “torpedo” mounted on a “torpedo” mounted on a ship’s spar that would ship’s spar that would detonate on contactdetonate on contact

It worked!!!It worked!!!

But the But the HunleyHunley sank again… sank again…

Ah, shoot!

In August, 2000, the In August, 2000, the Hunley Hunley and and her crew were recovered…her crew were recovered…

Including the commander’s…Including the commander’s…

…$20 “lucky” gold piece—which didn’t work too well that night

What the war ultimately proved…What the war ultimately proved…

• Is that modern warfare would be decided as much by industrial production as by generals.

• In that respect, the South never really had a chance…

The War would therefore createThe War would therefore create

• A “Second Industrial Revolution”—with the United States, not Britain, taking the lead, and with steel, not textiles, as the product that generated industrial expansion