Basic History of Cannons

      Cannons have been around for hundreds of years, and they have been used on land and sea alike. One of the earliest cannon designs involved a bamboo or wooden reed that was hollowed out in the middle. Gunpowder was placed down the tube and it was lit on fire. This produced something akin to a flamethrower, but it became the first concept of what we now think of as a modern-day cannon. Sometimes, the person operating the cannon could shove metal shrapnel down the tube as well, so that when the gunpowder was lit, the shrapnel would fly out and hit the opponent.

      Eventually, the wood/bamboo cannon design was replaced with metal. Many cannons were used in Asia, where Chinese troops used them to decimate the opposing armies. The cannons that the Chinese used most commonly were a hollow metal tube, into which gunpowder was packed, followed by a metal projectile. Once the gunpowder was ignited, the projectile would fly ou,t wreaking havoc on the enemy forces. Cannons were also used as siege weapons due to their ability to knock down a stone wall in record time. They replaced other primitive siege weapons, such as the trebuchet and catapult. When cannons were introduced to warfare, people had to rethink how they built forts in order to withstand cannon-fire.

     In the 1800’s-1900’s cannons became revolutionized, they started changing the barrel length and method of construction. They also started rifling the barrels, which drastically improved range and accuracy. In the 1800’s and 1900’s cannons were used mainly for weakening infantry, and they were used less in sieges. In the early- to mid-1900’s, cannons were being phased out for other weapons that were more accurate, had longer ranges, and were more devastating.