Firearms

Firearms have been the primary weapon of choice among Eurpoeans and Americans in America since the 16th century. The George C. Neumann Collection exhibits a wide array of firearm technology and innovation from the 16th century to the early 19th century.

The firearms range from early Matchlocks and Wheel locks to advanced Flint Locks. What visitors can take away from this expansive collection is how social and cultural conditions in Europe and America pushed the evolution of firearm technologies. In America, firearm technology lagged behind Europe, largely because the manufacturing facilities and greater population density existed in Europe. But, conditions in America pushed the mother country to supply its colonists with the most up-to-date firearms as possible. The arms in the Neumann Collection will show how colonists protected themselves from Indian attack and from other Europeans on the battlefield and at sea.

**All information in the Exhibit Sections and Pages are taken from the below sources:

Brown, M.L.  Firearms in Colonial America: The Impact on History and Technology 1492-1792. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1980.

Neumann, George C. The History of Weapons of the American Revolution. New York: Bonanza Books, 1967.

Peterson, Harold L. Arms and Armor in Colonial America 1526-1783. New York: Bramhall House, 1956.

Credits

Valley Forge National Historical Park