The American Revolution was already well under way when the delegates to the Continental Congress officially declared independence on July 4, 1776. Months before in the spring of ’76, a shortage of arms was apparent. This was caused by a variety of factors including lack of maintenance, a shortage of field armorers to make repairs, and the propensity of short-term militia soldiers taking arms that they had been issued in one form or another home with them when their service was up.
General Washington tried to procure more arms by borrowing them from the states and by purchasing them from individuals. Spain and France also sent arms to support the cause, but there was still a shortage.
Because of the lack of arms, soldiers in the Continental Army used whatever muskets, rifles, pistols, pikes, bayonets, etc that they could get. This meant that there was no standardization in the ranks. Even more problematic, it made it difficult for the Congress and the Army to identify which arms belonged to the new government and which ones were brought into the field by the soldiers themselves.
To remedy this issue, the Board of War (which included future 2nd President of the United States, John Adams, and Benjamin Harrison V, father and great-grandfather of the 9th and 23rd Presidents of the United States, respectively) made a recommendation on February 14, 1777, to mark all arms owned by the government with “U STATES.” Ten days later, the Continental Congress resolved that all arms and accouterments be marked “UNITED STATES.”
By mid-April 1777, all parties involved in the issuing, storing, and maintaining of government-owned arms had been informed of the new regulation. And just like that, the new nation of the United States had laid claim to its first official military weapons and equipment, despite having no official armories and no standardized arms, accouterments, or accessories.
(Examples of such marked pieces can be seen on public display at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, PA, where I took the photos of the items that appear in this article.)
Logan Metesh is a firearms historian and consultant who runs High Caliber History LLC. Click here for a free 3-page download with tips about caring for your antique and collectible firearms.
What no AR15s?
Nah we where on the ar 1s back then.
Does that AR1 stand for American Revolution 1?
BOOM! You nailed it. And I’m stealing that from you.
I still think it’s a good idea to allow the troops to take their issue rifles and sidearms home with them when their term of service is up. It would strengthen the peoples militia.
Tax breaks for non service members that wished to purchase their own militia arms.
What is that round object on the bottom?
Looks like a canteen to me.
I was thinking it might be the top to a shot or powder keg.
Tight cooperage, so powder keg would be my bet.
Maybe the bottom of a powder horn?
We can always ask Ralph. He was there.
I can guarantee it is a canteen.
This extremely rare wooden soldier’s canteen (circa 1777-1778) is marked USTATES, indicating Continental Army usage. Alarmed by chronic shortfalls in arms and equipment caused in part by thefts and negligence, the Continental Congress directed in February 1777 that all the arms and accoutrements belonging to the country should be marked to show ownership by the United States.
If only the forward thinkers would have thought of the 6.5CM
The war of independence would have been forfeited.
Not you, too.
Sorry buddy,
I had to. It’s likely to be my only one.
I still want to drive south and hunt pigs with you. Or quail, or pheasant, or whatever.
First dove season opener is Sept. 1. Quail follows shortly after and runs to the end of Jan. First dove season can be hit or miss. Last year we had a heat wave that affected the shoot. Second season is later in the year and usually does better.
I’ve given up on pigs. All I’ve seen here have been small. The state wants 22 bucks a pig tag and the ranchers want 4-6 hundred per pig to hunt them. I’m too cheap to pay that for a pig.
The Norwegians did!
Over a hundred years ago!
What is this craze over something over a hundred years old?
(And their velocity was higher with lower pressure as well, less barrel wear!)
“The American Revolution was already well under way when the delegates to the *SECOND* Continental Congress officially declared independence on July 4, 1776”
There’s an absolutely awesome book out called “The guns of the south” by Harry Turtledove where Robert E. Lee’s troops during the civil war are issued AK-47’s and the south wins it’s independence.
When we go to war with China, we’ll be in the sane boat. And it’ll be nearly hand-to-hand, and drones and NBC warfare will be on the table. The U.S. ain’t marking my weapons with sh_t, and I’m going to waste the rest of my days, thereafter, literally nutting every MF who thought it prudent to keep the general, BONA FIDE, U.S. citizenry from full-auto weapons.
Happy Independence Day. I’m hoping your day is full of strict intolerance of all the fuckers who wish you a new one.
We will not be letting you into the ‘sane boat’. You just stay over there in the insane boat where you belong.
You can be Mr. T and Joe can be Murdoch.
If you have feminine fingers, typing on an iPhone ain’t sh_t. Me posting here, while using my phone, is like you typing with your knee. And correcting spelling on an iPhone is not available.
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