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What were the weapon types used during the American Revolution? I am guessing a few types of musket and pistol and cannon, correct? Was there another time when warfare revolved around fewer weapon types?
How about anytime before the invention of firearms? Weapons can be broken down into two basic types, melee and ranged. Propulsion system and rate of fire may change but in contemporary effect there is little difference between a bow and arrow and musket except for the kinetic energy released upon impact. All a weapon is is a method of imparting kinetic energy to a target.
I am interested in this.I can imagine muskets and cannons being used like in the movie The Patriot (not the best source but it's all I know right now haha). I also know that prior to this war the British went through their own civil war where Cromwell's soldiers would battle Charles' army using armies of mostly billmen/pikemen to ward off cavalry, musketeers to fire volleys at the opponent, and cavalry armed with sabers (I think). There was also artillery which Cromwell used to great effect in Ireland. I believe the British would have used something similar for their professional army after the war and it may have adapted up to and including the American revolutionary war but probably would have been very similar.Again in the Patriot one of the 'bad guys' is a dragoon commander and he burns down Mel Gibson's house, basically he would have been cavalry equipped with a pistol and possibly a saber.
To get a good idea of weapon types and there different modes of employment one of the best primers is a book by Archer Jones called The Art of War in Western World.
