Continental Sloop Providence

LESSON 7: GUNS & 18th CENTURY NAVAL COMBAT

Target Ages:	All Ages

Purpose:	The purpose of the gun lesson is to demonstrate how life on board a naval vessel during the Revolutionary War was difficult, dangerous, and at times gruesome. This lesson will help history come alive.

Length:	15 to 25 minutes

Objectives:	The object of this station is to use a 4lb gun as a tool to show how difficult and dangerous it was aboard a revolutionary naval vessel. It is also important to show how teamwork can help to complete a job safely and quickly.

Key Points:	· Life aboard a naval vessel was difficult and dangerous. · Tactics of a Naval Vessel in the Revolutionary Naval Vessel · Operation of a Naval 4lb Gun

Student Participation

Students will discuss the tactics of a navy vessel, why it is better to capture a vessel rather than sink her. The students will then go through the steps to fire a cannon.

Materials Needed

· One 4lb cannon
· One 4lb cannon ball (hands on purposes only)
· Chain shot, expanding bar shop, canister shot
· One worm
· One dry swab/ rammer
· One wet swab
· Squib or Wick
· Gunner's spike and linstock
· Brass monkey

Station logistics and safety

It is important to make sure that the students hold on to the gunning tools when going through the steps of loading and cleaning a cannon. Also it is important to keep an eye on the sheets and braces since those lines are near the guns.

Starting Point

The guns speak for themselves.

Procedures

1. Tactics of war, capturing a vessel is better than sinking a vessel
2. How to capture a vessel, knock out its rigging, sails, rudder, crew.
3. How different shot damage different things
4. Assign students jobs: Gunner, Powder Monkey, Worm, Wet Swab, & dry swab.
5. Go through the steps of firing a gun.
6. Run in the gun
7. Worm the gun
8. Powder monkey gets charge
9. Load charge in gun
10. Powder monkey gets shot
11. Load shot in gun
12. Powder Monkey gets wadding
13. Load wadding in gun
14. Run out gun
15. Clear gun for action
16. Pick and Prime
17. Aim
18. Fire
19. Run in the gun
20. Worm
21. Wet swab
22. Dry swab
23. Inform the watch that it took a trained crew 45 to 90 seconds to load a fire a gun. Ask them to see if they can decrease their time
24. Also explain facts such as 80-100 aboard this vessel and the scuppers are painted red to cover up the blood.

Findings, Observations and Discussion

When teaching this lesson it is important to make sure that you have the students full attention, especially when the students are using any of the gunning tools outside the vessel. Also it is important to make sure that the students do not drop the cannon ball in to the water!

Real-World Applications

It gives them an opportunity to see and be a member of a gun crew, learn about history, and get a feel for "what it was like." Then, they can then find work in any of the local reenactment groups or find employment as a pyrotechnic.

Links to State Framework

Rhode Island Skills Commission publication "Social Studies Standards" contains benchmarks requiring historical knowledge of different eras. It says: "History opens to students the great record of human experience…By studying the choices and decisions of the past, students can confront today's problems and choices with a deeper awareness of the alternatives before them and the likely consequences of each. Since the PROVIDENCE is a reproduction of a Revolutionary era warship, she is an ideal platform for expanding the students' historical knowledge of Era 3, Revolution and the New Nation.

Gunnery with its obvious appeal to student's interest is a window to awakening their curiosity about other historical topics: trade, political and economic themes, international relationships, and how technology has influenced history. Gunnery is the hook we need to bring them into the world of the Revolutionary War era.

Vocabulary

Cannon vs. Gun Shot Worm	Wet/Dry Swab Powder Monkey	Quoin Muzzle