Evolution Of Military Weapons

America has grown as a country in many ways over the decades. What was once a primarily agricultural country has transformed into an international military threat. America has not always stood at the top, but the creative minds that are the back bone of this country have helped the evolution of the of the American military. When people began traveling west most became farmers and ranchers to provide for their families. Things like meat, clothing, and shelter needed to be produced and built as the land out west was uncivilized. This was what gave America it’s jump start into an agricultural society. However, as these tasks became more tedious something needed to be done to help make everyday living become easier. The creation of new inventions …show more content…
Since the earlier wars such as World War I, the weapons used in war have constantly been evolving. According to Jennifer Eiss, a historian for the History Channel, “before WWI, the most popular automatic rapid-fire weapon was the gatling gun, which resembled a cannon and weighed about as much” (Eiss, 2016). Weapons like these often required a minimum of six men to help work it. Machine guns were later created to be more portable, lighter and easy to use. Machine guns have become lighter and more reliable over the years. Guns like the Vickers and the Lewis gun were high artillery machine guns, but were not as reliable as guns used today. One problem discussed in class with earlier weapons was that the guns needed to be cleaned every day and the battle condition did not allow for that. The conditions caused guns to jam up and resulted in shooting injuries due to gun malfunctions. Machine guns today have been made to where the weapon can be fired multiple times before needing to be cleaned. Weapons like a m249 or a m240b are machine guns that are used by the military today. These guns are lighter and more portable, but are still able to shoot multiple