Advances in Military Technology During the Civil War By: Dalton Brown, Danny Martone, and Paul Karam

Introduction of military technology during the war Inventors and the men involved with the military helped shape the course of the war with technology affecting the battle both on and off the battlefield Technologies such as the rifle and submarine helped change the course of attack for both armies on the field, making it easier to attack with, but much more difficult to defend against Technology off the battlefield proved to be just as effective. Inventions such as the railroad and telegraph improved the communication and transportation for both sides during the war

Civil War Weaponry Guns proved to be one of the most effective pieces of technology during the war, making innovations to guns crucial to the efforts toward victory for both sides Towards the beginning of the war, the musket was still the primary weapon of choice for both the confederates and the union Muskets used lead balls as ammo, which were shot down long smooth barrels, allowing the ball to bounce around as it was fired, making the bullet travel in random paths, causing the musket to be very inaccurate Later, rifles were introduced and proved to be far more effective, and were later mass produced, overtaking the production of muskets

The Introduction of the Rifle Rifles were far more effective than muskets in almost every aspect, they were more accurate, could shoot far longer distances, and were reloaded at a much higher speed The inside of the barrel of a rifle was lined with grooves to better hold ammunition in place, as well as add a spin to the bullets being fired, increasing the accuracy and range of the weapon A new type of bullet was introduced known as the “Minie Ball” which had grooves carved into the sides of it, allowing the bullet to better grip the inside of the barrel The grooves in the “Minie Ball” also left room for bacteria to grow, which when fired into the body of an enemy, could cause an infection to occur The only known treatment for an infection at the time was amputation, deeming any and all soldiers who were amputated on useless

WEAPONS OF THE CIVIL WAR Introductory invention of the underground railroads and armored ships. Started deployment of submerged warships and air balloons. Considered by historians the first “modern” war because of these inventions, and lead to the development of new weapons and ships for future wars. Also started using newspapers as means of communicating events of the war to people and warn them of any incoming attacks. Invented the first communication device in the late 1840’s called the telegraph, which allowed separate groups in the army to communicate and send secrets of their enemy’s in the case of spies. Also allowed people to sent messages to the soldier from home.

Telegraph The Telegraph was a very important innovation at this time. It increased communication between the frontlines and President Lincoln This enabled news sources to report on the war very quickly, creating a boom in media coverage

Submarine The first ever Submarine was built by John Day, and in 1776, during the American Revolution, a submarine, The Turtle, was used for the first time to attack an enemy ship. Innovations to the submarine during the civil war proved for both the Union and Confederates The Union used submarines for clearing harbors, while the Confederates used them for breaking up the Union blockade. The most known Union submarine was the USS Alligator because of its unique design, 

Aerial Reconnaissance Union and Confederate armies innovated the hot air balloon to be used to scout over the battlefield They would report using another innovation, the telegraph, to let commanders know of enemy movements Early in the war, President Lincoln created the first Balloon Corps for spying purposes under the command of Thaddeus Lowe Unfortunately, these hot air balloons were obvious targets for enemy artillery and fire arms.

Works Cited “Civil War Submarine.” American Civil War Stories,      www.americancivilwarstory.com/civil-war-submarine.html. “Civil War Technology.” Civil War Academy - American Civil War,      www.civilwaracademy.com/civil-war-technology. History.com Staff. “Civil War Technology.” History.com, A&E Television      Networks, 2010, www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/      civil-war-technology. Marten, James. “How Technology Shaped the Civil War.” Scientific American,      7 Sept. 2012, www.scientificamerican.com/article/      how-technology-shaped-the-civil-war-classics/. PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/      civil-war-innovations/.