Before mechanized weapons, before dynamite, there was black powder, muskets, and cannon. What was the legal status of cannon in the late 18th century United States? Could anyone who could afford one own his own 6-pounder, or were there laws early on restricting the ownership of “military” ordinance?
They can take my cannon when they pry it from my cold dead team of horses!
I don’t have the source handy so I can’t give you an exact date, but Ben Franklin and his militia in Philadelphia (not under the control of any level of government) bought cannons for the defence of the city during one of the numerous skirmishes in the mid-1700s. (I believe they bought 6 from New York City?) This, and the very founding of the militia (or Association), was done because the Pennsylvania colonial government was dominated by pacifist Quakers who would not even provide for their defensive needs.
Private merchants were allowed to have cannon on board their ships for protection, and I have several anecdotal cites that claim that ownership of private cannon, mortar, and other weapons was allowed throught most all of the US until after the Civil War. A person I asked about this tonight told me that the first big drive to “round up” these large weapons occurred during Reconstruction in the South, but many of these large weapons were just resold to private individuals and went West to the Frontier. Remember that from a social, functional, and legal standpoint the 1700’s and 1800’s had some aspects which would seem alien.
I imagine any practical uses of cannon were likely restricted to ships. A cannon is of highly limited effectiveness for self-protection or home protection on land. First, it has a very slow rate of fire. Second, against a single or small group of moving targets it serves almost no purpose when you do fire it. Third, moving a cannon across broken roadless country, or even on corduroy roads was a tricky and troublesome thing at best.
Google is absolutely failing to find cites or links for me on this…
Ah, yes. The good ol’ days. A time when men were truly free. 