Filipinos fighting the United State Army resorted to making their own firearms. This handmade gun harkens back to the earliest of firearms, the hand cannon. The gun was muzzle-loaded and the charge was set off by applying fire to a touchhole in the side of the barrel.

This gold-mounted, engraved Henry rifle was presented to Abraham Lincoln in an effort to obtain his influence in their purchase for the war effort. This rifle was awarded the National Rifle Association Collectors Society Gold Medal as an outstanding historical firearm.

During the American War of Independence the French government supplied large quantities of muskets to the Continental army. Several arsenals in France produced muskets but the Charleville Model 1763 was the most common and soon all French muskets were referred to as "Charlevilles." In March 1777,

Students will learn how shipbuilders, mariners, and maritime merchants helped the United States defend itself and grow in this section of On the Water: Stories from Maritime America, an online exhibition. Topics covered are the roles that privateers played during the American R