"Native Americans and muskets" Topic

I understand that, by the French and Indian War, almost all Native Americans obtained muskets for fighting. However, I was reading a bit about King Phillip's War and it sounds like most New England Warriors had firearms as well by 1676.

Do we know when different tribes In eastern colonial America became mainly musket armed? Did tomahawks totally replace war clubs, and when? When did spears disappear?

Depending on the tribe and location, the shift to firearms occurred from the 1620's to the 1640's, when tribes obtained guns from the English, Dutch and French. In 1639 New Netherlands passed a law prohibiting the sale of guns, powder, or lead to Indians on pain of death.

In general, they got firearms as soon as possible, usually within a year of first contact, sometimes before through trading with tribes further east

The same sort of rapid acquisition happened in New Zealand, with the tribes who got the muskets first expanding at the cost of their less well-equipped neighbours.

A very good book for reference is the 'The Skulking Way of War: Technology and Tactics Among the New England Indians'
by Patrick M. Malone

It contains a lot of good info.

Thanks all. Looks like I have to consider what to do with the Flint and Feather and Eureka Powhatan figures I have in my collection. Not so interested in pre-colonial wars.

During the siege of Fort Pitt during Pontiac's Rebellion, the commandant was hit in the leg by an arrow. I believe both war clubs and tomahawks were in use. Personal preference, perhaps.

A lot has to do with when and where your games are going to focus on.
Most of my study has been in the Southeast but I did cover many areas in my Under One Sun articles and book.
The trade concept governed muskets. Early settlers did not want them to be turned and used against them. So you had three elements to a working musket. These were musket, shot and powder. You could give muskets but they would be worthless without the proper amount of powder and shot.
In the north, the trend was a westward movement of trading weapons. Eastern coastal tribes would trade the old musket to tribes over the Appalachian mountains. Those tribes would trade their older models to tribes in Illinois who still sent older ones to the Dakota's. A major issue for the Dakotas with the French traders was to get newer model muskets.

In the South, both the one hand and two hand war clubs was used extensively by the Muskogee tribes into the Creek war of 1812. These were family heirlooms handed down. They often had a stone and later iron ball, cannon ball?, as a head. Originally some would attach shap stones which had to be replaced often. Later, after European trading models would have nails or knife blades attached. Tomahawks were more common among the Lower Creek tribes than upper Creek. The Fanatics went into battle with no European items at all, as it would cancel their protection magic. So war clubs and no muskets. Though many none fanatical warriors carried muskets and it was a sign of command whether or not they had shot or powder.

The Spanish, British and later Americans would trade mainly small caliber hunting muskets to the Seminole. After some battles the American soldiers would stand up and shake out their wool coats of shot that had not penetrated.

The myth of superior First Nation marksmen being common or numerous, is a myth. Tribes valued shot and powder so much that they never had musketry practice. They still hunted game with a bow with some reports suggesting that the rate of fire with a bow was higher than a musket.

Muskogee warriors often fought shirtless and some without trousers, not because of fanaticism but because a musket ball wound would pull fabric into the would and infect them.

It's also a myth that all frontier setters had firearms as well.

Both the French and English had trade muskets, but given the limited trade of both, not sure how many warriors had them, not what condition they were in since the ability to fix them was extremely limited. Having dealt with reproductions for a long time, I can assure you they break all the time.

I have went into the opposite way as the FIW was my total interest but now I'm more interested in the 17th cen. I have the F&F and Eureka indians also.
Mark

Marco:

Definitely interested in what you are doing. I have enough Native Americans for the French and Indian War and was looking at the 17th Century,

What rules do you use? Someone gave me Flint and Feather with the cards but I won't use that. Probably will sell or give away. May keep the figures though.