The American Revolution for Kids - The Importance of Canons, Artillery Illustration

The American Revolution for Kids - Artillery, Canons

For Kids: Why were Canons important during the revolutionary war? What can you do with a cannon that you cannot do with a rifle or musket?

For one thing, cannons can shoot a very long way. Even during the Revolutionary War a cannon could shoot almost a mile.

For another, you can stuff a cannon with a whole bunch of round bullets and shoot them all at once. This was called grapeshot.

The British army had a lot of cannons, the colonial army didn't have very many. That is why the capture of Fort Ticonderoga early in the Revolution so important. It had a lot of cannons.

Revolutionary War Artillery

Printout: How to fire a canon (for teachers from the National Park Service)

Famous Battles of the Revolutionary War for Kids