CIVIL WAR TECHNOLOGY

RIFLE

• The rifle was a major change in the way the war was fought.
• It shot farther than a musket.
• It reloaded faster.
• It was much more accurate.

MINIE BALL

• The minie ball was a new type of bullet.
• It was massively important in the war.
• It was hollow and did much more damage than the previous bullets.

CANNONS

• Cannons were a vital part of the war as well.
• Soldiers walked in large groups, so cannons could be fired once to do lots of damage.
• They were also fired right before infantry soldiers went in to attack.

GATLING GUN

• The Gatling gun was the one of the earliest rapid fire weapons.
• But, it did require someone to crank it, so it wasn't completely automatic.
• Two were used near Petersburg.
• Eight were attached to gunships.

IRONCLADS

• Ironclads were much more durable than the previous wood ships.
• Most of the time they had mounted guns.
• They were usually used in destroying enemy ports and wooden ships.
• The first ironclad battle was between the Moniter and the Merrimack.
• They showed that wooden ships were clearly outdated.

TELEGRAPH

• It was the main form of communication during the war.
• It was much faster than mail.
• Lincoln could send orders to his generals.