Western Civilization II / Unit 13 WC2 1204 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Gunboats, Breech-Loaders, and the Maxim Gun
Captions available
The idea
Gunboats and "gunboat diplomacy" opened harbors. Breech-loading rifles of the eighteen sixties were accurate to almost half a mile. The Maxim gun of the eighties, the first automatic machine gun, fired eleven bullets a second, the witness says.
In practice
"We have got the Maxim gun, and they have not."
Where people slip
The anchor says first machine gun; the Gatling came first.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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