Technology Changes
Derrick Birdsall, Curator of Education
For us today in the 21st century we are used to rapid, nearly speed of light technological changes. Take for instance how long (or short) a time it is between the latest and greatest iPhone, or operating system for your computer, or new car that goes faster on less gas. In the 50 something years that I have been alive, I’ve seen computers change from an Apple //e in the early 80s that used floppy disks to being able to carry an advanced computer, with exponentially greater computing power, capable of communicating with the internet via cell phone towers – in my pocket.
What does this have to do with Sam Houston you might be wondering? Houston was alive in a period of our history that saw the beginnings of rapid change in the world, brought on in part by the industrial revolution, and advances in science and technology. For example, when Sam was born, in 1793, the state of the art firearm technology utilized a flintlock to provide ignition to the blackpowder charge that would propel the bullet out of the barrel of the weapon. Flintlocks had reigned supreme since at least the early 1600s and would stay relevant into the 1830s and 40s.
Speaking from my personal experience here at the museum, I can tell you that the various flintlock reproductions that we have here can be finicky and definitely not what I would consider to be a reliable platform at all! There are some days during our school tours when it is particularly humid that I have a failure rate of over 50%!
By the early 1830s, the idea of using a percussion cap, rather than a piece of flint and steel, to ignite the powder charge had been developed and was replacing the flintlock that had reigned supreme for a couple hundred years. In 1836, a fellow by the name of Sam Colt designed a revolving cylinder that used a percussion cap, and technology advanced once again – in a very short time period going from a single shot capability to first 5, then 6 shots via the Colt revolver. Colt’s technology was utilized in both handguns and shoulder arms as well.
Even though time would prove the superiority of the revolver (and percussion caps) over the tried and true single shot flintlock, not everyone was impressed with the new technology. George W. Hockley, Col. of Ordinance in the Texan army made a report to the Texas Secretary of War, Albert Sidney Johnson, which was highly critical of Colt’s revolving system in March of 1839. Hockley lists several complaints about the system, notably that it was not reliable, was too fast to fire, too slow to reload and overheated easily, burning the hands of the shooter, concluding with “I prefer the flint and steel decidedly for the arm of the soldiery.” Mirabeau Lamar purchased a few hundred of the weapons regardless, most of which went to the Texas Navy. When Sam Houston was elected President of Texas for the 2nd time and disbanded the Navy, many of those revolvers made their way into the hands of Texas Rangers – but that is another story!
Here at the museum, we have some of Sam Houston’s personal weapons on display that are on either side of the handgun evolution.
A matched set of flintlock dueling pistols that belonged to Sam Houston. Both pistols have rifled barrels with LONDON inscribed on the top of each barrel and the name W. ALLPORT inscribed on the locks.
This chromed 1861 Colt Navy, .36-caliber revolver belonged to Sam Houston as well.
As you can see, within Sam Houston’s lifetime, technology made incredible advances across the board – and incredibly fast for the 19th century. Within just a handful of years, firearm technology advanced from the way things had been for over 200 years to rapid changes between the time that Texas won its independence to the time of the Civil War.
All three of these handguns are on display at the Sam
Houston Memorial Museum – we hope that it won’t be long until you can come see
them for yourself!
Our temporary hours are currently:
Tuesday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday noon to 4 p.m.
Monday closed
No comments:
Post a Comment