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Story
November 6, 1931
The Weekly Gazette
East Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut
What is this article about?
Historical overview of archery's role in England as a compulsory skill and weapon before gunpowder, and how Mayflower immigrants, more proficient than Native Americans, used bows to hunt and conserve ammunition, debunking romanticized views of Indian archery prowess.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Indians Outclassed in Use of Bow and Arrow
Archery 200 or more years ago was a useful accomplishment as well as a competitive sport. Prior to the invention of gunpowder, the bow and arrow had been, for almost 1,000 years, the principal weapon of defense in England. So important was it considered that every Englishman be able to wield a wicked bow that archery practice was long compulsory for all men between the ages of sixteen and sixty. The Mayflower immigrants were armed with blunderbusses, but, in order to conserve their supply of shot, they frequently hunted with the bow and arrow, in the use of which they were more skillful than were their savage neighbors. Indian prowess with the bow and arrow seems to have been much overrated by romanticists. They usually shot their quarry at close range after it had been stalked for them, and in friendly shooting competitions between red skins and Englishmen, the white men are said to have invariably won.
Archery 200 or more years ago was a useful accomplishment as well as a competitive sport. Prior to the invention of gunpowder, the bow and arrow had been, for almost 1,000 years, the principal weapon of defense in England. So important was it considered that every Englishman be able to wield a wicked bow that archery practice was long compulsory for all men between the ages of sixteen and sixty. The Mayflower immigrants were armed with blunderbusses, but, in order to conserve their supply of shot, they frequently hunted with the bow and arrow, in the use of which they were more skillful than were their savage neighbors. Indian prowess with the bow and arrow seems to have been much overrated by romanticists. They usually shot their quarry at close range after it had been stalked for them, and in friendly shooting competitions between red skins and Englishmen, the white men are said to have invariably won.
What sub-type of article is it?
Historical Event
Curiosity
Journey
What themes does it cover?
Triumph
Exploration
What keywords are associated?
Archery History
Bow And Arrow
Mayflower Immigrants
Native American Skills
English Superiority
What entities or persons were involved?
Mayflower Immigrants
Englishmen
Indians
Where did it happen?
England And Colonial America
Story Details
Key Persons
Mayflower Immigrants
Englishmen
Indians
Location
England And Colonial America
Event Date
200 Or More Years Ago
Story Details
Archery was vital in England for nearly 1,000 years before gunpowder, with compulsory practice for men aged 16-60. Mayflower settlers, skilled in bows, hunted more effectively than Native Americans to save shot, winning competitions and countering romantic overestimations of Indian archery.