Elizabethan Era Weapons

1. Elizabethan Era Weapons Adam Cashman Pd. 7/8 CP English

2. Overview • The Elizabethan Era was a time of peace, however England was still threatened by the Catholic Spanish and French. • Many weapons from the Medieval period were still used. • The most popular weapon was the sword and all nobles were required to be skilled in fencing

3. Swords • Swords were very popular during the Elizabethan era both in battle and as a part civilian dress. • Large cutting swords ranging from 30 inches up to 72 inches were chosen as the weapon of choice early in the period. • As times changed and technology advanced smaller swords such as the rapier became popular for their versatility and ease of use. Rapier framptonwiki541a.wikispaces.com

4. Crossbows and Long Bows • Crossbows, also known as the arbalest, were popular during the early Elizabethan era because of their long range. • The arrow from a crossbow can be effective for up to 400 yards which is a very big advantage over a long bow which can only shoot about 250 yards. • The crossbow has almost twice the range of a longbow but can only shoot about 2 shots per minute while an archer with a long bow can fire around 12 shots per minute. Crossbow elizabethanenglandlife.com

5. Advances in Weapons • During the Elizabethan era the musket, the first firearm, was invented. • Early muskets were ignited with a match earning them the name matchlocks. It would later be replaced with the flintlock. • Muskets of this time had drawbacks because they took a long time to reload and were not accurate at any more than 100 yards. • The Queen ordered that all crossbows be replaced with muskets.

6. Works Cited • Elizabethan Era Weapons. Free Find. Web. 13 Jan. 2012. http://www.seatofmars.com/elizabethanweapons. htm • Alchin, Linda. Elizabethan Era. 16 May 2005. Web. 13 Jan. 2012. http://www.elizabethan- era.org.uk/elizabethan-weapons.htm