It was during the late 1700s that European settlers started to widely inhabit this area. As they started to move into the area along the Clinch and Powell rivers, one of the most important tools that the settlers would bring with them was the rifle.
A rifle is a type of gun that has spiraling grooves cut into the inside of the barrel. This causes the projectile being shot from the gun to spiral after leaving the barrel, much like a good quarterback throws a football. This greatly increases the accuracy of the gun. These grooves are called rifling, which hints the name for the gun called a rifle.
These early settlers relied on these rifles when starting their new lives in the hills of Appalachia. The rifle was used to harvest animals for food and furs. The rifle was also used to protect families from hostile natives that were not happy with their new European neighbors.
The deer hide was a prized commodity in England. The early settlers would harvest animal hides for a source of income. The rifle was a lifeline for anyone looking to settle in the new territory. It is said that thousands of acres of land owned by one of the first members of the Sharp family of this area was sold for a flintlock rifle and a barrel of whiskey.
The Rice gristmill that now sits along Clear Creek in Norris Dam State Park was originally located in Lost Creek which is now under Norris Lake. The mill was operated by James Rice who also made a few rifles during the early 1800s for local settlers. Some of these rifles have survived and can be viewed at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris.
Early settlers like James Rice had used techniques and methods of rifle making from German and French rifle makers. These early American rifles had the craftsmanship of their origins but took on some characteristics of their own. American rifles were typically longer to help aid precision on longer shots for weary game.
Many historians agree that the American Revolution was won due to the rifle and the skills to use one by the first Americans. Warfare at the time was largely what is now called Napoleon style, where soldiers from one side would line up facing soldiers from the other side and volley bullets at each other until one side won the battle. The American Patriots started using guerilla warfare techniques that were very similar to hunting wild game.
The early American rifle took longer to load and could not be shot as many times before needing to be cleaned as the smooth bore guns mostly carried armies of the time. The Americans, from cover and concealment, would ambush marching British troops, shooting only a couple of times then retreating to safety. This type of warfare ultimately ran the British off and gave the settlers a chance at making a new country that we now know as the United States of America.
Rifles for hunting, sport shooting and defense are still a huge part of our culture in America. No wonder gun rights are a hot topic in America. A gun in the wrong hands can be very dangerous, this is why gun education is important. I’m not trying to suggest my view on gun laws, but it is apparent that gun education is not widely available.
Maybe if gun education was more available, the next generation of Americans would be safer and have more respect for guns.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency offers a Hunter Safety Course. I suggest anyone and everyone to attend this class. Even if you don’t plan to hunt, it is a great way to learn gun safety for real world situations where firearms may be present. No matter how you feel about the rifle, it still does not take away its importance in America’s history.