ABSTRACT
In the 1700s, many people in both Britain and the American colonies were illiterate. Besides knowing how to do mathematical calculations, the artillery troops had to have a good understanding of the science of gunpowder and the physics of mortars. Cannons were so heavy that they were usually mounted in one place and used only in that location. A lightweight cannon that could be moved was a revolution. Armies could haul their cannons to the place they needed to fight. The canvas bag was wrapped with twine to make it into a shape that would fit in the mouth of the cannon. Artillery soldiers also experimented with split shot, which consisted of two whole cannonballs connected by a length of chain. When the cannonballs were shot out of the muzzle, the cannonballs would fly in different directions until the chain pulled tight, and then it would rotate around its center of mass.
