Weapons

In the Beginning

Weapons development began even before the beginning of civilization, when humans had yet to appear and animals were either born with or developed the ability to attack and defend themselves. Humankind was no different—creating and refining the ability to survive through the development of weapons and the means to defend against those that were developed.

Weapons have been intimately connected with humankind's propensity to war, which appears to have been sparked more than 20,000 years ago when nomadic tribes began to settle in relatively permanent communities. Societies began to accumulate possessions. They stored food and collected objects valuable to their own sensibilities, use, and culture. Thus was the concept of ownership born, and with it, the need to protect one's belongings and community, and, if possible, increase one's power through the accumulation of additional property or objects.

By 3500 B.C.E., stone weapons had given way to metal. Middle Eastern groups learned to produce bronze, which allowed for the creation of the sword, spear, axe, and metal-tipped arrows. This sparked the reciprocal development of helmets, primitive types of body armor, and shields to protect against these deadly new weapons.

Like all phases of weapons development, the discovery of gunpowder in the 1300s and the subsequent creation of the firearm went far beyond any previous level of technology, thereby catapulting the business of war to an entirely new level. It could conveniently kill quickly, from a distance, and with deadly accuracy.

Keeping the Peace

As powerful as the handgun was, early law enforcement eschewed its use. The “schout fiscal” or sheriff attorney of New Amsterdam (the southern end of Manhattan Island) in the 1620s was unarmed, escorting arrestees not to jail but to a whipping post. The “burgher guard” of the 1640s patrolled [Page 500]unarmed and only at night. It evolved into the “rattle wacht” or rattle watch, a contingent of night patrols armed only with a rattle to summon the aid of fellow officers. By the 1800s, these contingents of volunteer night watchmen segued into a paid municipal police force that patrolled around the clock. They wore civilian clothes, hid their badges, and were armed with a 33-inch wooden club.

The introduction in the 1830s of the Colt multi-shot pistol transformed the nature of policing. But it did not happen quickly. At first, few officers carried a weapon. If they did, it was in a coat or pants pocket, and the gun was often looked upon as unfit for the job. The handgun's acceptance in law enforcement was facilitated primarily by the Texas Rangers, who used it to chase down and engage their enemy on horseback and with multiple shots, rather than the traditional method of dismounting and felling the foe with long-range rifle fire.

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