Author Topic: Native Americans vs.English longbowman  (Read 8339 times)

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Offline shootrj2003

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Native Americans vs.English longbowman
« on: October 20, 2024, 01:57:30 pm »
I read on quora something like”100 native Americans approaching English longbow an would all be dead before they were within 150 yds”-I would have to say that that would only happen if they approached them like English longbow men ,if they approached them like native Americans the English longbow men would be dead at dawn as the Comanches cheerfully rode off with many horses and much other booty and scalps.

Offline Selfbowman

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Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2024, 02:12:08 pm »
No comment.
Well I'll say!!  Osage is king!!

Offline willie

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Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2024, 04:14:34 pm »
hi shootrj

dunno about quora, but you can read Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, and Conditions of North American Indians    by George Caitlin at  http://mtmen.org/mtman/mmarch.html

I especially like the contest of getting 10 arrows in the air before the first one hits the ground





Offline Pappy

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Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2024, 07:19:22 pm »
Not sure about how that would go, but this thread should be fun to watch. ;) :) :) :)
 Pappy
Clarksville,Tennessee
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Life is Good

Offline bassman211

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Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2024, 01:04:15 am »
What comes to my mind is if the long bowmen had to fight the eastern woodland natives on there turf they would have a chance. Trees, rocks, brush to protect them. The plains natives even on horse back would be under dogs, because they would be in the open with short bows that were not nearly as powerful as the English long bows, but who am I to say for sure. JMO WHICH DOESN'T COUNT FOR MUCH.

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2024, 06:01:00 am »
What comes to my mind is if the long bowmen had to fight the eastern woodland natives on there turf they would have a chance. Trees, rocks, brush to protect them. The plains natives even on horse back would be under dogs, because they would be in the open with short bows that were not nearly as powerful as the English long bows, but who am I to say for sure. JMO WHICH DOESN'T COUNT FOR MUCH.
What he said^
But, what if the natives were in a submarine and the English in an airship?  ::)
Del
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline Selfbowman

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Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2024, 09:31:13 am »
That’s a good one Del. What I do know is the Indians could not beat a Winchester.
Well I'll say!!  Osage is king!!

Offline bassman211

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Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2024, 11:04:27 pm »
They didn't win the war, but every now, and then they won a battle. Custer.

Offline Aaron1726

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Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2024, 12:27:51 am »
But native Americans never faced the long bow, so....  hypothetically I tend to agree the native Americans would have had the advantage due to their speed and agility, both of their bows and their tactics.

Offline shootrj2003

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Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
« Reply #9 on: October 22, 2024, 01:07:09 am »
Willie
 I migh get one or two up there,I mean without training for awhile with shorter quicker bows than mine!

Offline medicinewheel

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Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
« Reply #10 on: October 22, 2024, 03:39:27 am »

[/quote]
...
But, what if the natives were in a submarine and the English in an airship?  ::)
Del
[/quote]

Asked myself the same thing!
Frank from Germany...

Offline Chuckalong

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Re: Native Americans vs.English longbowman
« Reply #11 on: November 05, 2024, 05:00:41 pm »
Colonists used longbows and considered them superior to the Native American bows. Their selfbows were also considered better and were adopted by the eastern tribes.

Quote
I have read that Jamestown imported some 400 bows - but evidently these were immediately shipped off to Bermuda (?!) to be stored "in case of emergency" (rather inaccessable if you ask me, colony or not). The fear was the natives would reverse engineer them and try to make copies of their own as it was noted that the native bows were inferior).

I am told that there was a legal requirement to practice archery from at least the 1400s in England, and that this lead to having a large number of trained archers "on tap".

I know that the longbow was well on its way out by the early 17th century, but the last battle we have of their use is another decade or so in the future, so I presume that this requirement was still in place and people still trained in archery.