The Brown Bess Musket – A legend in firearms history  (Part 2)

Hi! I’m Chris Meter with Mission94 Firearms Education Center. In part 1 of the  Brown Bess episode, we talked about the preferences both British and Continental  soldiers had for the Brown Bess musket. But where did the name come from? Let’s  find out.  

By the late 1700s, the Brown Bess was established as the preferred firearm of  professional soldiers and civilians alike. So where did the name “Brown Bess”  come from? In short, no one really knows.  

In the 1700s, firearms typically had a varnish applied to them which gave them a  brown color. As for Bess, it’s unclear where that came from. Maybe it came from a  pretty bar maid or was a tribute to one of the most popular monarchs in British  history, Elizabeth the First. Another plausible theory is the name comes from the  English version of the German phrase, “braun buss” meaning strong gun.  

But let’s get back to the Revolutionary War. Both the British and Continental  armies used the Brown Bess as the weapon of choice. Why is that?

Prior to the start of the American Revolution, Britian was involved in the French &  Indian War from 1754 to 1763. In that time, Britain shipped soldiers and arms to  colonial America to gain additional territory west of the Allegheny Mountains and  in Canada. To support the mother country, many colonists as British citizens,  joined the fight including Lt. Col. George Washington. At the conclusion of the war,  those rejoining their communities brought the Brown Bess with them. With  provisions needed for a local militia in all colonies, the Brown Bess became the  first choice.  

As we have seen, the experiences of the American Revolution and the events  leading up to it profoundly influenced the drafting of the Constitution and its  amendments.  

The framers of the Constitution, many of whom had firsthand experience with the  oppressive tactics of a standing army, recognized the importance of an armed  populace as a check against government overreach. 

Join us next time, as we take a closer look at the second amendment.  

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