What did the Americans fight with during the American Revolution?

Answer 1

At the beginning of the war, Colonial Americans fought largely with hunter's and farmer's rifles and pistols, and with merchant ships converted to war ships. While England had a proper military, the colonies relied almost entirely upon a militarized civilian force. Although lacking in military swords, or bayonets for their rifles, they did have axes, knives, and pitchforks. At least one story relates an incident in which a farm woman fought off and killed a British soldier with a pitchfork. For naval operations, they relied heavily upon privateers.

As the war progressed, the colonies had time to forge canons, purchase weaponry from the French, and build ships. They were also quite successful in capturing weaponry from the British, including canon and war ships. In retaliation to England raiding and burning an American port, Captain John Paul Jones used a captured British war ship to lead a raid on an English town, causing significant panic and hysteria, resulting in a change in the British people's attitude concerning the significance of Britain's refusal to accept American independence.