Angel Trejo-Delgado Koala Bears P.3 Why were the Americans able to beat the British? America: The Story of Us, Part 2 | Source # 1 | Source #2 | American Long Rifle Lightweight Rifle Very Accurate 250 yards of distance | Although it was far more expensive to make then the musket, its ability to be aimed and hit with accuracy to 300 yards made it a personal favorite of these men , also because the cost of firing it was less; from not needing as much lead per shot and as much powder as the larger muskets. Those men grew up with these weapons and knew how to use them because they shot them each day to provide food for their families as well as protection. Living in the wilderness they also learned the way of the Indians and adopted their fighting habits. This knowledge of their weapon and wilderness battle tactics made them natural candidates to fight a war in America. A Brief Synopsis of the American Long rifle | The Long Rifles of the American Revolution, made generally by German gunsmiths in Pennsylvania, were fine works of art, with barrels often over 4 feet long and covered in fine metal work and carving. The grooves inside the barrel, called rifling giving the weapon its name and long range, had to be carved by hand, and often individually. While its advantages as a firearm are clear to most; a rifle is accurate to over 200 yards, skilled shooters being able to hit man-sized targets at ranges of 500 yards.Smoothbore Musket Versus the Long Rifle in the Revolutionary War | Inoculations The Americans used puss from soldiers with the small pox to create an antibiotic by slathering puss on soldiers open wound. | Smallpox could have changed the results of the American Revolution. And, during the winter at Valley Forge, George Washington decided to begin inoculating soldiers. Had he not taken that step, we could have lost the war, and our freedom. Think about that inoculation against a deadly disease meant we could go on to win the war. How Smallpox Inoculations Helped Win the American Revolution | At the time of the Revolutionary War, there were several outbreaks of smallpox. Because survival after the disease confers lifelong immunity, this gave a decided advantage to the British, many of who had been exposed to the disease