Resisting Naval Firepower

Large coastal forts were built in the mid-1800s to defend against increasingly powerful cannons mounted on naval vessels. Among these were guns designed by Admiral John Dahlgren, known as the "father of American naval ordnance." These Dahlgren guns could fire shells weighing from 32 to 440 pounds, with some reaching targets more than a half mile away. Large granite coastal forts were designed to withstand the impact of these shells, while the larger warships of that period could carry a dozen or more of these heavy guns.

Kittery Point, Maine · United States