The Powder Monkey’s,During the age of sail in various navies around the world it was not uncom

The Powder Monkey’s,During the age of sail in various navies around the world it was not uncommon for children as young as 7 or 8 to be pressed into service on a warship. One of the most famous navy man of the age, Admiral Horatio Nelson started his career in the Royal Navy as a young child. Such children were often orphans, homeless, or town troublemakers ordered to sea by local magistrates.  One of the most dangerous jobs for a young boy at sea was the duty of the powder monkey.When in battle it was the job of the powder monkey to haul powder from the powder magazines below ship up to the gun decks.  Because they were small, they could nimbly move through the crowded conditions of a ship at action, filled with men in motion, firing cannons, and the chaos of combat.  However the job of the powder monkey was extremely dangerous.  He was carrying several pounds of explosive black powder, and a single spark or flame could cause a deadly explosion.  On the gun decks the boys would have to move through men loading and firing cannons.  The recoil of a cannon could cause a gun to roll over a boys foot or knock a boy to the ground causing terrible injuries.  Added to this was the fact that they were working in a ship-to-ship combat condition, with cannonballs, grapeshot, shrapnel, and wood splinters flying everywhere. As ship and gun technology improved the need for powder monkeys was reduced, by the later 1800’s and early 1900’s many nations created laws forbidding children from serving in the military. -- source link

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