Firing Civil War Cannon (1:18 scale) by zanzastoys

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

Happy Labor Day from Zanzas Toys!
This year, we're commemorating the Homestead Rebellion, which took place in 1892 outside of Pittsburgh. Steel workers went on strike to demand better pay, eventually resulting in Henry Clay Frick sending 300 armed mercenaries (Pinkerton "detectives") to break up the strike by busting union heads.
The Pinkertons arrived via a barge and at some point (though who fired the first shot is unclear) started firing upon the workers. The workers, many of whom were civil war veterans didn't take that lying down- they responded in kind with rifle fire as well as a 20-pound cannon. The Pinkertons eventually surrendered and were kicked out of town.
It's that cannon that we're offering up. I couldn't find much information on the specifics of the cannon used by the workers, but what I did find seemed to indicate that it may have been a 20-pound Parrot rifle, which is what this is based on.
The cannon actually fires, and we've included some cardboard standup targets of Pinkerton strike-busters.
While the Homestead strike was ultimately unsuccessful, it's important to remember that many people fought (and sometimes died) for the rights we now take for granted. On this Labor Day, consider spending at least a little bit of the long weekend thinking about those that struggled and suffered so we can live in a more equitable world.
See the cannon in action here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD9EGPmsmO8
Read more about the Homestead Rebellion here:https://aflcio.org/about/history/labor-history-events/1892-homestead-strike
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestead_strike
DISCLAIMER: If you make this, please be careful with it- don't point it at people or pets, and don't give it to small children (since the shells are tiny). Please be responsible with all your 1:18 scale plastic ordinance.