In England during the middle ages, a law was passed by Edward I compelling all able bodied males over the age of seven to practice archery every Sunday after church. The upshot was that the militia in every teown and village had longbowman, making them a fearsome resource for recruiting an army against the French or Scots, but also more able to cause a nuisance against the aristocracy. Some people say the prevalence of the armour piercing longbow amongst the common man enabled the development of England’s tradition of individual liberty, which the Americans later inherited.
i read that the draw weight of the english longbow was around 90 pounds making it a ferocious wep,
true?