The History of the Middle Finger Salute NO OFFENSE TO ANYONE, I HOPE! Very interesting and now you'll know for certain what is implied by this gesture. The History of the Middle Finger Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured, English soldiers. Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore they would be incapable of fighting in the future. This famous English longbow was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of...