As long as the bow was used as a weapon, the English took archery very seriously. Edward IV enforced a law that required all men from the ages of 16 to 60 to practice archery on all holy days. Henry VIII was a good shot, as were the ladies of his court. For two hundred years after the time of Henry VIII, archery assumed the role of a sport in small, unorganized groups. In 1781 all these groups were brought together under the Royal Toxophilite Society of England. Sociability was at that time, perhaps, a more important part of the sport than the actual shooting. Since the bow was then being used as a sport rather than a weapon, this meeting of the society might be said to be the beginning of modern archery.

In 1848 a man appeared in English archery tournaments who was to have a great influence on the sport. This was the year that Horace A. Ford became known. Until a few years ago, he was considered the greatest archer of all time. For eleven consecutive years he held the championship of England and set a record that remained unbroken until 1927. Ford did much to improve the methods of shooting and helped develop the rules that govern archery as we know it today.

No doubt you are wondering now about the history of archery in our own country. The mention of the bow and arrow usually brings to mind the American Indian. The red man was, perhaps, the most skillful hunter with bow and arrow that the world has ever seen. Even after the white man brought the noisy but deadly gun to the New World, the Indian stalked his game with the bow and arrow. For many years it was difficult for most Indians to secure a good gun; they had to depend upon their skill with the bow.

Perhaps you will be surprised to learn that if the best Indian bowmen were to shoot against the best modern archers in a regular tournament, the white men would come out with the highest score. The red man was a practical archer; his skill with a bow meant a dinner for himself and his family. Therefore he had to learn to shoot at moving targets, and to aim and release the arrow with great speed. He carried a short bow for short-distance shooting that could sink an arrow up to the feathers into a deer. His skill as a hunter rested more upon his ability to stalk his prey, that is, to get as close as possible without being seen or heard, than upon the accuracy of his shooting. He lived close to nature and matched his own knowledge of the woods against that of the animal he hunted.

It is this pitting of man's wits against those of his prey that makes hunting with a bow and arrow such a fascinating sport and pastime. With a gun one can shoot great distances, but the archer who goes out for game must not only know how to shoot, but must also be able to track and stalk his prey as the Indians did. There are many fascinating stories written by archers who have hunted big game on this continent and others. Today special seasons are provided in some states for archers to hunt. The list of books at the end of Chapter 8 contains some of the stories written by these hunting archers.

Most archers in both England and America now shoot at targets in organized tournaments. Target shooting is a sport that calls for skill, strength, and steady nerves. It still carries with it the romance of Robin Hood's day although it has become a greater art. The archers of today are probably better shots than were the men of Robin Hood.

The first American archery society was formed as a result of the interest of an artist, Titian R. Peale. This man was the son of the great American artist who painted Washington and other prominent early Americans. The society he helped to form was called the United Bowmen of Philadelphia. During the thirty years from 1828 to 1859, this organization continued to interest American archers, but then died out for lack of funds. Bows were very expensive in those days, sometimes costing as much as a hundred dollars. The trophies, or prizes, of the United Bowmen were very beautiful and are still on display in Philadelphia.

Archery Was A Popular Pastime

Archery was a popular pastime in the latter part of the nineteenth century.

Time marches on now, and the next characters in the history of American archery are Maurice and Will Thompson, Confederate soldiers during the War Between the States. When these men returned home after the war, they found their plantations in ruins - burned to the ground. Maurice had been seriously wounded, and the doctor told him that he should go farther south for his health. The two brothers, like others who lived in the South, were not permitted to carry firearms after the war and so they turned to bows and arrows which they made themselves to help make a living in the wilds of Florida. Finally the Thompson brothers returned to city life. Will became an attorney, and Maurice a writer. However, the spirit of archery had caught the brothers and made them devotees to the sport for life.

In 1877-1878 Maurice began writing, in magazine articles, the fascinating stories of their hunting adventures in Florida. Later he brought these together into a book which he called The Witchery of Archery. Most large libraries have this book, and you might be interested in reading it. You have but to read a few pages before falling in love with the charming manner of the writer and the romance of the subject about which he writes.

So fascinating were these tales of the Thompsons that they had a great influence in promoting archery as a national sport. Communities everywhere were stimulated in developing clubs and holding tournaments. Just as the Grand National of England had come into existence to organize the various clubs, the National Archery Association of the United States was organized. At the first National Tournament held in Chicago in 1879, the two Thompson brothers, especially Will, walked away with nearly all the prizes. It may be more nearly correct to say that they rode away with the prizes, for so elaborate was the occasion that it took two wagons to haul away all that they had won. From that time on, the National Tournament has been held every year with the exception of 1918.

Now two hunters come on the scene to add even more thrills to the sport of archery. They are Saxton Pope and Arthur Young. Saxton Pope wrote Hunting with the Bow and Arrow. Because of the adventures these men recounted of big-game hunting in Africa, even more people became followers of the sport. Today there are more than 300,000 archers in the United States - that is, about one in every 450 persons is a bowman.

If you were to ask those who shoot in a tournament what their business is, you would find that archery has attracted people from all walks of life: authors, artists, teachers, doctors, students, engineers, businessmen, and lawyers follow this most ancient of sports. It takes steady nerves and muscles to shoot an arrow correctly. This is why archery appeals to those who are strong and healthy. But those who are not able to participate in more vigorous sports because of some physical handicap also find archery a boon. By selecting the proper equipment, such as lighter bows, they can experience the thrill of watching their arrows speed to the mark. Some crippled persons have become expert archers.

Archery has never died out and never will. As long as bards sing the legends of the bow - so long as fair play and noble achievement stir the heart of man - so long will the bowstring hum and the low whisper-ing arrow fly. - saxton pope

Now, if you are interested in learning more about archery, how to shoot, and how to select the proper equipment and care for it, read the next chapter. You will find it full of helpful suggestions, although it may not read like a story because it is full of directions. By reading it, however, you will find how much there is to the proper use of archery equipment.

Some Interesting Things To Do

1. List the reasons why the English longbow was more effective than the crossbow.

2. Find an account of the battles of Cr6cy, Poitiers, and Agincourt in a history book. Does it mention the English archers? What does it say about them?

3. Find out how the American Indian made his bows and arrows. If possible, borrow an Indian arrowhead and show it to the class.

4. Read one of the books listed at the end of Chapter 8 that tells about the bow and arrow in history. What new facts have you unearthed in your search?

5. Make a drawing of the bows used by different races of people. You may find pictures of them in an encyclopaedia.

6. Find out where and when your State Archery Tournament is held and plan to attend it.

7. Talk to someone in your community who is an archer. Have him show you his equipment and explain why he likes the sport.

8. Read one of the stories on hunting experiences in Hunting with the Bow and Arrow by Saxton Pope or The Witchery of Archery by Maurice Thompson. Prepare to tell it to the class.

9. Make a list of present-day terms, sayings, and uses of the arrow that may have had their origin in archery. For example, "a word spoken, an arrow let fly"; or the use of arrows to show directions.

10. Make a loose-leaf archery scrapbook. Collect newspaper articles, magazine articles, pictures, catalogues, and other things of interest to archers. Save your own scores for this book.

11. Archery has played a great part in the history of mankind. List as many different examples of this as you can find. The list of books at the end of Chapter 8 will help you, as will reference books such as the encyclopaedia.

12. Plan an outdoor play, featuring archery as the main theme.

13. Find as many poems as you can with archery as the theme. There are many of them.

The High School Girls' Archery Team Of Bloomfield

The High-School Girls' Archery Team of Bloomfield, New Jersey. By steady practice these girls have become expert archers.