21 Gun Salute
Preserved from the legacy Treasure Coast educational section.
What is the origin of the 21-gun salute?
The use of gun salutes for military occasions is traced to early warriors who demonstrated peaceful intentions by placing their weapons in a position that rendered them ineffective. Over time, the custom evolved as weapons changed.
The tradition of rendering a salute by cannon originated in the 14th century as firearms and cannons came into use. Early warships often fired seven-gun salutes, while shore batteries, with larger powder stores, answered with three times as many guns.
As gunpowder improved, ships at sea adopted the 21-gun salute, which became the highest honor a nation rendered. International practice eventually standardized the salute at 21 guns.
The United States changed its own gun-salute system over time. In 1842 the Presidential salute was formally established at 21 guns, and by 1890 regulations designated the national salute as 21 guns.
Today the national salute of 21 guns is fired in honor of a national flag, the sovereign or chief of state of a foreign nation, a member of a reigning royal family, and the President, ex-President, and President-elect of the United States.
Source noted on the legacy page: Headquarters, Military District of Washington, Fact Sheet: Gun Salutes, May 1969.