17^th Century Pike Drill

The photo illustrates one of the "postures" of the pike taught by a Dutch training manual illustrated by Jacob de Gheyn and published in English as The Exercise of Arms in 1607. Order your pike is shown above, and below as illustrated in the manual.

The original Dutch manual represents a watershed in military tactics as it is the first printed illustrated drill manual in history. There are cases of infantry formations executing simultaneous movements to words of command prior to this, but this is the first time that an illustrated manual was used to ensure consistent training in weapons use throughout an army. The Army of the States General of the United Provinces of the Netherlands at the beginning of the 17^th century was composed of about 80% foreigners, so the manual was published in five languages, including English.

The Princes of Orange, who led the armies of the States General, also established a military academy in the late 16^th century to train drill masters. Two English-born, protestant graduates of this military school were hired by the directors of the Massachusetts Bay Colony as consultants and instructors to the militia of the first settlement in Salem in 1629.

Based on the records of equipment bought by the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the background of the people who settled there, and the almost universal adoption of de Gheyn's drill in England at the same time, it is highly likely that the first militia in Salem used this drill as well.