Dragoon

By Deane Barker tags: horses, military
Updates
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Definition: historically, a mounted infrantryman; contemporarily, to force or compel behavior

This is sometimes used as a predecessor term to “cavalry,” though in my research, it mostly referred to foot soldiers who were transported to battle on horseback.

The name comes from a common weapon in 17th Century Britain – a musket called the “dragon” – which was carried by these troops.

Today, the 1st Cavalry Regiment of the U.S. Army has the official nickname “The 1st Regiment of Dragoons.”

At some point, the word became a verb meaning “force someone to do something.”

Why I Looked It Up

I had heard the word in a military context, but was curious if there was a specific definition.

The word came up a few times in Rebels Against the Future. Oddly, it was capitalized, which implied it referred to a specific military unit.

Update

Added on

From The Coming Wave:

In 1807, six thousand weavers demonstrated over pay cuts, a protest broken up by saber-wielding dragoons who killed a protester.

Bizarrely, that quote was also discussing the Luddite Revolution.

Links from this – Rebels Against the Future: The Luddites and Their War on the Industrial Revolution: Lessons for the Computer Age August 28, 2024
This is a history of the “Luddite revolution,” when textile laborers in central English destroyed machinery that was very rapidly taking their jobs. It’s where the general term “luddite” came from, meaning someone who refuses to adopt new technology. I was surprised to find out that this all took...
Links from this – The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma December 27, 2024
Bill Gates recommended this book. It’s not terrible, but not at all actionable, either. It’s a breathless prediction of what the future of AI, computing power, and gene editing will enable. The author paints a picture of amazing breakthoughs and things-we-cannot-image, etc. I don’t know what to do...