A 21-gun salute is fired by the members of the U.S. Army.

The 21-gun salute is a national honor performed when cannon are fired 21 times. Unless rendered to a president or the flag of a republic, 21 guns is called (colloquially) a Royal Salute in the British Commonwealth. In short, it would be said of the President of the United States, if saluted in Canada, that he received a "royal salute." However, the salute fired at the Tower of London to mark the anniversaries of the birth, accession, and coronation of the Sovereign is in fact 62 guns, and on other Royal occasions 41 guns are fired. Both were fired for President George W. Bush when he made his visit to the United Kingdom in 2003. In the U.S., the 21-gun salute is both the National Salute and Presidential Salute.

Origins

The tradition of saluting can be traced to the Middle Ages practice of placing oneself in an unarmed position and, therefore, in the power of those being honored. This may be noted in the dropping of the point of the sword, presenting arms, firing cannon and small arms, lowering sails, manning the yards, removing the headdress or laying on oars.

The cannon salute might have originated in the 17th century with the maritime practice of demanding that a defeated enemy expend its ammunition and render itself helpless until reloaded — a time-consuming operation in that era.

Salute by gunfire is an ancient ceremony. The British for years compelled weaker nations to render the first salute; but in time, international practice compelled "gun for gun" on the principle of equality of nations. In the earliest days, seven guns was the recognized British national salute due to seven being the standard number of weapons on a vessel. In that day, gunpowder made from sodium nitrate was easier to keep on dry land than at sea. Thus those early regulations stated that although a ship would fire only seven guns, the forts ashore would fire three shots to each one shot afloat, hence the number 21.

With the increase in quality of naval gunpowder, by the use of potassium nitrate, honors rendered at sea were increased to the shore salute. 21 guns became the highest national honor, although for a period of time, monarchies received more guns than republics. Eventually republics gained equality in Britain's eyes.

When India was part of the British Empire, the king-emperor would receive an Imperial salute of 101 guns.

There was much confusion because of the varying customs of maritime states, but finally the British government proposed to the United States a regulation that provided for "salutes to be returned gun for gun." The British at that time officially considered the international salute to sovereign states to be 21 guns, and the United States adopted the 21 guns and "gun for gun" return on August 18, 1875.

United States

In the United States a different trend was followed. Beginning in the colonial period, the United States fired one shot for each state in the Union as its national salute. This practice was partly a result of usage, because John Paul Jones saluted France with 13 guns at Quiberon Bay in 1778 when the Stars and Stripes received its first salute. The practice was not officially authorized until 1810, when the United States Department of War declared the "national salute" to be equal to the number of states, which was 17 at the time. This was continued until 1841 when the "national salute" was reduced to 21 from 26.

In 1842, the United States declared the 21-gun salute as its "Presidential salute." In 1890, the "national salute" was formally reestablished as the 21-gun salute, and the traditional Independence Day salute of one gun for each of the 50 states was declared as the "Salute to the Nation" or "Salute to the Union." The salute is staged only at noon on July 4, Independence Day at U.S. military installations, although it has been given on a few other occasions, such as the death of a president. The U.S. Navy full-dresses ships and fires 21 guns at noon on July 4, Independence Day and February 22, Presidents' Day. On Memorial Day, all ships and Naval stations fire a salute of 21-minute guns and display the ensign at half-mast from 8 a.m. until completion of the salute.

Today, a 21-gun salute on arrival and departure, with four ruffles and flourishes, is rendered to the President of the United States, to an ex-President, and to a President-elect. The national anthem or "Hail to the Chief," as appropriate, is played for the President, and the national anthem for the others. A 21-gun salute on arrival and departure with 4 ruffles and flourishes also is rendered to the sovereign or chief of state of a foreign country, or a member of a reigning royal family. In these ceremonies, the national anthem of his or her country also is played. Others, such as prime ministers and vice presidents are given a 19-gun salutes instead. The rounds are fired one at a time.

A U.S. presidential death also involves 21-gun salutes and other military traditions. On the day after the death of the president, a former president or president-elect — unless this day falls on a Sunday or holiday, in which case the honor will rendered the following day — the commanders of Army installations with the necessary personnel and material traditionally order that one gun be fired every half hour, beginning at reveille and ending at retreat.

On the day of burial, a 21-minute gun salute traditionally is fired starting at noon at all military installations with the necessary personnel and material. Guns will be fired at one-minute intervals. Also on the day of burial, those installations will fire a 50-gun salute — one round for each state — at five-second intervals immediately following lowering of the flag.

See also

• state funeral
• three volleys

References

• Origins of the 21-gun salute (http://www.mdw.army.mil/fs-h04.htm)
• The 21-Gun International Salute (http://www.mdw.army.mil/fs-h05.htm)