9781422273548

The Colony, the Militia, and the Gun

A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. —The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution Most Americans might think that the controversy and challenges regarding the Second Amendment have appeared only recently, with the invention of automatic rifles or assault weapons. In reality, gun ownership has been controversial since the earliest days of colonial America, drawing out fierce passions that would be echoed over the centuries. The First Americans, the First Guns The history of gun laws in the United States can be traced back four centuries, to the first charter established by the Virginia colony’s General Assembly, stating that “no man do sell or give any Indians any shot [ammunition], piece [firearm], or [gun]

11