The History of Gun Control in the United States of America
- 1791 The Bill of Rights, including Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms gained final ratification.
- 1837 Georgia passes a law banning handguns. The law is ruled unconstitutional and thrown out.
- 1865 In reaction to emancipation, several southern states adopt "black codes" which forbid black persons from possessing firearms.
- 1871 The National Rifle Association is organized around its primary goal of improving American civilians’ marksmanship in preparation for war.
- 1927 Congress passes a law banning the mailing of concealable weapons.
- 1934 The National Firearms Act of 1934 regulating only fully automatic firearms like sub-machine guns is approved by Congress.
- 1938 The Federal Firearms Act of 1938 places the first limitations on selling ordinary firearms. Persons selling guns are required to obtain a Federal Firearms Licensee, at an annual cost of $1, and to maintain records of the name and address of persons to whom firearms are sold. Gun sales to persons convicted of violent felonies were prohibited.
- 1968 The Gun control Act of 1968 "was enacted for the purpose of keeping firearms out of the hands of those not legally entitled to possess them because of age, criminal background, or incompetence."
- 1971 In response to the Gun Control Act of 1968, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms formed, becoming the first registered pro-gun lobby group with the U.S. Congress.
- 1972 The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is created listing as part of its mission the control of illegal use and sale of firearms and the enforcement of Federal firearms laws.
- 1974 The Second Amendment Foundation formed as the nation’s first and only pro-gun tax exempt education and legal defense fund.
- 1977 The District of Columbia enacts an anti-handgun law which also requires registration of all rifles and shotguns within the District of Columbia.
- 1986 The Armed Career Criminal Act increases penalties for possession of firearms by persons not qualified to own them under the Gun Control Act of 1968.
The Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act bans possession of "cop killer" bullets capable of penetrating bulletproof clothing.
- 1989 California bans the possession of semiautomatic assault weapons following the massacre of five children on a Stockton, California school playground.
- 1990 The Crime Control Act of 1990 bans manufacturing and importing semiautomatic assault weapons in the U.S. "Gun free school zones" are established carrying specific penalties for violations.
- 1994 The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act imposes a five-day waiting period on the purchase of a handgun and requires that local law enforcement agencies conduct background checks on purchasers of handguns.
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 bans all sale, manufacture, importation, or possession of a number of specific types of assault weapons.
- 1997 The Supreme Court, in the case of Printz v. United States, declares the background check requirement of the Brady Handgun violence Prevention Act unconstitutional.
- 1998 The National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) computer system goes into effect, a permanent provision of the Brady Act.
- 1999 And the battle goes on....
-borrowed from the Second Amendment Foundation's Website. The Gottlieb-Tartaro Report, Issue 059, November, 1999
