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Ratification of the Bill of Rights
The second of these rights outlines a right to keep and bear arms, and says, "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. This was the first step in protecting gun rights in America. At this point in time, almost every family in America owned a gun, primarily for hunting purposes. -
NRA is Established
The NRA is Established in New York City. Its original purpose is to encourage rifle shooting following the end of the Civil War. -
Invention of First Semi-Automatic Handgun
Designed by Hugo Borchardt, the gun is the precursor to the Auto and Semi-Auto weapons being debated today -
Invention of Tommy Gun
Near the end of World War I, the Tommy Gun was the first fully automatic firearm. Originally meant for law enforcement, the gun became a favorite of mobsters during prohibition -
St. Valentine's Day Massacre
Seven mobsters are shot and killed by mobsters dressed as police officers. The Massacre leads to the first gun control legislation in American history. -
National Firearms Act of 1934
Enacted as a result of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, the National Firearms Act of 1934 bans sawed-off shotguns, machine guns, and silencers. -
Federal Firearms Act of 1938
Passes in 1938, the Federal Firearms Acr of 1938 requires all gun vendors to have a license. It also prohibits felons from buying guns. -
Miller v. United States
The Supreme Court heard the case of Miller v. the United States in 1939, they ruled that Congress could regulate the interstate selling of short barrel shotguns, through the NFA of 1934. It said that there was no evidence to support that a sawed-off shotgun had a reasonable purpose in a well-regulated militia. -
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
While visiting Dallas, sitting president John F. Kennedy is assassinated in his convertible. His killer, Lee Harvey Oswald is found and killed days later. his death rocks the world, and starts a push toward stricter gun control laws. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
While staying at a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. King is assassinated. His death rocks America, especially black America, and furthers the calls for stricter gun control. -
Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy
Shortly after learning of his victory in the California and South Dakota primaries, Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated in his hotel in California. He was the leading candidate at the time, and his absence caused an uproar at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where Hubert H. Humphrey was awarded the nomination. His assassination was the straw that broke the camels back and led to the passage of the Gun Control Act of 1968. -
Gun Control Act of 1968
The gun control act of 1968 was passed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson following the assassination of JFK, MLK, Robert Kennedy. The law repealed and replaced the FFA, it updated title 2 of the NFA to fix issues and added language about destructive devices such as grenades, bombs, and mines. It banned the import of guns without a sporting purpose, increased the age to buy guns to 21 and made manufactures add a serial number to any gun. Also banned selling machine guns. -
Firearms Owners Protection Act
Congress passed the Firearms Owners Protection Act in 1986, it prohibited a national registry of gun dealers records, limited ATF inspections to once a year, it loosened the regulations on the sale of ammunition and softened the definition of engaging in the business of selling firearms. -
The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act
The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act was named after a White House press secretary who was permanently disabled from an injury during the failed assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan. It amends the GCA, it requires that background checks be completed before the purchase of a gun from a licensed dealer. It also establishes the National instant criminal background check system (NICS). -
Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act
The Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act banned the manufacture, transfer, or possess semi-automatic assault rifles, The act also banned certain high capacity magazines of more than 10 rounds. -
The NICS System Goes Into Effect
The system was established by the Brady Act in 1993. The purpose was to be able to “instantly determine whether a prospective buyer is eligible to buy firearms” -
Columbine High School Massacre
The Columbine Massacre was a school shooting in a suburb of Denver which killed 12 students and 1 teacher, at the time it was the deadliest school shooting in American history. Was the first school shooting that received significant national attention. -
Tiahrt Amendment
The Tiahrt Amendment prohibited the ATF from releasing data publicly showing were criminals purchased firearms, only prosecutors and police could access this information. -
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act
When the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act was enacted, it prevented gun manufacturers from being named in lawsuits from those who were victims of crimes that involved their guns. -
District of Columbia v. Heller
The Supreme Court ruled on the case District of Columbia v Heller, the court case revolved around if someone has the right to possess a gun even if they’re personally unconnected to a state militia. The court ruled in favor of Heller and stated that D.C’s handgun ban did, in fact, violate the constitution. -
McDonald v. Chicago
The Supreme Court heard the case of McDonald v City of Chicago, the court ruled that the Second Amendment didn’t just apply to the federal government but also applied to the state and local governments. It fully incorporated the 2nd Amendment to the states. -
The Americans for Responsible Solutions
This left of center group supports gun control in hopes of reducing the number of mass shootings in America -
Manchin-Toomey Amendment
Manchin-Toomey Amendment dies in Senate. It got only 54 of the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture and end the Republican filibuster. The Amendment was the biggest gun control bill in 20 years and would have required background checks in every commercial gun sale. This included guns shows. -
The Fix Gun Checks Act of 2015
The Fix Gun Checks Act of 2015 was proposed in the House of Representatives. The goal was to fix the gun show loophole by requiring background checks on all sales of guns through gun shows and through the internet. -
Obama Executive Orders
Obama signs a series of executive orders that made it harder to get a gun without a background check, especially for the mentally ill. The Executive Orders were overturned by President Donald Trump soon after he took office in 2017. -
Las Vegas Shooting
The shooting happened in the Mandalay Bay hotel and killed 58 people. There were 23 guns involved, this shooting resulted in a nationwide ban of bump stocks. -
Parkland School Scooting
Stoneman Douglas High school shooting, it was one of the most devastating school shootings in American history, with 17 people dying during the attack. This event has caused a large movement in America called March for our lives which is advocating for stricter gun laws. 26 states in the U.S have enacted gun control laws after this most recent school shooting. -
Several Corporations Cut Ties with the NRA following Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting
More than a dozen businesses cut ties with and stopped giving NRA members special discounts after their stance on guns after the Parkland shooting. -
Trump Bans Bump Stocks
The Trump administration issues an executive order telling the Department of Justice to place a ban on bump stocks. -
National School Walkout
National School Walkout starts a new wave of gun control activism. There were more than 2,600 national walkouts across the country. -
The House of Representatives passes first major gun law in over 2 decades
The House passed a bill 240-190 to require background checks on all gun purchases, which includes gun sales made through gun shows or the internet. The bill likely won’t pass in the Senate because of the Republican majority.
