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Second Amendment Ratified
The Second Amendment is ratified with the rest of the Bill of Rights. -
Bliss v. Commonwealth brings 'Individual Right' into question
Bliss was indicted in Kentucky for carrying a sword concealed in a cane. He appealed the decision, citing this line from the Second Amendment: "The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the state, shall not be questioned."
link: Guncite.com -
Dred Scott v. Sandford upholds individual right
This case, although it was applied to regulate slavery in the territories, the Supreme Court decision held that the federal government had no power to regulate slavery in the territories.
link: JStor -
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1934 National Firearms Act is passed
As a direct response to the St. Valentine's Day Massacre led by Al Capone (pictured) in 1929, the National Firearms Act of 1934 was passed to regulate "gangster weapons" like machine guns and short-barreled shotguns.
source: ATF.gov -
Federal regulation of gun sales begins
source: annenbergclassroom.org
The passing of the National Firearms Act imposed a tax on the making and transer of firearms defined by the act as well as an occupational tax on businesses importing, manufacturing and dealing firearms. The law also required the registration of all NFA firearms. -
Gun Control Act: Congress enacts expanded gun regulations
Following the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, President Lyndon B. Johnson (pictured) signed a bill that enacted expanded gun regulations. The Gun Control Act of 1968 was supported by firearm manufactured like Colt and Smith & Wesson. -
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is created
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The Firearm Owner's Protection Act is passed
President Ronald Reagan (pictured) signed the bill that revised many statutes in the Gun Control Act of 1968. -
Crime Control Act: Government seeks to make school zones gun-free
Source: www2.ed.gov
The law prohibited any person from knowingly having a firearm in a place defined as a "school zone." -
Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act signed
The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, also known as the "Brady Bill," is passed. The bill required background checks to be performed before firearm purchases. The bill was named for James Brady (pictured with President Bill Clinton signing the bill into law), who was shot during an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981. -
Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act: Semiautomatic weapons are banned
This Act banned the manufacture and possession of specific kinds of assault weapons. The NRA argued the ban was unconstitutional. -
Domestic violence offender gun ban passed
Source: Justice.govThis was a gun ban for individuals convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and passed withalmost unanimous support. -
Smith & Wesson reaches settlement
In Mar. 2000, Smith & Wesson was the only major gun manufacturer to sign an agreement with the Clinton Administration to make safety and design changes and set limits on the sale and distribution of its products. Guns rights groups and clubs boycotted the company and led to the company suspending manufacturing at two plants. -
Pres. Barack Obama proposes sweeping changes to gun control
Following several mass shootings, President Barack Obama sought to strengthen gun control. His proposed several changes including setting a limit on ammunition magazines, getting rid of armor-piercing bullets, reinstating the assault weapons ban and improving mental health coverage in insurance policies.
