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Bill of Rights Ratified
Making it a legal right to bear arms. The starting point of America's gun history. -
Black Codes
Several southern states pass black codes, banning blacks from possesing firearms in attempt to control emancipated slaves. This was a starting point in major gun debate, concerning who should have one and who should not. -
NRA Founded
The National Rifel Association is founded by Union Army officers in order to promote rifel use on a 'scientific' basis. This created a National group that is completely focused and encourages gun use. Making it a more accepted and club like thing to have a gun. -
Sullivan Law: License Required to own Weapon
New York Governor John A. Dix signs the Sullivan Law. This statute requires licenses for the purchase of a concealed weapon and for the possession of the weapon. This is one of the first steps in gun restrictions and making it a tad more difficult to have a gun. -
Gun Sales to Convicted Felons Prohibited
The Federal Firearms Act requires gun sellers to obtain a Federal Firearms License and to maintain records of the names and addresses of gun purchasers. Gun sales to convicted felons are prohibited. This was put in place to control the mobs and other popular gangs from getting a hold of guns once convicted. -
Assasinations make for more prohibitions
The assassinations of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sen. Robert Kennedy fuel the passage of the Gun Control Act. The Act prohibits the direct mail order of firearms and ammunition, regulates imported guns, expands record-keeping requirements and prevents convicted felons, mentally ill people, illegal drug users and others from buying guns. This was another major step towards modern prohibitions in who can own a gun and a step towards larger background checks. -
Eases Restrictions, Bans Machine Guns and 'cop killer' bullets
The Firearms Owners' Protection Act eases some restrictions on gun and ammunition sales and allows people to buy rifles out of state. It also bans the manufacture, sale or ownership of machine guns.The Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act makes it illegal to possess "cop killer" bullets capable of penetrating bulletproof clothing. This is another one of the major steps in gun control. The law makes things illegal that should realistically already be illegal for normal citizens to posess. -
Bans the sale of assault weapons, Walmart stops handgun sale, 7/10 stat
• The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 bans the sale, manufacture, importation and possession of specific types of assault weapons for civilian use. Wal-Mart stops selling handguns in its stores. Approximately 7 out of every 10 murders at schools from 1994-1999 involve the use of a firearm. These are all major things to find out/have amended because a mass amount of people shop at Wal-mart and there is no real reason for any normal citizen to ever need an assault weapon. -
Movie tone down and Columbine
Motion Picture Association of America, tells studios to tone down the use of guns and other forms of violent images in movie advertising.And then later that year teenagers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill a teacher and a dozen students at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. This in turn begins to fuel a new campaign on gun control. It is the first major shooting to shock people enough to start wanting more change. -
3 Media Covered Shootings in one year
Feb 26:Trayvon Martin is shot and killed stirring up media talk about gun control and racial issues.
July 20:James Holmes opens fire with an assault weapon killing twelve people and injuring 58 in a movie theater.
Dec. 14: A gunman enters Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut and fatally shoots 26 people. Twenty of the victims are children. The shooting fuels a want for big changes in gun control laws.
