U.S. Government Honors Gun Control Timeline

By beccaprimak

  • The Second Amendment

    Ratified in 1791, the second amendment states that people are allowed to keep and bear arms because it is necessary for the militia of a free state.

  • Second Militia Act of 1792

    A government law required that all citizens eligible to be in the military own a gun, and have it frequently inspected. Many Americans owned hunting rifles, or pistols instead of proper military guns. It was part of the law that they had to own military guns, but that part of it was largely ignored, and not enforced.

  • Race-based Total Gun Ban Act of 1833

    In 1833, Georgia had a law that stated "it shall not be lawful for any free person of color in this state, to own, use, or carry firearms of any description whatever… that the free person of color, so detected in owning, using, or carrying firearms, shall receive upon his bare back, thirty-nine lashes, and that the firearm so found in the possession of said free person of color, shall be exposed for public sale."
    Slaves and African Americans could not own, use or carry guns.

  • 1876 Deadwood Dakota Territory Permission by Mayor Law

    In 1876 in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, they passed a law saying that no one could shoot a gun without the mayor’s permission.

  • National Firearms Act

    It imposed a tax and required registration on certain kinds of firearms.

  • Federal Firearms Act

    This was a safety regulation to control who was selling guns to who. You had to obtain a permit, and record the names and addresses of everyone they sold to. They were prohibited to sell guns to people convicted of certain crimes, or those who lacked a permit.

  • Gun-Free School Zones Act

    Prohibits any unauthorized person from having a gun or firearm of any type in a school zone.

  • Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act

    If you want to buy a gun, you have a 5 day waiting period so that they can do a background check on you.

  • Child Safety Lock Act

    The Child Safety Act of 2005 required that all handguns be sold with proper storage or safety device.

  • National Instant Criminal Background Check Improvement Act

    This required that a background check be done on the gun-buyer to check for legally declared mentally ill individuals that are not allowed to buy guns.