Guns in American History

Guns have played a big part in American history. The first settlers found an abundant amount of edible game when they came to this continent. Guns were very useful in hunting for food in this vas landscape. Familiarity with a rifle was an essential skill which also helped the Colonist of the new world to defeat the British troops during the Revolutionary War that was fought from 1775-1783. After the Revolutionary War was over, guns became even more important to American history in the taming of the west. Guns helped in the advancement of bringing civilization to millions of acres of land that stretched from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. If not for guns, would there even be a United States?

No one really knows who invented guns. Many countries make the claim that the first gun was created in their country. A good place to start with is gun powder which China has claims on that. The Chinese are believed to have been the first to create gun powder or also known as black powder. Gun powder is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate. It burns rapidly, producing volumes of hot solids and gases which can be used as a propellant in firearms or as a pyrotechnic composition in fireworks. Once the people of Europe learned how black powder worked, it was not long for this knowledge was used in the advancement of creating a gun. The first recorded use of a firearm was in 1364.

Through the centuries guns have had many different purposes such as, for hunting, sporting events, and personal protection. Governments all around the world have used guns for military use and law enforcement. Today, more than one million youth participate in shooting events and affiliations with programs such as, 4-H club, the Boy ...

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...certain people that have prior experiences in criminal actives, mental illness, and arrested for illegal substances cannot purchase or sell guns. The Gun Control act of 1968 and Firearm owner’s protection act of 1986 do not infringe on the Second Amendment but, does set a standard to who can own a gun.

Reducing gun violence in the United States has been an uphill battle for the government with arguments pending on how more gun control laws would help in decreasing the crime rate. While others argue that these laws make it harder for law abiding citizens to obtain guns in which they can protect themselves. Criminals are going to ignore the law and obtain guns any way thus, these harsh gun control laws will only hurt the law abiding citizen. Better enforcement of existing laws and dealing with crime itself as one issue is another argument many have also stated.