Gun Law History

No political scientist has done more to help us understand the politics of gun control than Robert Spitzer. Now, with Gun Law History, he deftly analyzes centuries of weapons laws through the lens of American state development. At a moment when even the most basic firearm safety regulations are under attack, this tour through our nation's deep tradition of balancing gun rights and public safety is essential reading. * Brian DeLay, Preston Hotchkis Chair in the History of the United States, UC Berkeley, and Author, War of a Thousand Deserts: Indian Raids and the U.S.-Mexican War *
Recent Supreme Court decisions have made the history of gun regulation in the United States crucially important. In his incisive new book, Robert Spitzer paints a comprehensive portrait of that history. Spitzer not only identifies and categorizes the wide range of laws that have been implemented over the course of American history, but also-crucially-places them into proper social, political and economic context, showing how weapons regulation adapted as the country developed. In so doing, Spitzer provides an invaluable foundation-and issues a powerful corrective-for our understanding the long tradition of gun regulation in the United States. * Matt Lacombe, Alexander Lamis Associate Professor in American Politics, Case Western Reserve University, and Author, firepower *
With this book, Robert Spitzer has accepted the invitation-or responded to the necessity-created by the Supreme Court's Bruen decision to systematically trace and analyze the history of U.S. firearms policy. Offering the most comprehensive account of American weapons laws to date, Spitzer takes care to place these laws in context. He convincingly argues that while the nation has transformed dramatically since its founding, weapons laws have always served to protect public welfare. This book is an indispensable resource for those seeking a deep understanding of the historical and legal dimensions of gun policy. * Melissa Merry, Department of Political Science, University of Louisville, and Author, Warped Narratives: Distortion in the Framing of Gun Policy *
In overturning the long tradition of Second Amendment jurisprudence, the Supreme Court has greatly expanded gun ownership and permissive, reckless gun laws, and justifies this effort by saying it is uniquely faithful to our history of gun laws, which it imagines to be few. Dr. Spitzer points out, lucidly and compellingly, that nothing could be further from the truth. He fastidiously catalogues America's long tradition of gun regulations, as old as gun ownership itself, and in so doing, reveals the historic, legislative and political shortsightedness of the Supreme Court and its gun rights allies. * Firmin DeBrabander, Professor of Philosophy, Maryland Institute College of Art, and Author, Do Guns Make Us Free? *
This meticulously researched, engaging, and elegantly written book is a comprehensive retelling of the often-misunderstood history of American efforts to regulate gun violence. The project combines original research, public policy analysis, and insights from political science to upend the current conservative legal consensus about the purported paucity and limited reach of "old" gun laws. Spitzer shows that our national attraction to firearms, weaponry, and technology has always been met with ubiquitous government restrictions and guardrails. Through its compelling narrative and convincing array of evidence, Gun Law History serves as an invaluable guide to historians, policymakers, curious citizens, and future litigants. * Bruce Peabody, Professor of Government and Politics, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and Author, Wicked Leadership in Film *
Gun Law History offers an extensive and necessary re-examination of American firearm policy from the Founding to the early twentieth century. Framed through federalism-specifically the diffusion of policies from municipalities to state governments-Spitzer reveals what laws were passed, what they meant in their time, and how they shaped America's political evolution. Through this analysis, he tackles popular narratives head-on, demonstrating that America has always been a nation defined as much by firearm regulation as by firearm protection. This book is an essential read for legal practitioners, scholars, and anyone seeking to understand the true history and trajectory of American firearm policy. * Kaitlin Sidorsky, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, Ramapo College of New Jersey, and Author, All Roads Lead to Power *
As a researcher of gun politics, I thought I knew the history of American gun regulation. Gun Law History made me rethink it. Robert J. Spitzer has written a deeply researched and compelling book that will redefine the conversation about the nation's regulatory tradition. Combining extraordinary archival research with incisive historical analysis, Robert J. Spitzer dismantles persistent myths about the nation's regulatory tradition and provides an indispensable foundation for contemporary constitutional and policy debates over gun laws. This is a book that will shape the field for years to come. * Alexandra Filindra, Professor of Political Science & Psychology, University of Illinois Chicago, and Author, Race, Rights, and Rifles *