Whose Right to Bear Arms Did the Second Amendment Protect?

by Saul T. Cornell, Garry Wills

This intriguing book examines how late-eighteenth-century Americans understood the right to bear arms. The selections expose readers to ongoing scholarly debates over this topic, providing insight into a number of the most important issues in early American historiography: the controversy over republicanism and liberalism, the tension between states' rights and individual rights, and the place of rights and revolution in the American constitutional experience.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

188 pages, Hardcover

First published April 7, 2000

Reviews

[Alejandro]

The concept of a well regulated militia is derived from Machiavelli's idealization of the citizen-warrior as the essential foundation of a republic.

States retained the right to maintain militias composed of these individually armed citizens -professional armies should exist only in wartime and always be subordinate to civilian control. Armed citizenry offers, "... a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers."

Armed citizenry is necessary for the defense of themselves and a free state.

Brief mention also is made of the "...purpose of killing game;"

Also discussed, are the exceptions regarding the disarming of people for, ..." crimes committed or real danger of public injury from individuals."