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How British gun control precipitated the American Revolution
Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2015 3:43 pm
by rotor
Interesting article which perhaps helps explain our 2nd Amendment historical fear of gun control.
Part of Cheaper Than Dirt blog but still an interesting read for history buffs. I did not know most of this history.
http://blog.cheaperthandirt.com/british ... rolprogram
Re: How British gun control precipitated the American Revolution
Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2015 4:33 pm
by jimlongley
I have pointed this out in many "debates" and included the fact that a portion of the arms that the British were attempting to seize or block the importation of were crew served weapons.
Re: How British gun control precipitated the American Revolution
Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2015 6:19 pm
by JP171
Jim, I would like to see your sources for this, as the intolerable acts stated any weapon or powder and said nothing of crew served weapons, that I can find crew served weapons were not even considered until 1778 when the French were supplying them to the colonists
Re: How British gun control precipitated the American Revolution
Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2015 7:02 pm
by jimlongley
JP171 wrote:Jim, I would like to see your sources for this, as the intolerable acts stated any weapon or powder and said nothing of crew served weapons, that I can find crew served weapons were not even considered until 1778 when the French were supplying them to the colonists
Gen'l Gage under orders from Secretary of State Lord Dartmouth, ordered Lt. Col. Smith to Concord and Worcester to seize the rebels' weapons, "with utmost expedition and secrecy to Concord, where you will seize and destroy ... all Military stores ... But you will take care that the soldiers do not plunder the inhabitants or hurt private property."
Subordinate to Smith was Major Pitcairn, who had information that cannon were buried on Ephraim Jones' property, forced Jones to show him the locations. The guns turned out to be 24 pounders, not the more portable cannon they expected to find, but they smashed the trunnions so they could not be mounted. Pitcairn's soldiers also found gun carriages stored in the meetinghouse, which they took out and burned. The fire spread to the meetinghouse which was saved by a bucket brigade in which some of the British soldiers participated.
Crew served weapons are a subset of all weapons. The French indeed did supply some, but the colonists had them in April of 1775 too, and the Second Amendment, written so soon after the actions of the government attempting to seize, must also refer to those larger weapons too.