Block, SkipCaptcha, Upload, Automoderated users, edit, move, protect, rollback
9,147
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 10:
Line 10: − + + + + + + +
Blackstone was an important source for ideals that led to the Second Amendment.
===Colonial era===
===Colonial era===
In the years of 1774 and 1775, several incidents happened to give the colonists a fear that the British would take their guns away. In September 1774, the [[Powder Alarm]] was a response to the removal of gunpowder from a magazine located in Somerville, Massachusetts.<ref>[https://www.massar.org/2014/12/07/building-to-a-revolution-the-powder-alarm-and-popular-mobilization-of-the-new-england-countryside-1774-1775/ The Powder Alarm and Mobilization of the New England Countryside, 1774-1775]</ref> In October 1774, the king passed an order in arms edict<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=8hgUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA584 Pennsylvania Archives], 1853, full text - "An Act to impower His Majesty to prohibit the Exportation of Saltpetre, & to enforce the Law for impowering His Majesty to prohibit the Exportation of Gunpowder or any sort of Arms & Ammunition"</ref> forbidding the export of arms or ammo to the colonies. Word of this embargo quickly spread, and shortly after learning of it Patriots in New Hampshire raided the Fort William and Mary, removing all gunpowder and arms before any could be confiscated.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/captureoffortwil00pars The capture of Fort William and Mary], by Charles Lathrop Parsons</ref> In 1775, [[Patrick Henry]] led a militia force after the [[Gunpowder Incident]] in Williamsburg, Virginia.<ref>[https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-gunpowder-incident This Day in History: The Gunpowder Incident nearly incites rebellion in Virginia]</ref>
Ideals such as [[Natural Law]] were well established in the [[Thirteen Colonies]] through authors such as [[William Blackstone]], who wrote about the [[Unalienable rights|inalienability]] of rights. In [[Commentaries on the Laws of England]], Blackstone wrote:<ref>[https://archive.org/details/BlackstoneVolumeI Commentaries on the Laws of England], Volume I, Chapter the first, Of the Absolute Rights of Individuals, pp. 141-142</ref>
<blockquote>To vindicate these rights, when actually violated or attacked, the subjects of England are entitled, in the first place, to the regular administration and free course of justice in the courts of law; next to the right of petitioning the king and parliament for redress of grievances; and lastly '''to the right of having and using arms for self-preservation and defence.'''</blockquote>
For this reason, in the years of 1774 and 1775 when several incidents happened to give the colonists a fear that the British would take their guns away they were willing to stand up and defend their rights.
In September 1774, the [[Powder Alarm]] was a response to the removal of gunpowder from a magazine located in Somerville, Massachusetts.<ref>[https://www.massar.org/2014/12/07/building-to-a-revolution-the-powder-alarm-and-popular-mobilization-of-the-new-england-countryside-1774-1775/ The Powder Alarm and Mobilization of the New England Countryside, 1774-1775]</ref> In October 1774, the king passed an order in arms edict<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=8hgUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA584 Pennsylvania Archives], 1853, full text - "An Act to impower His Majesty to prohibit the Exportation of Saltpetre, & to enforce the Law for impowering His Majesty to prohibit the Exportation of Gunpowder or any sort of Arms & Ammunition"</ref> forbidding the export of arms or ammo to the colonies. Word of this embargo quickly spread, and shortly after learning of it Patriots in New Hampshire raided the Fort William and Mary, removing all gunpowder and arms before any could be confiscated.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/captureoffortwil00pars The capture of Fort William and Mary], by Charles Lathrop Parsons</ref> In 1775, [[Patrick Henry]] led a militia force after the [[Gunpowder Incident]] in Williamsburg, Virginia.<ref>[https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-gunpowder-incident This Day in History: The Gunpowder Incident nearly incites rebellion in Virginia]</ref>
Shortly after the famed ride of [[Paul Revere]], it was learned that General Gage gave orders to Colonel Smith to destroy all arms and ammunition and related items for defense use:
Shortly after the famed ride of [[Paul Revere]], it was learned that General Gage gave orders to Colonel Smith to destroy all arms and ammunition and related items for defense use: