What were the historical origins of the Second Amendments protection to keep and bear arms - Research Paper Example

The British with their oppressive activities also reinforced Americans’ belief and support for the right to bear arms. The right to keep and bear arms was strengthened by arguments which argued that it was a necessity for the security of the nation; with arms in the hands of civilians, the nations is protected from oppressive acts of the government, and the nation has an advantage of having soldiers everywhere. Below is a full description of the right’s historical origin. The origin of the right to keep and bear arms is justified by the experiences of the early American people.

When the early colonists immigrated to America, they brought guns which they used in their daily lives. They used muskets and short guns to hunt. They also used the guns to fight the Native Americans. When Europeans came to America, they were at first warmly welcomed by the Native Americans who helped them through tough times and shared their food. This relationship did not last long when more Europeans migrated to America. They took away Native American’s land, drove them away, and destroyed their natural way of life.

This led to wars between the Native Americans and the colonists therefore, colonists had to carry guns as a safety measure. This conflict and the formation of a larger community led to new developments. The colonists found it necessary to arm every man in the community so that an attack at any time, would find them prepared. The colonies at the time also had slaves and the region was characterised by slave rebellion. Because of this, laws were developed that required Americans to carry guns in case slave rebellion occured.

The leaders wanted to make use of everyone who could fight to maintain order in the society. Because of this culture, keeping guns was the right thing to do. People, therefore, had the right to keep and bear arms (Jackson 28). Additionally, during these times, there were no police. Having arms was a way of maintaining security within