Discussing the Interconnections Between the American Revolution and Firearms Regulation as Examined by Stephen Halbrook
In the early stages of the American Revolution, a significant event unfolded in Boston - the Siege of Boston. This siege, which followed the battles at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, was a turning point that marked the escalation of armed conflict in the American Revolutionary War.
English General Thomas Gage, in response to the growing resistance from the colonists, moved to confiscate the arms of the residents of Boston. A list of the persons who surrendered their arms to the selectmen, along with the types and quantities of arms each surrendered, has now been found.
The list shows a total of 321 names, with the majority turning in just one musket (recorded as a "gun"). The surrendered arms included not only muskets but also bayonets, pistols, and blunderbusses. Many of the surrendered muskets included a bayonet.
One notable name on the list is Paul Revere Jr., who remained in Boston to manage the family's properties. He surrendered three guns, a bayonet, and a pair of pistols. However, his father, Paul Revere Sr., the famous patriot, had left Boston with the family and was not listed on the surrendered arms list.
The contemporary historian Richard Frothingham reported that Boston residents delivered 1778 fire-arms, 634 pistols, 973 bayonets, and 38 blunderbusses to the selectmen. This suggests that despite Boston having 16,000 inhabitants at the time, many arms were likely secreted or already taken by patriots.
In an enquiry from Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull, General Thomas Gage stated that Boston was surrounded by armed men, preventing access, and that he was surrounded by an armed country. Fearing resistance from the townsmen, General Gage attempted to disarm them.
The discovery of this list sheds light on a lesser-known aspect of the American Revolution, providing insights into the colonists' response to General Gage's confiscation efforts. The attempt to disarm the residents of Boston, as initiated by General Thomas Gage, is reflective of unconstitutional intentions some in America have today, according to attorney and author Stephen P. Halbrook.
The right to keep and bear arms, enshrined in the US Bill of Rights, was strongly influenced by these key events. After the shots fired at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, the escalation of armed conflict in the American Revolutionary War and increasing colonial resistance played a significant role in the framers' decision to include this right in the US Bill of Rights.
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