A documented research initiative and curated archival resource demonstrating how historical firearms laws can be identified, analyzed, and contextualized.
Modeling the Application of Historical Methods for Law and Policy in the Bruen Era.
This site documents a two-year research initiative examining historical firearms laws and related legal materials. The research primarily focuses on the 18th and 19th centuries, with select 17th-century sources included for historical context.
The materials presented reflect a curated snapshot of the project and are intended to illustrate research methods and historical patterns, not to provide a comprehensive or regularly updated inventory.
A geographic overview of the states examined and the archival research undertaken to locate and document historical firearms laws.
California’s research reflects the complexity of firearms law in a state shaped by rapid social change, diverse local regulation, and broad cultural influence. The project highlights both the depth of available sources and the challenges of tracing legal development across California’s history.
Explore CA Laws
Connecticut’s firearms history extends beyond its manufacturing legacy to a long tradition of regulation. From colonial-era laws and common law practices to early twentieth-century licensing requirements, the state developed a distinctive approach to balancing public safety and firearms ownership.
Explore CT Laws
Mississippi’s firearms history reflects a distinct blend of social, political, and legal traditions. Alongside racially discriminatory laws rooted in slavery and segregation, the state also enacted measures to curb violence, including restrictions on concealed weapons and sales to minors. These overlapping traditions continue to provide important context for modern Second Amendment debates.
Explore MS Laws
Ohio’s firearms history was shaped by diverse regional cultures and responses to violence. From early restrictions on gunfire in towns and sensitive places to twentieth-century regulations targeting organized crime, the state developed a distinctive approach to public safety. Its experience demonstrates how local circumstances and changing social conditions influenced the evolution of firearms regulation.
Explore OH Laws
Long before Oklahoma achieved statehood, Native nations and territorial governments had established laws governing the carrying and use of firearms. Restrictions on concealed weapons, public discharge, and dueling reflected a broader tradition of maintaining public order amid rapid settlement and social change.
Explore OK Laws
Work on this project proceeded along two parallel trajectories. Researchers visited archives across the country to build out an understanding of the specific historical context behind firearms regulations in California, Connecticut, Mississippi, Ohio, and Oklahoma while also simultaneously constructing a database of historical firearms regulations in those states.
Learn MoreThis project reflects the work of researchers with backgrounds in legal history, archival research, and historical analysis relevant to firearms law.
View TeamProfessor & Founding Director
Center for the Study of Guns & Society
Role: Principal Investigator
Professor & Postdoctoral Researcher
Center for the Study of Guns & Society
Role: Research, Writer
Visiting Scholar in History
Wesleyan University
Role: Writer, Digital Content Production
Senior Postdoctoral Researcher
Center for the Study of Guns & Society
Role: Research, Writer
Digital Humanities Postdoctoral Researcher
Center for the Study of Guns & Society
Role: Research, Digital Content Production
Program Coordinator
Center for the Study of Guns & Society
Role: Project Management, AI Transcription
